Exercise 1. Look through the text and do the test.
Foreign observers are frequently amazed by the permissiveness of American parents. The old rule that "children should be seen and not heard" is rarely followed, and children are often allowed to do what they wish without strict parental control. The father seldom expects his children to obey him without questions, and children are encouraged to be independent at an early age. Some people believe that American parents carry this freedom too far. Young people are expected to break away from their parental families by the time they have reached their late teens or early twenties. Indeed, not to do so is often regarded as a failure, a kind of weak dependence.
This pattern of independence often results in serious problems for the aging parents. The job-retirement age is usually 65. The children have left home, married, and set up their own households. Elderly couples feel useless and lonely. Many communities and church groups arrange social centers for "senior citizens". At these centers older men and women can make friends and participate in a variety of planned activities, including games, trips, lectures and discussion groups. Their programs may help some old people, but they do not provide the complete solution to the problems of an old age.
Another subject that has been receiving considerable attention recently is the position of women in the USA. Supporters of the women's liberation movement want women to achieve equality with men. Their major concerns are economic and social. They are to improve job opportunities for women, and they believe that women and men should receive the same rate of pay for the same kind of work. Besides, they believe that men should perform some of the home-making duties that women have traditionally performed.
Exercise 2. Do the test.
1. Choose the synonym to the word "frequently" from the first passage.
a. enough b. carefully c often.
2. What sentence doesn't correspond to the contents of the 2 passage?
A. Social centres are of great help for lonely people.
B. Independence of married children is a serious social problem for their parents.
C. Aging parents mostly have to solve all their life problems themselves.
D.Taking part in some kind of social activities let people make friends
3. Choose the correct answer to the questions according to the text.
What strikes foreigners in American family relations?
A. The Americans are very careful parents.
B. The Americans control their children very strictly.
C. The Americans are very kind parents.
D. The Americans permit their children to do whatever they like.
4. What sentence corresponds to the contents of the text?
A. Foreigners are often surprised by the strictness of American parents.
B. Young people keep on living with their parents very long.
C. Many aging parents join social centres for "senior citizens".
D. Social centres completely solve all the problems of old age.
SPEECH EXERCISES.
Exercise 1. Answer the questions:
1. Have you got a family? Is your family large or small? How many are you in the family? 2. Does your mother work? What is she? Is she fond of her job? 3. What is your father? Is he your mother’s senior? 4. Have you got a brother or a sister (or both)? What are they? What are their names? How old are they? Are they your senior or junior? Are they married? Have they got children? 5. Are you married? Are you an only child? 6. Have you got many relatives? Have you got aunts, uncles? Have you got cousins? 7. Have you got grandparents? How old are they? Do they work or are they retired pensions? 8. Have you got nieces, nephews? Are you fond of them?
Exercise 2. Complete the story given below filling in the blanks.
My name is ….I live in ….I am … years old. My family is rather ….We are…in the family. My father is a … My mother is a ….I have got…grandparents. They are retied….
Exercise 3. Speak on the topics.
1. What is the family for you? What relations must there be in the family? Tell about your family
2. What is the family for your? What relations must there be in the family? Tell about your friend and his/her family.
WRITTEN TASKS
Exercise 1. You got a letter from Ann. She writes:
“ … The wedding of my sister was marvelous. We had a lot of fun. My sister was the happiest in the world...
… 1 variant Tell me, please, about your family. Are you a happy family? Why can you say so?
… 2 variant What can you tell me about your new friend’s family?
Hope to hear from you soon.
Love,
Ann”
Write down a letter to your English-speaking friend answering her questions and ask her 3 questions about her family. Remember the rules of letter writing.
Exercise 2. Optional written task: Compare Russian, English and American families: common features and differences.
Follow the plan:
- Make a general statement of the problem
- Define common features with examples
- Define differences with examples
- Makie a conclusion.