Divided-at-birth twins marry each other

BEFORE READING

1. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1.	sibling	a.	bamboozlement
2	invalid	b.	giver
3.	donor	c.	names
4.	conception	d.	conspiring
5.	identities	e.	worthless
6.	pressing	f.	lies
7.	colluding	g.	insemination
8.	deception	h.	certain
9.	falsifies	i.	a brother or sister
10.	inevitable	j.	pushing

A twin brother and sister who were separated at birth and later married each other without knowing they were siblings have had their marriage ended. The British courts decided the marriage was invalid because of their strong blood relationship. This tragic and unfortunate case happened because the pair were adopted by different sets of parents and their birth certificates did not identify their biological parents. Britain’s Lord Alton immediately used the story to push for a law that allows children conceived via donor insemination to be told about the method of their conception. It is not thought, however, that the British brother and sister were conceived through a donor. Their identities and details of their relationship and marriage, including how long they were married, have been kept secret.


Lord Alton is pressing for a change in the law to make more information about parents available on birth certificates. He says people also have a right to know how they were conceived: "The state is colluding in a deception. We are opening the door to more cases like this one. One of the most fundamental things of all is to know who you are. The issue here is about human rights. A birth certificate that omits any mention of your true origin falsifies your history in a very significant way," he said. He lamented the situation of the brother and sister whose marriage ended in such sadness, saying: "[They] met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction, and the judge had to deal with the consequences of the marriage that they entered into and all the issues of their separation."

COMPREHENSION 

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Twin siblings separated at birth married each other.	T / F
b.	A British court has annulled the marriage.	T / F
c.	The siblings’ birth certificates showed they were related.	T / F
d.	The British court said the couple had been married for two years.	T / F
e.	A British Lord said people need to know about their conception.	T / F
f.	The Lord accused the British government of lying.	T / F
g.	The Lord said many people do not know who they are.	T / F
h.	The judge felt sorry for the couple whose marriage was annulled.	T / F