А: Послушай, какая интересная статья о покойном мультимиллионере Генри Мадде!
В: Какие-нибудь любопытные факты из его частной жизни? Средства массовой информации любят такие вещи!
А: Да, довольно сенсационная история. У него была «семья» подружек-возлюбленных. Целых семь!
В: Да, он не мог умереть естественной смертью. Так много претенденток на его сердце!
А: Он умер в возрасте 77 лет! Не сказано, от чего умер.
В: Кто же унаследовал его миллионы долларов? У него много наследниц…
А: Его вдова. У него также была и законная жена.
В: Они все жили в одном (и том же) доме?
А: Нет, как свидетельствует его жена и одна из любовниц, Мадд обычно встречался с каждой из них дважды в неделю.
В: Какая мораль! И долго он был женат?
А: Неизвестно, сколько раз он был женат. В последний раз произошло это за год до его смерти. Его последней женой была некая Ванесса, сейчас она – его вдова.
В: Я думаю, Генри и Ванесса поженились по секрету от его подружек.
А: Ни в коем случае! Мадд всех их пригласил на свою свадьбу.
В: Что могла сказать Ванесса? Она выходила замуж за миллионы Мадда, а не по любви.
А: Да, и она – единственная наследница.
В: Ну, она получила то, чего хотела.
Exercise 33. Read the letter from Hollywood below. Note how various relationships are described in it. Answer the letter expressing your own attitude toward the topics discussed.
185 Beverly Hills,
Hollywood,
Los Angeles,
California
13th July 2005
Dear Fiona,
Thanks for all your news. Things are very much as normal here. Harry and I have split up – we both felt we had had enough of each other. He’s dating a girl who was going steady with Paul when you were here – I think they’re quite serious – and I’m seeing a film producer called Harvey who’s waiting for his divorce to come through. We’re more than just ‘good friends’ but I don’t know how long it will last. My late husband’s former mistress is marrying his first wife’s third husband on Saturday. In fact, it’s going to be a double wedding because her second son by her first marriage is getting married to the girl he’s been sharing a flat with for the past six months. You remember? That’s her half-brother’s ex-fiancée, the one who was going out with Jason beck in January.
Anyway, how are you? Still the ideal couple over there in Eastbourne, are you? Do I hear wedding bells?
Lots of love for now,
Mandy
Exercise 34.
1. Before reading the next text, look at the words below. How many of them do you know? How many of them could you guess? (for example, by splitting the words up: sub-servient; co-habitation)
subservient
impediment
cohabitation
apt
relapse
strive
chore
gender
prey
loot
2. Now look at these words in sentences. It should be easier to guess their meaning.
a. Woman, long considered the inferior sex, are therefore expected to be subservient to men.
b. Intolerance can be a serious impediment to successful marriage.
c. Any relationship which involves cohabitation presents problems which are avoided if one lives alone.
d. Married couples behave in predictable ways. For example, they are apt to take on certain roles in the family.
e. In the early days of marriage husbands and wives strive to be on their best behaviour. Later, however, they may relapse into their bad old ways.
f. Gender roles tend to be allocated in marriage. For example, women are expected to be responsible for cleaning, cooking and other household chores, while men are the breadwinners.
g. The hunter instinct survives in men. Women are still regarded as prey, to be caught and conquered.
h. Traditionally, men bring home the loot in the form of the weekly pay packet.
When you see these words in the text below it should be even easier to guess their meaning.
3. How many of the above statements on marriage do you agree with?
4. Think of ways in which you can describe the roles of husband and wife in marriage and the family. List in order of importance. For example,
Wife: cook, mother
Husband: breadwinner, handyman
5. What factors do you think help to make a marriage survive happily? List them in order of importance. For example,
friendship, good financial position
The following texts are both about marriage. The first is from a magazine about human behaviour.
6. While you read the first text, decide if you agree or disagree with the writer’s views, and note your reactions in the margin. If you agree, put ü; if you agree strongly put üü; if you disagree put X; and if you disagree strongly, put XX.
Traditionally, the woman has held a subservient position in marriage partnerships. While her husband went his way she had to wash, stitch and sew. Today the move is to liberate the woman, which may in the end strengthen the marriage union.
Perhaps the greatest impediment to friendship in marriage is the amount a couple usually see of each other. Friendship in its usual sense is not tested by the strain of daily, year-long cohabitation. Couples need to contrive separate interests (and friendships) as well as mutually shared ones, if they are not to become inured to the more attractive elements of each other’s personalities.
