Упражнения уровня KET по английскому языку. № 49.

You see, in our culture we try to choose a name that says something about the personality of the child, or how he or she looks. But this is difficult because for the first few months, babies don't really have a personality, and, to be honest, they all look the same anyway (well, almost the same). So how can we give them a name? That's why we wait until we know what kind of person the child is and what he or she is going to look like. And all that takes about six months.

You probably think that this is a strange thing to do, but we think that what happens in your country is strange. You often choose a name for your child before it is even born. And sometimes it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl. For example, my English friends are going to have a baby soon. They are going to name it Francis if it's a boy or Frances if it's a girl. Imagine that!

So how did I get my name, you ask. My parents tell me that when I was six months old they started to call me different names to see how I reacted. With some names I cried, with others I did nothing. But when my mother one day called me 'Olu,' I smiled and my eyes were bright. 'That's it!' my mother said. 'We will call her Olu.'

And what does my name mean? It means 'sunshine'… and I love it!

(1) The writer had no name when she was born.

(2) All very young babies were called little mouse in her village.

(3) She thinks very young babies don't have a personality .

(4) She thinks it strange to choose a name for a child before it is born .

(5) The writer's English friends will name their baby Frances or Francis .

(6) The writer smiled when her mother first called her Olu.