📙 Part 2: Describe a family (not your own) that you like and are happy to know

This episode's vocabulary

Innumerable (adj.) - too many to be counted.

Late (adj.) - used to refer to someone who has died.

Consort (noun) - a wife or husband, especially of a ruler.

Vacate (verb) - to leave a place or position.

Persist (verb) - to continue to exist past the usual time, or to continue to do something in a determined way even when facing difficulties or opposition.

Stiff upper lip (noun) - someone who has a stiff upper lip does not show their feelings when they are upset.

Vessel (noun) - a large boat or a ship.

Ardent (adj.) - showing strong feelings.

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Questions and Answers

M: Now, Rory is going to describe a family, not his own, that he likes and is happy to know. He should say whose family it is, how many family members they have, what they're like, and he should explain why he likes this family. Rory, are you ready?

R: Yeah.

M: Yeah, so fire away, my boy.

R: Well, while I'm definitely not part of this particular family. I quite like the royal family of the United Kingdom, which I suppose is a good thing, since technically they are in charge of the entire country. I suspect they are... Oh God, they must be almost innumerable as they've got so many different branches of their family tree that cover different countries and principalities in the UK. I think a couple of crown dependencies as well. I'd have to check that. But core members are well known. So there's the Queen Elizabeth, and her late husband and consort Phillip, and Prince William and his wife, Kate. They're the duke and duchess of Cambridge. And they've got a son called George. And I think in that order, they're all in line to the throne, apart from Prince Philip. So when the queen vacates the throne, Prince William will take over, for example, and after that will be their son, George. They're talking about Prince William being one of the main people in line for the throne. But maybe Prince Charles will take over. Anyway, regardless, they're all very different people in terms of personality, at least it seems that way, although there are doubtless held by various protocols related to the monarchy. But they seem to be fundamentally good people, being involved in various charities and charitable causes, and they bring attention to different issues. For example, Prince Charles has the Prince's Trust, which is designed to help young people get into business and get into work more broadly like any family, they've been through a lot over the years and yet they persist and maintain their sort of stiff upper lip. And I suppose then that makes them ideal is kind of vessels of our nation's culture. And that is exactly why I like them. They're sort of reliable symbols of what our various nations represent. So alongside their various good works, they also have sort of positive metaphysical qualities and these make them great examples to follow.

M: What about your friends? Do they enjoy this family?

R: I don't think any of my friends, like the royal family, they're all like ardent republicans.

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