Married couples are apt to exert themselves for guests – being amusing, discussing with passion and point – and then to relapse into dull exhausted silence when the guests have gone. They may compound the boredom by starting to accuse each other of points of inattention or illogicality or “disloyalty” that they noticed in the other.
As in all friendship, a husband and wife must strive to interest each other, and to spend sufficient time-sharing absorbing activities to give them continuing common interests. But at the same time they must spend enough time on separate interests with separate people (without jealousy on the other’s part) to preserve and develop their separate personalities and keep their relationship fresh.
For too many highly intelligent working women, home represents chore obligations, because the husband only tolerates her work and does not participate in household chores. For too many highly intelligent working men, home represents dullness and reproaches – from an overdependent wife who will not gather courage to make her own life. In such atmosphere, the partners grow further and further apart, both love and liking disappearing. For too many couples with children, the children are allowed to command all the time and attention, allowing the couple no time to develop liking and friendship, as well as love, allotting them exclusive parental roles.
We live in an industrial society with universal education and universal suffrage and the ability to control the number of children we can cope with. Yet we nurture many gender prejudices suited only to slave or tribal societies.
However almost in spite of ourselves – in spite of our conditioning – we are seeking friendship between men and women. Most of the media deride the possibility – after all, if every man is not to regard every woman as dangerous prey and every woman is not to regard every man as a dangerous source of loot and flattery, a major part of sensationalist reporting and fiction is lost.
But it seems that friendship is possible between people of different gender. And it is also possible between people who are sexually involved with each other. It does not seem too soon for friendship to be recognized as a desirable component of the marital relationship. There can be few more rewarding activities than learning to make friends with your married partner.
(from The Family of Man)
7. Compare your reactions to the text with those of a friend. Decide on which points you agree, on which points you disagree, and why.
8. Look back at the text for factors which the author considers might be a danger in marriage. Groupthem under the headings: Boredom Gender Roles Parenthood
The second text is from a women’s magazine. It is about a young couple with a small baby. The questions below are about the problems that can arise for such a couple.
9. First look at the questions; then, as you read, write down Ann and Brian’s answers to them.
a) At what point in their marriage should a couple have a baby?
b) A wife with a good career may have to give it up when she has a baby; what dangers are inherent in this?
c) How should a husband react to the boredom a wife may feel when she has to look after the baby all day?
d) To what extent should the husband be involved in looking after the baby?
e) Should husband and wife have separate evenings out?
Ann and Brian Stainton are a modern, intelligent couple who felt it was essential to establish their marriage and strengthen their relationship before having a baby. Ann also wanted to prove herself in her career, which she has done during the first five years of marriage, becoming personal assistant to two top executives in large London organisations.
We were sitting in the dining-area of their large L-shaped lounge. Ann, aged 25, made a graceful picture as she poured out coffee, her long hair framing her oval face. Her husband Brian is 30, enthusiastic, articulate and much more aware than most husbands of what it means for a career wife to find herself cut off from the challenge of mental stimulus of a responsible job.
“I worried about becoming a cabbage,” she admitted. “I’m a person who needs people, who thrives on mental challenges. There are few neighbours with babies and anyway, I don’t want to be eternally discussing child-care and recipes.
“The telephone is my lifeline and I keep in touch with office friends. I also listen to the radio a lot – the talks, the discussions, the phone-ins. I became quite terrified that Brian would find me a dull companion.” She turned to him and challenged: “Do you find there’s not so much to talk about now I’m home all day?”
There was silence while Brian considered. “I know you’re concerned about this and there had been conflict I’ve had to overcome. I mean before, the two of us were at work, both earning and with jobs of equal importance and we talked mainly about them. I must admit I fought the temptation to say, “Don’t bother me – I’ve had a rotten day, I want to watch the telly and my job is all-important now and I want to relax.’
“A selfish attitude, I know, because I’ve only got to put myself in Ann’s shoes, and I’d feel as frustrated as she if I had to face an evening of near silence after a day spent in a one-sided conversation with Joel and the cat! So we do range over a whole lot of topics, discussing what Ann’s heard on the radio or what I’ve read in the papers. I’d say our horizons on the talk front are far wider. But it was another pattern we had to learn.”
