Section I: READING

Genealogy

Section I 

Genealogy – finding out about your family history – is one of the most popular pastimes in Europe. There seems to have been an explosion of interest in tracing our ancestry recently, and across the continent people are discovering their roots. Some of these are people who were adopted and are trying to find their biological parents, but many are driven by a chance to learn more about where they fit into their family’s past. 

Section II

It is no coincidence that the rise in popularity of genealogy is closely linked to the technological revolution – there are hundreds, probably thousands of websites offering to help make the work easier for you. Society has changed too. We no longer live in close communities because many people have had to move far from their hometowns in search of work. After the initial excitement of moving to a new town or city, people have a tendency to want to rediscover their identity.

Section III 

So how do you go about it? It might seem obvious, but many people forget that they can find out a lot by speaking to older family members. Call up an old aunt – or pay her a visit. Older relatives are usually more than willing to talk about the past. Many families have a Bible or a photograph album with important names and dates written in it. Keep a careful record of all the information you find. 

When you have learned all you can, the next step is to search official records. You can often do this at your local town hall, courthouse or church. The websites mentioned earlier might be able to do this for you but you will probably have to pay to access their databases.

Section IV 

Researching your ancestry is not easy. If you’re planning to look back more than three generations, you need to be prepared. There will be many hours searching on a computer, on microfilm, or in public offices. You might have to go long periods of time without making any significant discoveries. Or worse – you might find that your ancestors were not very nice people at all!

Section I: READING

Genealogy

Section I 

Genealogy – finding out about your family history – is one of the most popular pastimes in Europe. There seems to have been an explosion of interest in tracing our ancestry recently, and across the continent people are discovering their roots. Some of these are people who were adopted and are trying to find their biological parents, but many are driven by a chance to learn more about where they fit into their family’s past. 

Section II

It is no coincidence that the rise in popularity of genealogy is closely linked to the technological revolution – there are hundreds, probably thousands of websites offering to help make the work easier for you. Society has changed too. We no longer live in close communities because many people have had to move far from their hometowns in search of work. After the initial excitement of moving to a new town or city, people have a tendency to want to rediscover their identity.

Section III 

So how do you go about it? It might seem obvious, but many people forget that they can find out a lot by speaking to older family members. Call up an old aunt – or pay her a visit. Older relatives are usually more than willing to talk about the past. Many families have a Bible or a photograph album with important names and dates written in it. Keep a careful record of all the information you find. 

When you have learned all you can, the next step is to search official records. You can often do this at your local town hall, courthouse or church. The websites mentioned earlier might be able to do this for you but you will probably have to pay to access their databases.

Section IV 

Researching your ancestry is not easy. If you’re planning to look back more than three generations, you need to be prepared. There will be many hours searching on a computer, on microfilm, or in public offices. You might have to go long periods of time without making any significant discoveries. Or worse – you might find that your ancestors were not very nice people at all!

Section II: VOCABULARY

Instruction: Choose the words in the box to complete the sentences.

Section III: GRAMMAR

Instruction: There is an error in each sentence below. Find the error and rewrite it into the correct form in the space provided.

Section III: GRAMMAR

Instruction: Order the words to make a correct sentence with the use of Adjective Order. Write the sentences in spaces provided.

Section III: GRAMMAR

Instruction: Find the mistakes in each sentence and rewrite it in the correct form in the spaces provided.

Section IV: LISTENING

Instruction: Listen to recording and write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.