Anonymous

“1) Since I was born, my family __(separate) without contact.I should think present perfect, passive voice (has / have been separated)
                                             "family" may be singular or plural, so you may use either "has been separated, or "have been separated"

2) He was very optimistic every day before his wife __________(pass) away.  simple past tense  (passed)

My teacher told me that it should be used present perfect in (1) because "my family" still separate "now"
However, it should be used past in (2)
I don't understand as definitely "his wife" is not alive "now".  Both tenses in (2) can be simple past, since the word "before" indicates "before he died."

I am also quite confused about the use of present perfect and present perfect continuous.
I guess one of the approaches which is common to them that they describe something in progress up till the recent past/ present but the effect(maybe emotionally) still existing
Am I right?
So, can we just simply say that there is nearly no difference between them?  I don't think that would be terribly useful.

3) Peter has worked in Hong Kong.
4) Peter has been working in Hong Kong.
If Peter doesn't work at the recent past, so what's the difference between (3) and (4)?  They both definitely state that he worked there at some time in the (recent) past, and they both neither confirm nor deny that he's working there at present.  The continuous definitely has a closer link to the present, although the actual time is not definite.

"What do you hear from Peter?"  (reply)  "Peter has been working in Hong Kong."  We get the feeling that this is fairly recent information.  We feel like we're "in touch" with Peter.  He might still be working there.  It seems like if he were not, the person would have said so.

"Have you heard anything from Peter?"  (reply)  "Peter has worked in Hong Kong."  Both the question and the answer lack intimacy.  They also lack the currency of the continuous version.  Although the time factor is not specific, we sense that the information and the connection are stale, as compared to the continuous version. ”

He was very optimistic every day before his wife passed away
”