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National Geographic Learning

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Unit 2

Genealogy

The Roots That Connect Us All

Lead-in 01

How much do you know about your family history? 🌳

Before we read, let's think about why people research their ancestors and what tools they use. Family history is more than just names and dates — it shapes who we are.

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Family Trees

Mapping ancestors across generations

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Online Records

Billions of documents now searchable

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Famous Ancestors

Discovering unexpected connections

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Identity & Roots

Understanding our place in the world

Today we explore how the Internet transformed genealogy — and why millions of people are searching for their roots.

Reading 02

Skimming Task ⏱

Read the text in 90 seconds. Answer three questions:

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What topic?

What is genealogy and why has it grown recently?

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What data?

What numbers does the article use to show the scale?

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Why does it matter?

What does A. J. Jacobs believe genealogy could achieve?

Topic: Genealogy (family history study) has exploded in popularity due to the Internet.   Data: 16 billion records online; 2 million subscribers; 200 million photos/docs; 70 million family trees; 75 million people on Geni.com.   Why it matters: Jacobs believes realising we are all connected could solve many of the world's problems.

Section Heading

An Ancient Practice,
A Digital Revival

Family trees are nothing new — but the Internet has transformed genealogy into a global phenomenon.

Reading 03

Appositive Definition

Genealogy, the study of family history, is certainly nothing new. Family trees have been used for thousands of years to demonstrate claims to wealth and power. But the rise of the Internet has given the pursuit an explosion of new life.
An appositive is a noun phrase placed immediately after another noun to rename or define it. Here, "the study of family history" defines "genealogy" inline, so readers who don't know the word get an immediate explanation without interrupting the flow. Placing it as a separate sentence ("Genealogy is the study of family history. It is certainly nothing new.") would feel clumsy and slow. The appositive integrates definition and claim in one smooth unit — a hallmark of efficient academic prose.
Reading 04

Passive Voice & Time Scale

Genealogy, the study of family history, is certainly nothing new. Family trees have been used for thousands of years to demonstrate claims to wealth and power. But the rise of the Internet has given the pursuit an explosion of new life.
The passive voice ("have been used") shifts focus from the agent (who used them) to the object (family trees) and the action (being used). This is appropriate because the agent is irrelevant — it's people generally, across all cultures. The passive allows the statement to be universal. "For thousands of years" is a duration phrase with the present perfect, emphasising the continuous, unbroken history of the practice right up to the present. It supports the paragraph's argument: genealogy is ancient, not a modern fad.
Reading 05

Metaphor: "Explosion of New Life"

Genealogy, the study of family history, is certainly nothing new. Family trees have been used for thousands of years to demonstrate claims to wealth and power. But the rise of the Internet has given the pursuit an explosion of new life.
"Explosion" literally refers to a sudden, violent release of energy. As a metaphor here it blends two ideas: speed (sudden, rapid growth) and scale (enormous, far-reaching impact). "New life" adds a biological metaphor — the practice was dormant and has been reborn. Together, "explosion of new life" is more vivid and emotionally resonant than "a big increase in popularity", which is flat and abstract. The metaphor also links back to the "family tree" imagery — an explosion of life evokes branches multiplying outward. The "But" at the sentence start signals a pivot from ancient history to the modern digital era.

Section Heading

The Scale of
the Digital Archive

The Internet has put billions of historical records at people's fingertips — and created a vast community of family researchers.

Reading 06

Attribution & Hedging

According to some sources, genealogy is now one of the most popular topics on the Internet. Modern genealogists have a huge amount of information available online, and are able to connect with people from all around the world with ease. One popular ancestry website provides access to approximately 16 billion historical records. Its two million subscribers have added 200 million photographs, documents, and stories to connect with 70 million family trees.
"According to some sources" is an attribution hedge — the author signals that the claim comes from external sources, not personal assertion. This is intellectually honest: the author cannot verify the claim independently, so attributes it appropriately. If removed ("Genealogy is now one of the most popular topics on the Internet"), the statement would become an unhedged assertion, making the author sound overconfident and potentially misleading. Attribution also implicitly invites the reader to verify: you could find the sources. Note also "some sources" (vague) rather than naming a specific source — a softer hedge, typical of popular science writing.
Reading 07

