1. People in England first start using surnames about 1,000 years ago.

2. They use surnames to distinguish themselves from each other.

Exercise 2

In pairs, students explain the four main types of English surnames.

The pairs then exchange their ideas as a class.

Answers:

a) Father's name b) Characteristics c) Occupation d) Location

Exercise 3

Students work in small groups, discussing what they know about Chinese surnames and the origins of some Chinese surnames.

Students ask each other if they know the origin of their own surnames.

Students exchange information as a class.

This exercise can be done as a mini research project. Give the research topic to students before hand, and have each student find the origin of his or her own surname, then have a class discussion.