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Cousins
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Cousins
堂兄弟姐妹

Learn the Past Perfect Tense

Date: Jan 16 2012

Themes: Family

Grammar: Past Perfect Tense

Intro

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Brothers and sisters can be a lot of fun. But sometimes cousins are even better. They’re family, so you share a special bond with them. But you probably don’t have to see them every day, and you don’t have to worry about sibling rivalry with your cousins.

Ella recently went to Thailand, where her family is from. She met 13 cousins she hadn’t seen since she was a very young girl. Find out if they hit it off as she and Jason talk about cousins.

兄弟姐妹会带来众多乐趣。但是有时候堂兄弟姐妹更好。他们是你的家人,所以和你有特殊的关系。但是你不必天天和他(她)们见面,也不用担心和他(她)们发生如同兄弟姐妹之间的争执。
艾拉最近去了泰国,那是她的家乡。她见到了久未谋面的13个堂兄弟姐妹。听她和詹森谈论她的堂兄弟姐妹,看看他们是否合得来。

Dialog

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Jason

Jason

Ella

Ella

Jason:  So I only have one family member who lives here in town, and it’s a cousin. I really don’t see him all that much. He’s really cool, but, I don’t know, for some reason we just don’t call each other out of the blue very often. Are you very close with your cousins?

Ella:  Well, I wouldn’t say close. I just met 13 of them when I was in Thailand last month, which was a trip. I was not prepared for that. I have a lot of cousins.

Jason:  Yeah, I think I might have, like, 14 total, let alone 13 I’ve never met.

Ella:  Yeah, that was just my dad’s side. It was weird, because I hadn’t seen them since I was really young, but when I met them I felt an instant connection, like, “Weird, I don’t know these people, but I automatically love them.”

Jason:  That’s amazing. So you had a connection immediately upon seeing them for the first time?

Ella:  Yes. It was weird. Like on my mom’s side and my dad’s side, the cousins I met, it was really awesome. I’m just overall pretty close with my family.

Jason:  Do you think it’s important to stay in touch with your cousins?

Ella:  I definitely do. I try to talk to them at least once a week.

Jason:  Wow. All of them?

Ella:  Facebook most of them. But I’ll be on the phone with a couple different ones every week.

Jason:  Woah. I gotta get better about hanging out with my cousin.

Ella:  You should.

Jason:  I’ll give him a call really soon.

 

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Discussion

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Jason lives in the same town as his cousin, but they rarely see each other, even though they like each other and have things in common. Ella has many more cousins than Jason. In fact, she just met 13 cousins on a trip to Thailand. As soon as she met them, she felt a strong connection to them.

Ella thinks it is important to stay in touch with your cousins. She keeps up with her cousins through Facebook and talks to them on the phone as often as possible. She thinks Jason should make more of an effort to spend time with his cousin, especially since they are lucky enough to live in the same town.

How many cousins do you have? Are you close with them? How do you stay in touch?

 

Comments

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kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

julito you are correct as always. “English,baby lessons is an excuse  to get in touch and  share  our feelings..” – it is true!!!! 

10:48 AM Jan 17 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

How amazing is this site, we come from different nationalities, backgrounds ,religions ,does it really matter,? are we   being judged by that ? not only we are not , as Kotleysa say, every day  we are inspired from  our virtual friends , I think that by now English,baby lessons is an excuse  to get in touch and  share  our feelings ,sometime in a light mood, sometime unloading our hearts , talking about  unpleasant situations that came up in our lifes ,as Snoopy and Nfrtary did. I t appears to me that here fluency is the least important thing, the bond among us  is the real thing that keep us  coming everyday to english.baby.   I am glad  for that.

10:31 AM Jan 17 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Dear, eBaby members. Have you already noticed one great thing we have got here? The longer we are on this site, discussing the daily lessons, the more open we become, the more friendly and supportive we are with each other. The mutual understanding between us let us feel that we all are not just members of eBaby, but  we all are members of a virtual family as well.


Why we all are here? To learn and to hone English? Yes, of course, it is our main goal here. But except this we all subconsciously seek something our souls need because of the lack of that in our real lives. Somebody seeks warmth, somebody seeks understanding and care, somebody seeks flirt and romance, somebody seeks the acceptance etc, somebody seeks everything I have just told above.


We are keep in touch here, because many of us has already found that invisible, but very important thing for our souls. We have it in common!


We are get on well together, we are a good company, we are a family, indeed.


