By the moment you’ve done a lot. Prove us that you know some facts and details of the story quite well

Task 1. Answer the following questions on the text, please:

 

1. What picture has become the benchmark for all portraits of the main character’s family?

2. Who was that perfect family portrait snapped by?

3. Who is in that wonderful picture of the family?

4. How do the members of the family look in the picture? What makes the family portrait of 1977 so special?

5. Who liked the picture most of all in the family?

6. Where was the family portrait of 1977 placed? What for?

7. What did the mother usually say passing by the picture?

8. How did the mother try to take another perfect family portrait and improve upon the masterpiece of 1977?

9. How did the members of the family usually behave during a photo shoot?

10.  Did all kinds of family pictures come out bad since 1977?

11. When did the mother get the chance to break “the curse”?

12. What increased the difficulty level of taking a decent family portrait?

13. Did the photographer do his best to make good pictures of the family?

14. How did the family know that pictures from the rehearsal dinner would come out well?

15. What made the mother feel so happy, so excited about the Polaroid pictures that day?

16. What happened the day when the professional proofs came?

17. What made the author join the mother’s cause?

18. Did the mother get a second perfect family portrait in 8 years after the rehearsal dinner? What was the reason for that?

19. What made the entire family get together 22 years after the perfect portrait was taken?

20. What significant change did the members of the family notice at their parents’ house the next day after the wake?

21. What picture replaced the wonder family portrait of 1977?

22. How does the author characterize all the family portraits hanging around the house?

23.  What did the mother realize about her family at last?

24. Why did the kid son of the main character recognize no one in the perfect family portrait of 1977?

 

 

Exercise 2. Retell the story using the following words and phrases:

 

I.  The Perfect Family Portrait.

Christmas day (1977); to pose for a picture; next door neighbor; to become the benchmark for; not a single one; to equal smth; magnificence; to be much smaller than; to sit up amazingly straight; to look drawn on; to be entirely beautiful in its simplicity; truly impressive in its rarity; to improve upon that masterpiece; an ugly gold frame; large as life; a trophy for all to see; with more than a little guilt; to corral smb. into; rowed formations; to make smth. easy on smb.; bunny ears; pinching the sensitive part on the back of the arm; passing gas a second before the picture was snapped; to come out well; nice pictures of individuals; to mess smth. up.

 

II. At the Rehearsal Dinner.

in 1991; the curse; the day before the sister's wedding; to arranged smth.; to make a valiant attempt; to break smb’s slump; two additions to the family; to increase the difficulty level considerably; the cover of Perfect Family Monthly; to behave oneselves; aunt Lucy; to snap a few pictures with Polaroid camera; a photo shoot; to gather around; magically appearing Polaroids; to come out terribly blurry; the professional's proofs; 

 

III. The Day the Proofs Came. (Lost Opportunities)

the pictures of the wedding; rehearsal pictures; a package; to burst into tears; to loose the negatives; to say in a flat voice; by the '77 wonder picture; to proceed upstairs; to vow; to cooperate at smth.; yet to be taken; plenty of opportunities; a retirement party; to increase exponentially; to give up on smb’s quest; not to be the champion of smb’s

 

IV. Perfect Portraits of the Family.

the entire family together; twenty-two years after; no smiles to photograph; to stare at smth; to recognize no one; a casket; could not stop thinking about; not to make much of an appearance; the day of the wake; to notice immediately; the worst picture ever taken; to wear the biggest smile; to tear oneselves away from; 1977's replacement; to be home to; year's worth of terrible family portraits; to wander around; in silence; framed portraits; to be hidden away in the attic; awful examples of; perfect representations of; to realize; ornate gold painted frame; to be the mistake.