Compound Predicate & "With Ease"

According to some sources, genealogy is now one of the most popular topics on the Internet. Modern genealogists have a huge amount of information available online, and are able to connect with people from all around the world with ease. One popular ancestry website provides access to approximately 16 billion historical records. Its two million subscribers have added 200 million photographs, documents, and stories to connect with 70 million family trees.
Both "with ease" and "easily" mean the same thing, but differ in emphasis and register. "With ease" is a prepositional phrase placed sentence-finally, giving it end-weight — the most prominent position in a clause. This means the idea of effortlessness is what the reader carries away. "Connect with people from all around the world easily" buries "easily" mid-sentence, weakening its impact. "With ease" also has a slightly more formal, literary register compared to the adverb "easily" — appropriate for a topic that blends personal interest with academic discussion.
Reading 08

Precision & "Approximately"

According to some sources, genealogy is now one of the most popular topics on the Internet. Modern genealogists have a huge amount of information available online, and are able to connect with people from all around the world with ease. One popular ancestry website provides access to approximately 16 billion historical records. Its two million subscribers have added 200 million photographs, documents, and stories to connect with 70 million family trees.
The number 16 billion is staggeringly large — it creates shock and conveys the massive scale of digital archives. "Approximately" is an accuracy hedge: it signals that 16 billion is a rounded estimate, not an exact count (which would be impossible to verify in real time). Together they achieve both impact (the large number) and credibility (the honest acknowledgement of approximation). Without "approximately", the number would sound either precisely verified (implying someone counted all 16 billion records) or like an exaggeration — both damaging to the author's credibility. The combination is a signature of responsible data journalism.
Reading 09

Tricolon & Accumulation

According to some sources, genealogy is now one of the most popular topics on the Internet. Modern genealogists have a huge amount of information available online, and are able to connect with people from all around the world with ease. One popular ancestry website provides access to approximately 16 billion historical records. Its two million subscribers have added 200 million photographs, documents, and stories to connect with 70 million family trees.
A tricolon is a list of three parallel items, which creates rhythm and feels complete (three is cognitively satisfying). The author chose three specific nouns — photographs (visual), documents (official/textual), stories (personal/narrative) — to represent the full spectrum of genealogical evidence: physical images, official records, and lived memories. This is far more vivid than "200 million items", which is abstract. The tricolon also implicitly argues that genealogy is rich and multi-dimensional, not just a list of names and dates. The escalating emotionality (photos → documents → stories) ends on the most personal, humanising term.

Section Heading

Why Do We Search
for Our Roots?

From reconnecting with lost relatives to simple curiosity, the motivations for tracing your family tree are as varied as humanity itself.

Reading 10

Rhetorical Question as Pivot

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
A rhetorical question does not expect an answer from the reader — it signals a topic shift and creates a dialogue-like structure, drawing the reader in. By asking the question, the author implies "I'm about to tell you the answer", which builds forward momentum. "But" at the start is a discourse marker of contrast: Paragraph 2 described the scale of the phenomenon (what); Paragraph 3 will explain the motivation (why). The "But" signals: "we've covered the data — now here's the deeper question". This is a classic journalistic structure: facts first, then the human story.
Reading 11

Modal "May" — Open Possibility

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
Structurally, this sentence is a topic sentence introducing a list — it flags that specific reasons are about to be given (S3, S4, S5). Its brevity is deliberate: it acts as a signpost, not a content sentence. "May" rather than "have" is important: "some people have specific reasons" would state it as a confirmed fact about all people; "may have" keeps it open, acknowledging that motivations vary and not all people fit any one category. The modal "may" signals possibility without generalisation — a more accurate and inclusive framing.
Reading 12

Generic "You" — Addressing the Reader

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
This is generic "you" — not addressing a specific individual but any member of the general reading public. It is distinct from "one" (formal/distancing) or "they" (third-person/removed). Generic "you" creates a sense of direct personal relevance: the author invites readers to imagine themselves in this situation. The effect is to make the motivation feel immediately relatable and personal, rather than abstract. The shift from "some people" (third-person distance) to "your/you" (second-person proximity) is a deliberate move to draw the reader in, making them feel the subject applies to them specifically.
Reading 13

