The Family Next Door

The Taylors have lived next door for a relatively short time. They moved in on the hottest day of last year when the neighbours were all sun­bathing or working in their gardens, and so the entire street felt they knew every detail of their life before they had been there a day! However, things are not always as they seem.

Mr and Mrs Taylor are in their thirties with three children aged ten, eight and five. John Taylor is a tall man who looks as if he might have been a soldier at some time. He stands very straight and walks with a determined step. In fact, we discovered later that he is an actor in second-rate war films, who prides himself on his bearing. His wife, Caroline, is slim and always elegant, even when she goes to the local supermarket, which really annoys everyone else in the street as we tend to go shopping in our oldest, shabbiest clothes. Caroline would look good in a sack.

In view of this apparently well-ordered life, it comes as a shock to find that they actually live in chaos. Their house is littered with papers, books, toys and coffee cups, but the entire family appears to be oblivious to the mess. Caroline and John seem very relaxed with the children, who thrive on their easy-going upbringing, and the atmosphere in the house is always warm and welcoming. Some people in the street judge the Taylors solely by what they see in their home and fail to appreciate the genuine friendliness and generosity that exists.

The children have been brought up to like each other - and they do most of the time. It is not unusual to see the three of them playing happily together for hours, despite their differing ages. However, they are not always angels - the middle one can be very stubborn and this can lead to friction in the group.

On the surface, then, everything is wonderful about the Taylors next door. But occasionally there is a look on John's face that makes us wonder if every­thing is as rosy as it appears.

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Did you Know? People often complain that the English language lacks words that can be used to refer to a person one’s dating or living with. “Boyfriend” and “girlfriend” are traditional terms but older adults are uncomfortable using them. People who are engaged can easily refer to their “fiancé” or “fiancée”, and married people can refer to their “husband” and “wife”. But if a couple are not officially engaged or married, how do they refer to each other?

Attempts have been made to coin new words, but the results have been largely unsuccessful. For example, “POSSLQ” (person of the opposite sex sharing living quarters) never caught on in popularity. So while some people use the understatement “friend” and let listeners come to their own conclusions, others try terms like “partner” and “significant other.”

A similar dissatisfaction arises with the term “dating”; it seems old-fashioned today. Therefore, people say they are “going out with” or “seeing” someone.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16