I asked if they ever went visiting friends in the evening, taking Joel with them. “We tried it, but it didn’t work very well.” Ann confessed. “Joel is a happy, contented baby if kept to his routine. But if we were going out, he didn’t sleep and then would cry from overtiredness. I think it will be easier when he’s older. We’re both determined to try and make him fit into our lives as far as possible.”
Ann and Brian had agreed that he should be totally involved with the care of the baby. “Anyway, bathing and feeding Joel was a two-person job at first,” Ann said. “He cried and his little arms and legs seemed to be moving in all directions and so Brian saw to the nappy end while I dealt with the upper half!”
Had they ever thought of separate evenings out? Lots of young parents had an evening each at leisure classes or spent a night visiting friends.
“Frankly, we prefer one another’s company.” Brian replied, “and if you’re not careful, separate interests can lead to an even wider separation in your pattern of living”.
from Woman’s Own
10. Look back at the second text on marriage and choose one of the alternatives in the questions below.
1) a cabbage means
i) a lazy person
ii) a dull person
iii) a happy person
iv) a lonely person
2) thrives means
i) has no need of
ii) feels physically healthy
iii) feels cheerful
iv) is stimulated by
3) a phone-in is
i) a telephone conversation with a friend
ii) a radio discussion conducted by telephone
iii) a special kind of telephone
iv) a radio programme about telephones
4) challenge is to say something
i) quietly
ii) sadly
iii) boldly
iv) angrily
Exercise 35.Work in pairs. Look at the chart, write your names. Each student says who in his or her household usually does the different household chores (for example, mother, father, son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather, both mother and father, and so on). Discuss the questions in the chart about your household and write each student’s answers. When you are finished, discuss the questions that follow the chart.
| NAMES | WHO COOKS? | WHO CLEANS? | WHO REPAIRS THINGS? | WHO TAKES CARE OF CHILDREN? | WHO MANAGES MONEY/ PAYS BILLS |
1. What do men usually do?
2. What do women usually do?
3. What do both men and women do equally? Why?
| Louise and John are in their seventies now. They say they don't feeltheir age except for 'the occasional twinge'. They both admit to the occasional 'senior moment' and John can sometimes be а bit of а grumpy old man. They don't have to support their familyany more, so they live quite а comfortable lifе. When they were younger, they were quite poor but those days are only а hazy memory now. At home they are surrounded by things of great sentimental valueto them and it has become their habit to spend the evenings poring over their photo albums. These are full of pictures that rekindle memories of days gone by. Louise and John are happiest when their grandchildren come to stay. They give them their undivided attention. In fact, they don't let them out of their sight. Sometimes the grandchildren complain about this but Louise always explains, 'We just want to make sure you don't come to any harm.' |
| Amy and Stewart got married young. They had а baby and then another almost at once and quickly fell into the pattern of family life. They concentrated so much on providing а stable environment for their children that they neglected their relationship and soon began to takeeach other for granted. The children left home and went off to university and Stewart began to go through а midlife сrisis.Не said he was bored with his daily routine and he wanted to go off and travel the world while he was still young enough. Amy thought he was just going through а phase but she felt she had no choice but to respect his wishes. She said nothing to stop him as he bought а red sports car and set off on а road trip through Europe. |
Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.
1. It’s all too easy to make your close friends and your family for granted.
2. Liz’s got four children and she’s just bought herself a sports car. Do you think she’s going against some kind of midlife crises?
3. My sister got a baby boy last month.
4. My parents are vegetarians, so I admire their wishes and don’t eat meat in their house.
5. Sorry. I must be having an elderly moment. I just can’t remember your name!
6. Don’t worry about your daughter leaving home. She won’t go to any harm.
7. Make sure you don’t let the child out of your view.
Explain the difference between:
1. leaving home and leaving house.
2. a hazy memory and a distant memory.
3. a grumpy old man and a dear old man.
4. an occasional twinge and a sudden twinge.
5. become a habit and develop a habit.
6. fall into a pattern and fit into a pattern.
Cross out the word in each set which does not for a normal collocation.
1. live / lead / go / have a comfortable life
2. a firm / familiar / pleasant / stable environment
3. go through a crises / stage / divorce / problem
4. undivided / perfect / careful / close attention
5. feel / look / talk / show your age
6. share / wake up / rekindle / stir up memories
7. have adventures / a baby / visitors / an increase
8. sentimental / sensitive / practical / outstanding value
(from English Collocations in Use. Advanced)
Topics for essays
1. Family pattern and gender roles.
2. Marriage contract and romantic love.
3. Problems of young families in our country.