Modal "Can" — Ability vs. Permission

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
In this context:
"May" (S3: "may help you reconnect") = possibility — it might or might not happen.
"Can" (S4: "can find out") = ability/enablement — it is now possible to do this (where it wasn't before). "Can" signals that genealogy tools have created a new capability for adopted children. The shift is meaningful: the author is not saying "adopted children might get lucky" but rather "this is something adopted children are now enabled to do". "Can" is stronger and more empowering than "may" here. The contrast also subtly ranks the motivations: reconnecting with relatives (possible, hopeful) → adopted children tracing parents (clearly achievable).
Reading 14

"Others" — Pronoun Reference

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
The list is built with a cascading pronoun structure: "Some people" (S2) → "you" (S3, generic reader) → "Adopted children" (S4, specific group) → "Others" (S5, remaining group). This is a deliberate broadening and narrowing: start with a general category, zoom in to address the reader, name a specific group, then reopen with "others" to catch everyone else. Rhetorically, this structure makes readers feel that at least one of these motivations applies to them. The pronoun "others" is also a cataphoric placeholder — it implicitly says "the list isn't exhaustive" before the paragraph moves to the most universal motivation (curiosity) in S6.
Reading 15

Dash Appositive & "Perhaps"

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
"Curiosity" alone is abstract. The dash-appositive "a desire to better understand our place in the world" expands it into something philosophical and universal: it's not idle curiosity but a deep existential drive. The expansion elevates curiosity from a personal quirk to a fundamental human need — connecting genealogy to questions of identity and belonging. A dash (rather than comma or bracket) signals emphasis and drama — it says "pause, and hear this". Commas would make the phrase feel incidental; a bracket would make it feel optional. The dash makes the expansion feel like a revelation, the emotional core of the paragraph.
Reading 16

Scope: "Entirely Different Backgrounds"

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
"Entirely" is a degree adverb meaning "completely, without exception" — it maximises the contrast, suggesting not just different but completely unlike our own. Without "entirely", "different backgrounds" is mild; with it, the sentence hints at surprising, even shocking connections across class, race, culture, and history. This is the setup sentence for the Keller quote: if genealogy shows connections with entirely different backgrounds, then the most extreme example of that is the king-and-slave paradox. The positioning is deliberate — the abstract claim (S7) is immediately illustrated by the concrete aphorism (S8).
Reading 17

Aphorism: Parallel Negation

But what's behind our motivation to find out about our ancestors? Some people may have specific reasons. Tracing your family tree may help you reconnect with lost relatives. Adopted children can find out more about their birth parents. Others may want to discover a connection to a historical figure. Perhaps the most common motivation, though, is simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. Genealogy can show our connections with people from entirely different backgrounds. As Helen Keller once said, "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."
The quote uses parallel double negation: "no king…has not had a slave" + "no slave…has not had a king". Each half reverses the social hierarchy — kings have slave ancestry; slaves have royal ancestry. The double negative ("no…not") is grammatically equivalent to a positive ("every king has had a slave ancestor") but is far more forceful: negating a negative creates rhetorical emphasis. The parallelism (identical structure, reversed subject/object) creates balance and inevitability — it sounds like an unbreakable law. As an aphorism (a short, memorable statement of general truth), it crystallises the paragraph's argument: family history erases social boundaries. Ending the paragraph on this quote gives it maximum authority and emotional resonance.

