TEXT B
FAMILIY LIFE IN BRITAIN
The condition of the British family is a frequent topic throughout Britain today. A typical British family used to consist of mother, father and two children. But in recent years there have been many changes in family life. Some of them have been caused by new laws, others are the result of social changes. For instance, as the law made it easier to get a divorce, the number of divorces has increased. In fact one marriage in every three ends in divorce, which gives rise to a lot of one-parent families. Society is now more tolerant of unmarried people, unmarried couples and single parents than it used to be some years ago. The majority of divorced people marry again and sometimes take responsibility for second family.
Close relatives and members of a family group – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – keep in touch, but they see less of each other than they used to. This is because people often move away from their home town to work, and so the family becomes scattered. The traditional season for the family reunion is Christmas when relatives travel many miles in order to spend it together.
In general, each generation is eager to become independent of parents in establishing its own family unit, and this fact can bring about social as well as geographical differences within the larger family group.
Another change in family life style to be mentioned has been caused by the fact that people are living longer nowadays, and many old people live alone following the death of their partners. There are about 10 million old-age pensioners in Britain, of whom about 8 % cannot live entirely independently. Nowadays more than half of all old people are looked after at home. Many others live in Old People’s Homes, which may be private or state owned.
Relationships within the family undergo certain changes. Parents treat their children more as equals than they used to, and children have more freedom to make their own decisions. The father is more involved in the process of bringing up children, mainly because the mother goes out to work. Due to increased leisure facilities and more money modern life provides wider opportunities for the individual to take part in activities outside the home. Although the family holiday, which is usually taken in August, and often abroad, is still an important part of family life. Many children have holiday away from home, often with school or college friends or other organized groups.
Vocabulary
A condition - условие
A change - изменение
To cause - вызывать
A law - закон
A divorce - развод
To increase - увеличиваться
One-parent family – семья с одним родителем
Unmarried – незамужняя / неженатый
A couple - пара
A single parent – родитель-одиночка
Scattered - разбросанный
A difference - разница
To mention - упоминать
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Old People’s Home – дом престарелых
To undergo - происходить
Equal - равный
An opportunity - возможность
Exercise 1. Match the beginning and the end of the sentence.
1. In general, each generation is eager to become independent of parents in establishing its own family unit, ….
2. Another change in family life style to be mentioned has been caused by the fact that ….
3. Parents treat their children more as equals than they used to, ….
4. Due to increased leisure facilities and more money ….
5. Although the family holiday, which is usually taken in August, and often abroad, ….
a) … is still an important part of family life.
b) … people are living longer nowadays, and many old people live alone following the death of their partners.
c) … and children have more freedom to make their own decisions.
d) … and this fact can bring about social as well as geographical differences within the larger family group.
e) … modern life provides wider opportunities for the individual to take part in activities outside the home.
Exercise 2. Are the statements true or false?
1. A typical British family used to consist of mother, father and two children.
2. In recent years there have not been many changes in family life.
3. The changes have been caused by new laws, others are the result of social changes.
4. The law made it harder to get a divorce.
5. There are about 15 million old-age pensioners in Britain, of whom about 42 % cannot live entirely independently.
Exercise 3. Complete the sentences from the text.
1. Society is now more tolerant of … than it used to be some years ago.
2. Close relatives and members of a family group ….
3. The traditional season for the family reunion is ….
4. Nowadays more than half of all old people ….
5. Many children have holiday away from home, ….
Exercise 4. Fill in the gap.
1. In fact … marriage in every … ends in divorce, which gives rise to a lot of one-parent families.
2. The … of divorced people marry again and sometimes take responsibility for second family.
3. This is because people often move … … their home town to work, and so the family becomes ….
4. Many people live in …, which may be private or state owned.
5. The father is more involved … the process of bringing up children, mainly because the mother goes … … work.