Observing all of us, the vivid picture arises in my imagination. Evening. We all on a desert warm island in front of the friendly bonfire, talking and listening to each other. The mental comfort and safety are in the air. There are no inhabitants on the island except of us.


So, as you can guess, eBaby is a small island among the millions others virtual “continents” where we all are together and in the comfort.


snoopyboy, there are no words about your story….. only the greatest sympathy to the innocent child, that has been left…………… and tears. The  woman, who dared to leave and to forget her child will never be approved. The only one question I would like to ask you. If it is difficult for you to answer, – don’t answer. It is up to you. I wonder does this woman ( who hardly deserve to be called a “woman” because of her behavior) have any other children except you??? 

Sojin

Sojin

United States

Well, I am not much closed with my cousins but I think I should keep in touch with them more often. 

12:54 AM Jan 17 2012 |

nfrtary

nfrtary

Egypt

i think that`s good julito and i love the family environment they alwayes were with you in bad and good moments and they close to you and have connection with them more anyone else.


juluot god bless you and  all your family friendLaughing

12:37 AM Jan 17 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Nfrtary,   same with us  ,we used to live in a big house ,we were thirteen cousins   ,boys and girls ,no time to get bored Smile

12:03 AM Jan 17 2012 |

nfrtary

nfrtary

Egypt

julito hey 


no i mean in the same house with me we are abig family and all of them live in the same house but our house too big to take all pf us Laughing

11:31 PM Jan 16 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

nfrtary,, hello,  you mean that your cousins live in your hometown or actually live in the same house with you ?

11:11 PM Jan 16 2012 |

nfrtary

nfrtary

Egypt

actually i have alot of cousins , alot of them who on mother`s side have bond with them and alwayes we stay in touch beacuse some of them live with us in our home and the other we leep in touch over the phone or facebook but we close to eash other.


about my father`s side i have alot of cousiens vut i don`t know them and i haven`t any connection with them i don`t know why although we`re on the same city i don`t really 

11:06 PM Jan 16 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Julito, hopefully you’ll have a reunion with your brother and you’ll go to celebrate that event with the whole family to one of the fantatstic islands.

09:46 PM Jan 16 2012 |

TranceSoul

TranceSoul

Poland

I have 6 cousines and I’m very close with all of them.  Actually I have spent with them all my life, because 4 of them live In the same town like me and the other cousins live near here. They are for me like sibling. I can’t imagine them suddenly disappearing from my life. I keep In touch with them and I know it will always be like this!!
I love You: Paulina, Natalia, Karolina, Agnieszka Basia and Dawid! ;*

09:44 PM Jan 16 2012 |

1 person likes this

ola33

ola33

Japan

Wow, 13 cousins!!! I have some but hadn’t seen them since many many years ago. And they’re far away and the connection is lost. I mean,like, you can call, greet them with the Happy New Year or some other holidays, talk about life and that’s it. They have their own life. I have my own, so not much to talk about. Plus, everyone is busy with their families, things to do and different time zones are sort of get in the way. I feel a better bond talking with people who have the same interest, the same views. It’s like a really interesting conversation, exciting and without pauses. Well, maybe I’m wrong, but some not related people to me are just like brothers and sisters let alone cousins. We’re all a big big family. Am I right? :))

09:42 PM Jan 16 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Yeah , how happy we were,  we didn´t have internet , blackberries ,money, but we had supporting parents  aunts, uncles . I also  miss   those  gone times.  

07:59 PM Jan 16 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

midnight kisses  could never be more comforting than a good late spanking.I used to love it. (:

07:58 PM Jan 16 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

And a good spanking instead of the midnight kiss.    hehehe   

07:50 PM Jan 16 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Snoopy,  At least we can talk  about it  but   can you  imagine ,MNAL  says… sorry i can not tell  OMG    hehehhe

07:46 PM Jan 16 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Julito , I used to do the same,  duct tape their doorbells and hide behind the hedge smiling.

07:42 PM Jan 16 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

OF  COURSE  LOL. we kids used to rang  our neighbor´s doorbell  at midnight and run away. we didn´t have money but a lot of funSmile

07:38 PM Jan 16 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Mnal-f      Thanks for  sharing your sentiment  and wishing us  happiness.


 I quote you : we did horrible things  ,   you and your siblings must have been very naughty , Kiss

07:18 PM Jan 16 2012 |

1 person likes this

nahar2001sa

Saudi Arabia

forget

06:03 PM Jan 16 2012 |

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