Section Heading

One Big
Family

A. J. Jacobs discovered that genealogy isn't just about the past — it might hold the key to a more connected future.

Reading 18

Simple Past Narrative Hook

A. J. Jacobs's interest in genealogy started when he received an email from his twelfth cousin. Since then, Jacobs has joined one of the world's biggest family trees on Geni.com, which includes more than 75 million people. Jacobs believes that if we all realized that we're connected in this way, a lot of the problems in the world could be solved. As Jacobs says, "We're not just part of the same species. We're part of the same family."
This is the technique of anecdote as evidence — using a concrete personal story to illustrate an abstract argument. After paragraphs of statistics and generalisations, a named individual (A. J. Jacobs) makes the topic tangible and human. "Twelfth cousin" functions as a hook because it is startling: most people don't know anyone past first or second cousin. The surprising detail makes the reader pause and wonder "how can you be a twelfth cousin?" — which immediately demonstrates the power of genealogy databases. The specificity of "twelfth" rather than "distant" creates concrete immediacy and invites curiosity.
Reading 19

Present Perfect: "Since Then"

A. J. Jacobs's interest in genealogy started when he received an email from his twelfth cousin. Since then, Jacobs has joined one of the world's biggest family trees on Geni.com, which includes more than 75 million people. Jacobs believes that if we all realized that we're connected in this way, a lot of the problems in the world could be solved. As Jacobs says, "We're not just part of the same species. We're part of the same family."
"Since then" is a time phrase that anchors the present perfect: it marks a starting point in the past (the email) and implies the action/state continues to the present. "Has joined" (present perfect) signals that the joining happened in the past AND is still relevant/current — Jacobs is still a member. Simple past ("joined") would imply a completed, closed-off action with no necessary connection to the present. The pair "since then + present perfect" is a grammatical formula for "continuing relevance from a past starting point". The sentence also uses a non-restrictive relative clause ("which includes more than 75 million people") to add scale data without disrupting the main clause.
Reading 20

Unreal Conditional

A. J. Jacobs's interest in genealogy started when he received an email from his twelfth cousin. Since then, Jacobs has joined one of the world's biggest family trees on Geni.com, which includes more than 75 million people. Jacobs believes that if we all realized that we're connected in this way, a lot of the problems in the world could be solved. As Jacobs says, "We're not just part of the same species. We're part of the same family."
This is an unreal (Type 2) conditional: if + past simple → would/could + infinitive. The past tense "realized" (not present "realize") signals that Jacobs believes this situation does NOT currently exist — people do not yet all realise they're connected. The conditional expresses a hypothetical wishful scenario, not a prediction. "Could be solved" (not "would") uses a passive modal that expresses possibility rather than certainty: even if people realised, it might help — it's not guaranteed. "Would be solved" would overstate the certainty. The passive also depersonalises the solving, implying it would happen naturally through collective awareness rather than requiring a specific actor.
Reading 21

Closing Quote: "Not Just…But"

A. J. Jacobs's interest in genealogy started when he received an email from his twelfth cousin. Since then, Jacobs has joined one of the world's biggest family trees on Geni.com, which includes more than 75 million people. Jacobs believes that if we all realized that we're connected in this way, a lot of the problems in the world could be solved. As Jacobs says, "We're not just part of the same species. We're part of the same family."
The "not just X…Y" structure is a rhetorical correction — it acknowledges the lesser claim (species) before asserting the greater claim (family). Splitting it into two sentences (rather than "We're not just part of the same species but the same family") gives maximum weight to the second claim: after the pause of a full stop, "We're part of the same family" lands as a standalone statement, almost a declaration. The escalation matters: species is a biological category (cold, scientific, impersonal) whereas family is a social-emotional bond (warm, personal, obligating). By replacing species with family, Jacobs argues that our biological connection should generate the same moral obligations as family membership — a powerful closing argument for the entire article.
Language 22

Passive Voice: Focus & Agent

The article uses passive voice strategically. Learn when and why writers choose passive over active.

A) Family trees have been used for thousands of years… [present perfect passive]

B) …a lot of the problems in the world could be solved. [modal passive]

C) Active: People have used family trees for thousands of years. [less natural]

❌ WRONG: Family trees have used for thousands of years. [missing "been"]

RULE: Passive = be (any tense) + past participle. Use when agent is unknown, unimportant, or universal.

Classify each passive as: agent unknown agent universal agent deliberately withheld
Then: Transform B back to active voice. What problem arises, and what does this reveal about why passive was chosen?

