Lesson 6

Passage 1                     Changing Families

Families in almost every country are changing. This is true in rich countries and poor ones. It is true in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. All over the world, families are getting smaller.

   In North Africa, in the past, many people lived in extended families. Fifty to a hundred people lived together in a group of houses. These were all family members—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, children and grand children. But now this traditional family is breaking into smaller groups.

The traditional family in Mexico was also big. One generation ago, the average Mexican woman had seven children. Today, she has an average of only 2.5 children. Now without so many children, families don't need to spend so much money on basics, such as food, clothing, and housing.

The traditional Japanese family was also an extended family--- a son, his parents, his wife, children, and his unmarried brothers and sisters. Three generations lived together. But this tradition is changing .Now most families are nuclear families---parents and their children--- and most Japanese parents have only one or two children. These families have new problems. Many men and women spend a lot of time at work. They don't spend much time together as a family. This can be very difficult.

Do as directed

Fill in the blanks with most appropriate answer:

Q1. Families in almost ……….. country are  changing.
A. Total
B. Every
C. All
D. None

Q.2. In North Africa, in the past, many people lived in the ………………..

        a. nuclear families

        b .single families

         c .extended families

         d. all

Q.3. The traditional family in Mexico was also very ……..

a. small

b. big

c. small and big

d. big and small

Q4.In Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe, ………. are getting smaller.
A. Buildings
B. Houses
C. Families
D. All

Q5. One generation ago, the average Mexican woman had…………children.
A. Two
B. Five
C. Seven
D. Nine

Q.6. The traditional Japanese family was also a/ an …………..family.

       a. extended

       b. nuclear

       c. both

       d. none

Q.7. Now ……..families are nuclear families.

        a. one

        b. two

        c. most

         d. all

Q.8. The basics of a family consist of………………………

         a. food         b. clothing          c. housing   d. all

Q.9. A son, his parents, his wife, his children, and his unmarried brothers and sisters come in the category of …………………

a. small families

b. extended families

c  nuclear families

d A and B

Q.10. In extended families, ……….to a hundred people lived together in a group of houses.

a. thirty

b. forty

c. fifty

d. sixty