There is no right or wrong answer to this. How much you are prepared to give depends entirely on what you believe is fair, what you want your child to get out of it, and how much you can afford.
According to Halifax’s 2009 statistics children received an average of £6.24 per week, a slight rise on the 2008 amount of £6.13. Children in London also fared much better than in other areas, with averages above £10, while children in the South West and East Anglia received £4.50 and £4.91 respectively. Research also showed that a child’s age played a big part in how much parents were willing to give, with 8 to 11 year-olds getting an average of £4.80 per week whilst 12 to 15 year-olds received a whopping £7.44.
When it comes to deciding on pocket money for your child, start by considering what you think is appropriate for their age. Using the above figures as a guide, a couple of pounds a week would be quite reasonable if your child is under eight years old.
If you share care of your child, speak with the other parent to come up with a figure you both think is fair – you might choose to each pay half of the amount.
Also, think about what else you give your child. If you are happy to buy the majority of things they want or need, you might not want to give them too much pocket money as well.
It could also be handy to have a chat with other parents, particularly those of your child’s friends, about how much they give their children. But whatever you do, don’t fall into competing with them! Research from Child Trust Fund provider The Children’s Mutual has shown that 16% of parents feel like they are paying too much pocket money, but are pressured into keeping up with what other parents are giving. Only you can know what best suits your child (and your pocket!), so never worry about “keeping up with the Joneses.”
Once you’ve decided an appropriate amount, sit down with your child and discuss it with them. You might like to make an agreement that they will get a ‘pay rise’ each birthday, or ‘bonuses’ for good work at home or school – this will give them something to look forward to, as well as some incentive to behave!
A 7 There isn’t one and right decision how to give pocket money.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
A 8 Parents from all over the world give pocket money to children.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
A 9 The older a child is, the bigger sum he/she receives.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
A 10 An eight-year-old should receive two pounds a week.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
A 11 Both parents are responsible for the sum to give.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
A 12 Parents shouldn’t give less than other parents nearby.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
A 13 Children should have some encouragement to receive more pocket money.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
A 14 Children prefer to receive more money for the birthday.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)
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| В4 В5 B6 В7 В8 B9 В10 B11 B12 | ______ Saving Pocket Money We’ve spoken a lot about doling out pocket money and how it could or should ________, but remember it can also be a useful tool for ________ your kids how to save. In a recent survey by Halifax 77% of the children who took part said they ______ to know more about saving, so make sure you are on hand to guide them in the right direction. For a fun and easy way of teaching them how ______, take a look at Pocket Money Petz, a fantastic microsite created by The _________ Mutual which will help your child manage their money well. You can also encourage your child to keep some of their money for _____, while putting the rest in a savings account, where they can watch their savings _______ and save for something really special. At the moment, one of the _______ interest rates for child accounts is the Halifax Kid’s Regular Saver, offering 6% AER. It is a one year, fixed term bond, with a minimum deposit of £10. | CHILD SPEND TEACH LIKE SAVE CHILDREN THEY GROW GOOD |
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| В13 В14 В15 В16 В17 В18 | Pocket Money and the Recession Baring in mind the sorry state of the ______ last year you may have been a bit miffed to discover that the average amount of _______ pocket money went up. Children shouldn’t be feeling too smug though as the 2009 average of £6.24 is still well below the 2005 average of £8.37. If the recession has hit you hard then it’s ______ that you’ll be looking at ways of cutting back. If you need to _____ the amount of pocket money you’re giving don’t feel bad. Just explain to your child that times are tough at the moment and that everyone ________ needs to pull together. If you take the time to make them feel involved you’ll be surprised at what they can deal with in a _________ way. | ECONOMIC WEEK NATURE LOW REAL SUCCESS |
Раздел 4 (задания по письму)
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You have 30 minutes to do this task.
You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Paul.
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White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.
Write 100 – 120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.
Ключи
Раздел 2
Задание В3
4 – extra
| Тексты | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| Заголовки |
Задание А7-А14
A7 – 1, A8 – 3, A9 – 1, A10 – 2, A11 – 1, A12 – 2, A13 – 1, A14 – 3.
Раздел 3
Задание В4-В12
B4 – Children, B5 – be spent, B6 – teaching, B7 – would like, B8 – to save, B9 – Children’s, B10 – themselves, B11 – grow, B12 – best.
Задания В13-В18
B13 – economy, B14 – weekly, B15 – natural, B16 – lower, B17 – really, B18 – successful.
Раздел 4
Задание С1
Hi Paul,
I’m glad to receive a letter from you but it’s not so optimistic. I’m sorry about the situation. But I don’t share your point of view. It’s not your parents who are responsible for the situation it’s only you who must find the way out, which obvious in your case.
Anyway, if you haven’t received your weekly sum, you may have a walk instead of going to a café, for example. You may read a book, visit your grannies or do your room, which will be appreciated by your parents. I’ve never been in such a situation but I don’t think you may persuade your parents to give you pocket money if you haven’t changed your grades for the better at school.
See you soon,
Pedro.