based on Workbook, 1 Spotlight on Exams , ex 1
Read the text and fill in the gaps (1-6) with the phrases (A-G). There is one phrase that you do not need to use
| Gaps | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Phrases | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
B. because there will be so many different types
C. but the emotional support and commitment between family members remains as strong as ever
D. for support when important life events occur
E. so in fact relationships between family members are improving
F. which accounts for a large percentage of telephone usage in the UK
G. who have chosen not to marry
The Changing Face of the British Family
The traditional nuclear family of 1960s Britain consisted of a married male breadwinner and female carer living in a household with their children. This is now a thing of the past.
Since the sixties, a dramatic change in the structure of family life has taken place in the UK. Marriage rates have been declining 1. ……………………. . Divorce rates have increased dramatically in the last four decades. There are also more and more couples 2. ……………………. . Single parents are no longer the exception and women have started giving birth to fewer children later on in life. The result is that it is becoming increasingly rare to find the nuclear family structure in 21st century Britain. Indeed, researchers agree that by 2020 it will be very difficult to talk about the 'typical British family' 3. ……………………. .
While many people worry about the 'breakdown' of the family, others propose another way of looking at things. These people suggest that families are not falling apart. Rather, the future of the family is stronger than ever in the UK. Families may live apart 4. ……………………. . Surveys show that family members who live apart still turn to each other 5. …………………….. And families are still responsible for most of the socialising which occurs in British life. Also, it is conversations between family members 6. ……………………. .
In other words, the change that the family has undergone in the last few decades is not so much a breakdown. It is a reinvention. Families in the UK are still highly valued and will continue to be so in the future.