General Listening Quiz

Doing your genealogy or family history is an exciting way of learning about your past. Now, watch a short documentary of Randall’s family roots. What details would you expect to hear about the life of Randall’s grandmother, Ana Maria Cavazos?

1. 1. Knowing your family history is important for understanding your health.
   2. Family history influences personality more than environment.
   3. People should research their ancestry even if it is expensive or difficult.
   4. Family traditions are more important than creating your own new traditions.
   5. Learning about family history can cause unnecessary stress.
   6. Genetic testing is better than asking relatives about family history.
   7. Family history is less important in modern life than in the past.
   8. People should share family history with children from a young age.
   9. Knowing your family’s financial history is as important as medical history.
   10. Family history should guide major life decisions, like career or health choices.

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words that appear in the recording:

• trace (verb): to follow a path
  – My father traced his family back to Mexico.
• raise (verb): to take care of
  – Maria was raised on a farm in her country.
• hardship (noun): pain and suffering
  – Did you experience hardship as you were growing up?
• exclusion (noun): something that prevents us from doing something or belonging to group
  – I never want to have activities at the exclusion of some people.
• emerge (verb): to become known as something
  – Tomohiro emerged as the best student of the class near the end of the semester.
• integrity (adjective): the quality of being fair and honest
  – We are looking for workers who have integrity in all they do.
• permeate (verb): to spread through
  – The teacher’s positive attitude permeated the entire class, and everyone was excited to learn.

Collect information on one of your ancestors by interviewing relatives and prepare a short presentation. Details could include:

• where the person was born
• the names and occupations of his or her parents
• childhood and early family experiences
• the person’s educational background
• his or her work history
• the person’s hobbies and interests

What do you know about your own family history? Use the internet to see if you can find information about these topics:

1. What is the origin of your family name?
2. Where is the hometown of your grandparents and great-grandparents?
3. What online resources are available to help you find the names of your ancestors?