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Family Portrait
简体
Family Portrait
全家福

Learn to Use Be Able to

Date: May 11 2012

Themes: Family

Grammar: Be Able To

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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In the US, it is common for families to be spread out all over the country. Getting everybody together can be challenging. That’s why it’s nice to capture the whole family on film in a family portrait.

But getting a good family portrait comes with its own challenges. First, everyone has to agree on what to wear. Then the kids and babies in the family have to sit still long enough for the photo to be taken. Then you have to cross your fingers and hope that nobody blinks! Hear Mason and Amy talk about their family portraits.

在美国,家人分散居住在全国各地是很常见的事情。大家相聚在一起很不容易。这就是一家人照全家福的妙处所在。
但要拍一张好看的全家福也是很有挑战性的。首先,大家要商量穿什么衣服。然后,家里的儿童和婴儿要能长时间坐着不动,以便照相。最后还要祈祷,但愿没人眨眼睛!请听梅森和艾米谈论他们的全家福。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Amy

Amy

Mason:  So, I think I unfortunately have another family portrait coming up.

Amy:  With your wife, that family, or parents and siblings?

Mason:  Yeah, with the extended family. It seems like every two years or whatever, my mom or my grandma just wants to do a family portrait.

Amy:  Right. And do you have to wear coordinated outfits and everything?

Mason:  Yeah. It’s not like insanely coordinated, but there’s definitely some conversation about do we do colors, do we do kind of like just neutral tones…

Amy:  The one large family portrait I ever did was with my whole extended family, and for some reason we decided to wear black shirts, and so we look like a big fascist army. It’s the weirdest picture.

Mason:  Yeah. I have some younger cousins, and trying to get them to pose and sit straight is never a good idea. And, you know, it takes what, an hour generally to get enough family portraits done. And they lose attention after the first 10 minutes.

Amy:  Of course. And what about the older people, is there any bickering among them?

Mason:  Not so much. The one fun part is we always make sure and do a goofy picture. So…

Amy:  That’s cute. Well, it’s good to be able to look back at all your dated family portraits and realize how much more attractive you are now.

 

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Discussion

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Mason’s mother and grandmother want to take a new family portrait with their whole extended family. Mason’s family usually takes a new family portrait every few years.

Amy asks if Mason’s family will wear coordinated outfits for their portrait. Mason says they won’t wear identical clothes, but clothes that are somewhat similar. The hardest part about taking a family portrait in Mason’s family is getting all the young kids to sit still. The best part is when they take a goofy picture.

Have you ever taken a family portrait? Was everyone able to sit still and not blink? Did you and your family members wear coordinated outfits for the portrait?

 

Comments

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Amy Zhong

Amy Zhong

China

 Yes, i have many family pictures, we would take a many family picture when the Spiring Festival or some impotant days, this a good memory for me, so i will remenber that time!!

03:23 AM May 12 2012 |

Elisbet

Elisbet

Peru

Family portatrait!!! Although I don’t like pictures of myself. I would like to take one of my whole extended family :)

02:36 AM May 12 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Ryo and I like to lock horns sometimes, but it’s just us horseplaying, Butta ; )

09:46 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

I do a lot of bad things alright,
But I wouldn’t blame anyone for anything. Ryo.
Dont make me more evil , I’m bad enough : )

09:23 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Nice! :)
I know one or two

09:06 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

wow what a scene! Ryo


like hogtied? , I wouldn’t love that at all.

08:55 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

I think I misunderstood you Ryo,


that’s my answer to you, no need  for you to feel puzzled anymore.


Peace : )

08:48 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Ryo,


All week you’ve been saying ” I hate this” ” I hate that” ” I don’t want this” ” I don’t want  that”


It’s nice to finally  let us  know what you’re interested in, even subtle things like , closing an eye


:)

08:25 PM May 11 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

    For those of you who can’t find the ultimate camera that can deter closed-eyed shots, and at the same time appeals to the camera-shies, I have the answer, let’s all use the camera inside of us and let’s take mental pictures of the ones we hold dear.


Mental pictures don’t fade or  tarnish and they come to life  with our imagination and stay there forever.


Innocent

08:16 PM May 11 2012 |

Gobsmacker

Germany

Well, errrm let’s say we tried to take a family portrait. :D It didn’t work properly to be honest because my little cousins all started crying and everytime somethin else went wrong. Once my gran was talking, once I was looking far too serious and once my sister was fidgeting. So in the end we got loads of funny pictures which was good too. :)


And no, we did not wear coordinated outfits. That would just have been really fake, posed and unrealistic and that’s not what one wants a family portrait to look like.

07:41 PM May 11 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

I’m not a photogenic person


One time, my mother handed me a clandestine photo she took of me.


After laughing my head off, I said : ” Look at grandpa, he has a mug only a mother would love”


I never expected what she had told me after , she said : ” I love you silly, it’s you”


(FICTION)


Tongue out

07:40 PM May 11 2012 |

Reshad_86

Reshad_86

Azerbaijan

Family portrait very good idea . I dont remember what time we took  famly portrait . Therefore  its important for famly. And souvenir stays too Other hand it falls when look at strange

07:33 PM May 11 2012 |

jouana

Lebanon

we usually taken a family portrait when my extended family get together especially if there’s a wedding in my family , so we don’t wear coordinated outfits for the portrait but everybody looks good with their outfit ,i like family portrait it’s a good way to keep memories alive especially goofy pose it’s always gonna be a funny picture

07:14 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

no Butta I meant taken , like stolen Laughing


hehe! I tricked you?

07:10 PM May 11 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Butta,


have you  ever had your photo taken?

07:05 PM May 11 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

A2020,  the structure  is … we create colors.   hope that it helps.Cry

07:01 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Butta,


the point is to keep your eyes open .say “cheese” with your eyes


Laughing

06:51 PM May 11 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

This is like Science Fiction


I can’t convince my family to get along, what are my chances to have them wear coordinated outfits and smile for a portrait. We are scattered, I guess I could make a collage of a series of individual photos of my family members, kind of like the “Brady Bunch “grid and frame it : ) ,


well…  I love my outrageously extended family, but I don’t have a picture-perfect one.


family(ies) Wink

05:56 PM May 11 2012 |

JORDI

Spain

In Catalonia is not usually to wear coordinated outfits when you want to take a picture. From my point of view take pictures with this option is a bit ridiculous, consequently if you  see this picture in the future it will look like so artificial. The pictures should do in a relax way without to prepare a pose o something like that.

05:12 PM May 11 2012 |

diva87

diva87

Morocco

yea we take family portrait especail when our family meet togther in some occasion but it came more reality cuz automatically vry one pose as he or she wanna and, we never plan how coordinated outfits for the portrait its true life no act in it,,,,,,,,

04:01 PM May 11 2012 |

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