Are they your most important relatives? We are living in what has been called the Great Cousin Decline. Some think losing cousins could come to affect every stage of our lives.
Cousin crash as UK families shrink
Cousin trouble: Britain's Prince Louis is "encouraged" to be quiet by his second cousin Savannah Phillips — the granddaughter of the King's sister Princess Anne. Comprehension quiz
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In the sentence, “…that adds up to a dearth of cousins,” what is the best definition of the word ‘dearth’?
A: A large family
B: A measurement
C: A scarcity or lack of something
D: An increase
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Which word is the closest synonym for ‘proximity’?
A: Closeness
B: Remoteness
C: Argument
D: Attitude
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According to the text, what is a direct consequence of William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings?
A: The English language is now 50% Norman French.
B: Harold Godwinson became king.
C: The modern British royal family are descended from him.
D: The north-south divide in England was healed.
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What is the main reason cited in the article for the declining number of cousins?
A: More families are moving far away from each other.
B: People are having fewer children than in previous decades.
C: Children prefer spending time with school friends over family.
D: People have fewer siblings than they used to.
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The article suggests cousins can be useful in a young person’s development. Identify two distinct benefits mentioned in the text.
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In your own words, explain why falling birth rates have a greater impact on the number of cousins a person has compared to the number of siblings.
Answers
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1. C 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. Any two of the following: They act as a 'practice run' for making friends. They can offer a different perspective on the world, broadening a child's horizons. Older cousins can be important guides into the adult world. 6. A good answer will explain that the effect is multiplied across a family. While having one fewer sibling is a simple reduction, the number of cousins is affected by how many children each of your parents' siblings has. If every aunt and uncle has fewer children, you lose multiple cousins, making the overall reduction much larger.
1. C 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. Any two of the following: They act as a 'practice run' for making friends. They can offer a different perspective on the world, broadening a child's horizons. Older cousins can be important guides into the adult world. 6. A good answer will explain that the effect is multiplied across a family. While having one fewer sibling is a simple reduction, the number of cousins is affected by how many children each of your parents' siblings has. If every aunt and uncle has fewer children, you lose multiple cousins, making the overall reduction much larger.
Glossary
BBC - The British Broadcasting Corporation is the UK's national broadcaster.
William I - Better known as William the Conquerer. He invaded England with his Franco-Norman army and became king of England in 1066.
Edward the Confessor - The king of England from 1042 to 1066.
Brother-in-law - A brother by marriage. So, for example, your spouse's brother. Or your sibling's husband.
Battle of Hastings - A battle fought in 1066 between the Norman-French army and an English army. It started the Norman Conquest of England.
Norman - The Normans were vikings who settled in northern France. They colonised parts of Europe.
Fertility rates - The number of children born, on average, to each woman within a studied group. A total fertility rate of 2.1, is the minimum needed for a population to remain steady and is known as the "replacement rate".
Abstraction - The process of simplifying something complex by focusing on its essential characteristics and ignoring irrelevant details.