Extra Word(s) You Learned in This Lesson _______________________________________
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A N S W E R S
P ra c t i c e 1 : M a t c h i n g t h e B o d y P ro b l e m w i t h t h e P hys i c i a n W h o C a re s fo r I t
1. j 2. h 3. g 4. f 5. c 6. i 7. a 8. b 9. d 10. e
audiologist dermatologist internist
nurse practitioner obstetrician oncologist
ophthalmologist optometrist orthodontist osteopath pediatrician podiatrist
A N S W E R S
P ra c t i c e 2 : M e d i c a l C ro s s wo rd P u z z l e
Across Down
2obstetrician 1dermatologist
3orthodontist 4podiatrist
4pediatrician 5audiologist
HOW MANY PEOPLEare in your family?
Did you include your pets?
Did you count your cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents?
Are you a member of a blended family?
Have you ever been to a family reunion?
At first glance, we often assume that we know the meaning of a word.
For instance, the meaning of the word family seems pretty straightforward.
But if you hesitated before answering any of the questions above, you know that defining a simple word like familyisn’t easy!
Don’t most people assume that a family is the people we live with? But what about grandparents, who usually don’t live with us? And what about cousins, who may live across the country or even on another continent? And what about distant relatives we’ve never met but whose connection to us can be traced by bloodlines? And what if we’re the children of divorced and remarried parents? Suddenly, definitions are not so simple.
L E S S O N 20
words about families
A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold.
OGDENNASH(1902–1971) AMERICAN HUMORIST
This lesson focuses on words about families, and illustrates many of the com- plications that arise once we try to define something as simple as my family.
Anthropologists have devoted decades to studying various cultures and the many ways they define family relationships. For example, in China, there are different words for older brother and younger brother. But in traditional Hawaiian families, there are only two categories: parent and child. Thus, a child refers to all the females of the parents’ generation as motherand all the males as father. All brothers and male cousins are called brother, and all sisters and female cousins are known as sister. Furthermore, in many Spanish-speaking families, the word mamais used to describe any female, regardless of the fam- ily relationship.
Following is a list of words referring to families and their various rela- tionships. Knowing these words will definitely increase your word power, and may help you think about your own family in new and interesting ways.
WO R D S A B O U T FA M I L I E S
1. ancestor. A person from whom one is descended, especially if more remote than a grandparent. Our ancestors who lived two or three generations ago were much smaller in both height and weight, as were those who lived millions of years before.
2. descendant. A person, animal, or plant that comes from a specific ancestor. We can even use the word in relation to nonliving things. The automobile is the descendant of the horse-and-buggy.
3. dynasty. A sequence of rulers from the same family, such as the Ming Dynasty in Chinese history, or a family notable for a par- ticular quality, such as wealth. The Adams family, which con- tributed two presidents and several important authors to our country, can surely be termed a true American dynasty.
4. family tree. A chart showing the ancestry, descent, and relation- ship of all members of a family. Our family tree proves the theory of genetics: way more than half of us have red hair and green eyes.
5. genealogy. A record of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors; or the study of family histories.
The Internet has provided a useful tool for individuals seeking to investigate their genealogical roots.
6. generation. Generally, the entire number of people born and liv- ing at about the same time; technically, the period of 30 years accepted as the average between the birth of parents and the birth of their offspring. People call those born between 1965 and 1976 Generation X; is there a name for your generation yet?
7. kin. A group of people descended from a common ancestor or constituting a family, clan, tribe, or race; relatives collectively are called kinfolk. Gathering all her kin to her side, my great-grandmother told us the story of her arrival in America.
8. monogamy. Marriage to only one person at a time. Monogamy is not the only option; some cultures approve other ways of how mar- riages should be formed.
9. nuclear family. A family unit consisting of a mother, a father, and their children. A nuclear family of a mother, a father, and two kids is an idealized version of family life we often see on TV shows.
10. pedigree. An ancestral line of descent or ancestry. Our puppy’s pedigree was a mystery: she had ears like a beagle and long legs like a Great Dane!
11. polygamy. The practice of having more than one spouse at a time, also called plural marriage. Although polygamy is illegal in America, it is still practiced quietly in some areas.
12. sibling. One of two or more individuals with a common parent;
a brother or sister. My older brother accuses me of sibling rivalry because he’s allowed to stay out later than I am.
P R AC T I C E 1 : K N OW I N G YO U R FA M I LY WO R D S Circle the answer that bestcompletes each sentence:
1. Genealogyis
a.the entire number of a people in a generation.
b.the study of family histories.
c.the descendants of one family.
d.the total number of one’s kin.
2. A family treeis
a.a family that has many branches.
b.a pedigree of an individual.
c.a chart showing a family’s relationships.
d.a family’s financial records.
3. The Ford family of Detroit is a.a famous American dynasty.
b.an example of a polygamous family.
c.not at all connected to the car company.
d.a small kinship group.
4. An individual’s descendantsare a.his wife and their children.
b.his extended family.
c.his siblings.
d.his children and grandchildren.
5. One’s ancestorsare
a.one’s brothers and sisters.
b.one’s extended family.
c.the close relatives who lived before.
d.one’s immediate relatives.
6. A group of persons descended from a common ancestor is called a.a descendant.
b.a family.
c.a dynasty.
d.kin.
7. A line of descent tracing ancestry is often called a.a pedigree.
b.a kin group.
c.a dynasty.
d.a family.
8. A nuclear familyis defined as
a.a family with all its cousins and aunts and uncles.
b.a mother, a father, and their children.
c.a monogamous marriage with no children.
d.a family with more than three children.
9. Polygamyis the practice of a.marrying in late adolescence.
b.marrying in early adolescence.
c.marrying more than one spouse.
d.marrying in a civil ceremony.
10. A new generationappears, on average, a.every 30 years.
b.every 100 years.
c.every 50 years.
d.once each century.
P R AC T I C E 2 : R E T E S T I N G YO U R K N OW L E D G E
Do the following sentences use this lesson’s words correctly? Write T if the boldfaced word is used correctly and F if it is not. Read carefully; there may be tricks in the statements.
_____ 1. A kingroup is a group of persons descended from a common ancestor.
_____ 2. The nuclear familyusually contains two children.
_____ 3. The study of genealogyis the exclusive work of anthropologists.
_____ 4. A family that contributes great wealth to its community might be called a dynasty.
_____ 5. Monogamyis the most common form of marriage in most European countries.
_____ 6. Your family treeis a description of your parents and your siblings.
_____ 7. A pedigreeis a record of an ancestral line of descent.
_____ 8. Siblingrivalry is the name given to jealousy and competitiveness between sisters and brothers.
_____ 9. Polygamyis illegal in the United States.
_____ 10. A descendantis a person born into the previous generation.