English for Culture – Lesson 57 – Royal Family (A)

Introduction

The British Royal Family comprises the monarch of the United Kingdom and her
close relations. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a
member of the British royal family, and apart from Queen Elizabeth II herself,
different lists will include different people.

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 English for Culture – Lesson 57 – Royal Family (A)

Conversation
Full Audio http://www.acadsoc.com.cn/IES/Aplayer.aspx?code=92CB79F579761C0C

Alexa: So how do you feel about the British Royal Family?

Jim: I guess I’m fairly indifferent to the family.

Alexa: So did you celebrate the birth of Prince George, for example?

Jim: No, I didn’t, although my girlfriend was counting down the days for his birth.
She seemed almost as excited about his arrival as she was for her own nieces and
nephews’.

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 English for Culture – Lesson 57 – Royal Family (A)

Alexa: Did she go and camp out in front of the St. Mary’s Hospital in London
with everyone else to try to get a sighting of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge with their new little baby?

Jim: No, but she did actually spend the night outside Westminster Abby the
night before his baptism!

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 English for Culture – Lesson 57 – Royal Family (A)

Alexa: Wow, that’s impressive. I hope she managed to get some good pictures.

Jim: Luckily for her, she did. Did you go celebrate the birth of Prince George?

Alexa: No, I didn’t — but that’s not because I didn’t want to. I wasn’t in London
for his birth or his baptism.

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 English for Culture – Lesson 57 – Royal Family (A)

Vocabulary
indifferent /ɪnˈdɪf.ɚ.ənt/ [adjective]
not thinking about or interested in someone or something

baptism /ˈbæp.tɪ.zəm/ [noun]

a Christian ceremony in which a person has water poured on their head, or is covered
for a very short time in water, in order to show that that person has become a member
of the Christian Church

impressive /ɪmˈpres.ɪv/ [adjective]

if an object or achievement is impressive, you admire or respect it, usually because it is
special, important, or very large

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English for Culture – Lesson 57 – Royal Family (A)

Further Reading

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_royal_family

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