A — agent universal: "Have been used" — the agent (people throughout history, across all cultures) is so general and obvious that naming it adds nothing. The passive removes the redundant agent and focuses on the object (family trees) and the duration (thousands of years).

B — agent deliberately withheld: "Could be solved" — the agent (who would solve the problems?) is intentionally vague. Jacobs is making a systems-level argument: if awareness spreads, solutions would emerge naturally. Naming an agent ("we could solve them") would make it a personal obligation rather than a collective possibility.

Active transformation of B: "…we could solve a lot of the problems in the world." This is grammatically fine but shifts the meaning — it now makes "we" (readers/humans generally) directly responsible. The passive version is more impersonal and visionary; the active version is more accusatory. This reveals why the passive was chosen: to present the outcome as a natural consequence of changed awareness, not a demand for action.
Language 23

Appositive Noun Phrases

The article embeds definitions and extra information using appositive phrases. Master the two main types.

A) Genealogy, the study of family history, is certainly nothing new. [defining appositive]

B) …one of the world's biggest family trees on Geni.com, which includes more than 75 million people. [relative clause appositive]

C) …simply curiosity—a desire to better understand our place in the world. [dash appositive]

❌ WRONG: Genealogy, the family history study, … [wrong word order inside appositive]

RULE: Appositive = noun/noun phrase that renames or expands the noun before it. Commas = non-essential info.

Identify the appositive in each (A, B, C) and classify it as: noun phrase relative clause dash expansion
Practice: Add an appositive to this sentence: "Helen Keller made this famous observation."

A — noun phrase appositive: "the study of family history" renames "genealogy" with a pure noun phrase. This is the most common type: [NOUN], [NOUN PHRASE], verb…

B — relative clause appositive: "which includes more than 75 million people" is a non-restrictive relative clause introduced by "which" after a comma. It adds non-essential information about Geni.com (the website would still be identifiable without it).

C — dash expansion appositive: "a desire to better understand our place in the world" follows the em-dash and expands "curiosity". The dash signals a dramatic pause and emphasis — stronger than a comma.

Practice: "Helen Keller, the American author and disability rights activist, made this famous observation." (noun phrase appositive, set off by commas)
Language 24

Unreal Conditionals (Type 2)

The article's most powerful statement uses an unreal conditional. Understand the form, meaning, and effect.

A) …if we all realized that we're connected, …could be solved. [Type 2 — unreal present]

B) If I knew my great-grandmother's name, I would search for her records. [Type 2 — personal]

C) Compare: If we realize we're connected, problems will be solved. [Type 1 — real/possible]

❌ WRONG: If we all would realize… [no "would" in the if-clause]

RULE: Type 2: if + past simple → would/could/might + bare infinitive. Signals: currently NOT true.

Why does the author use Type 2 (not Type 1) for Jacobs's belief? What does this reveal about his view of current reality?
Transform A into Type 1 and explain the change in meaning: Type 1 (possible) vs. Type 2 (unreal)

Why Type 2? Jacobs uses "realized" (past simple in the if-clause) because he believes that right now, people do NOT realise they're connected. The Type 2 conditional signals a gap between current reality and a desired hypothetical. If he believed awareness was growing and likely, he would use Type 1.

Type 1 transformation: "If we all realize that we're connected, a lot of the problems in the world can/will be solved."

Meaning change:
— Type 1: This is a real, achievable scenario. We're on the path to realising it. Problems will be solved. (Optimistic, action-oriented)
— Type 2: This is a wishful hypothesis. We don't realise it yet. Problems could be solved — if only. (Idealistic, aspirational)

The author's choice of Type 2 makes Jacobs sound like a visionary rather than a pragmatist — he describes a better world that doesn't yet exist, inviting readers to imagine it and work towards it.
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Lesson Complete

Key Takeaways

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The Internet gave genealogy an "explosion of new life" — 16 billion records now online

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Motivations range from reconnecting relatives to simple curiosity about identity

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Helen Keller: every king has slave ancestry; every slave has royal ancestry

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Jacobs: we're not just the same species — we're the same family

We're not just part of the same species. We're part of the same family.

— A. J. Jacobs