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But wbatTs it that makes people want to find out morę about their roots? "Normaily, ifce intefest is sparked off by something that happens to you like the death of a close relative or the biith of a child that makes you want to look into where you came from,’’ says Mr Miller. "Włrile the programme might not show the whole process and the research that goes with it it certainly gives you enough of a fiavour of whaf s involved and what you are going to get out of it.” •

Experts--agree that not everybody will have therpatience, opportonity and luck to manage to tracetheir family back to the Middle Agegjn fact the forthenback one goes, the morę difficult the research gets, with documents, somethnes drafted inFrench or Latin, becoming sparser and increasingly obscure.    zT

Costs vary, too, with commercial providers usuaiły charging £20-30 for a monthly subscription to download documents - thereby limitmg the time frame and making research morę cost-effective.

Finałly, all sides agree on one seemingly obvious, but often negłected, point: before resorting to the net, find out as much as possibłe - dates, times, płaces - from ełderły relatives. "Widie you are doing your research keep going back to them - you may refresh a memory, make them think about something else that happeoed in the past," says Mr Miller. "And, sad as it may sound, do it before it gets lost forever."

Adapted from: hitps7news.bbc.co.ukA 2004/12/14

11.    The BBC2 show is parny responsibie for

A)    startiog a new pastime of tracing family hi story.

B)    pFomoting a traditional hobby.

C)    making genealogicał resources accessible to a wide audience.

12.    According to Coilin Miller, in the pre-Intemet era

A)    practicalły anybody coułd have their family histoiy researched.

B)    only the wealthiest could afford to have their roots traced.

C)    only the richest were interested in family history.

13.    Tracing back one’s ancestors used to be morę expensive due to

A)    high charges on the part of professionals who often did the research.

B)    high fees charged by record ofFices for showing documents.

G) high travelling costs to record offices.

14.    James Strachan is empioyed by

A)    a non-governmental organization.

B)    a private commercial company.

C)    a State institution.

15.    In Mr Strachan’s opinion, the most significant impact of the BBC show is

A)    the increase in the use of the 1837online.com website by one third.

B)    the fourfold increase in downloading documents whiłe the senes was on.

C)    the twofold increase in new users of the National Archives website.

16.    In Mr Miller’s opiniom the greatest role of the show lies in

A)    demonstrating to people how to start tracing their roots.

B)    revealing what satisfaction tracing one’s ancestors can give.

C)    teaching viewers what every stage of the research involves.