Exercise 2. Are the statements true or false?

1. Ulyanovsk is the most beautiful town situated on the Volga.

2. My family is not very large, just a typical family of 5.

3. I take after my mother in character and look like my father.

4. My father is a mathematician by education and a manager by profession.

5. My mother is fond of listening to music and watching soap operas.

 

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences from the text.

1. I am tall and slim and have ….

2. … live in Samara too.

3. She is very good at ….

4. I must say that all of us are not alike ….

5. We share ….

Exercise 4. Fill in the gap.

1. My name is Anastasia or Nastya … my friends.

2. I was born … the 2^nd … October 1994

3. First of all let me … my appearance.

4. Certainly I have a lot of interests … … sport, dancing and computer.

5. I also love to listen … modern music.

Exercise 5. Tell your group mates about your family.

 

TEXT B

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

Most parents want their children to share household tasks such as cleaning, meal preparation, or washing up. There are many advantages to having children help with household tasks. Children learn about their role in the family and the importance of helping others. They can see the results of what happens when they do not follow through with their responsibilities. As children become older, they can take on new responsibilities that help them develop a sense of independence and self-reliance.

An important benefit of children helping with household responsibilities is that it teaches them the skills they will need when they have an apartment or house of their own. If children are given the responsibility for washing the laundry and cleaning the bathroom as they are growing up, they will know how to do these tasks when on their own.

Although there are many advantages to children helping with family responsibilities, it is often difficult to get cooperative, cheerful help from reluctant children. Communication among all family members is the key to the success of having children help with household tasks. Involve the child in the decision making process. Rather than telling them what they should do, ask them what they would be willing to do. Another option would be to provide them with a list of tasks that need to be completed and have them pick out what they would like to do. Short, once-a-week family meetings are extremely helpful.

Children have a tremendous need for fairness. If mom, dad or siblings are not helping around the house, it will be difficult to convince the child that they need to be responsible for certain tasks. You can make household responsibilities easier by setting rules for shared spaces of the home. For example, all papers in the living room need to be picked up by bedtime or they will be tossed out. Then, make sure you follow through on the consequences set.

Avoid blaming and labeling. Try humorous or creative ways to remind children of their responsibilities. For example rather than telling your child he/she is lazy for not picking up clothing left on the floor, ask if clothing is being left for the invisible maid. Remember children are still learning about household responsibilities. Offer praise, thanks, and encouragement…even if the meal your child prepared was a little different than what is normally prepared.

Finally, don’t force the issue. If the child refuses to fulfill their responsibilities, calmly explain that there will be no friends over, car available, or computer usage until after the work is done. Again, following through on the consequences is key.

It is safe to say that children’ household activities and responsibilities help them to explore the general world of work, develop helping behaviors, and grow toward independence. Involving children in household tasks provides families an opportunity for communication, problem solving, role modeling, discussion of gender roles, and potential reduction of family stress.

Vocabulary

household task – работа по дому, домашнее поручение

cleaning - уборка

meal preparation - приготовление еды

washing up – мытье посуды

advantage - преимущество

responsibility – ответственность, обязанность

self-reliance – уверенность в себе

independence - независимость

benefit – выгода, польза

skill - навык

laundry - стирка

cooperative – совместный, сотрудничающий

reluctant – сопротивляющийся, упорный

to be responsible - быть ответственным

to share - делить

consequence - последствие

blaming – порицание, осуждение

labeling – прикрепление ярлыка

gender - пол

Exercise 1. Match the beginning and the end of the sentence.

1. An important benefit of children helping with household responsibilities is ….

2. If children are given the responsibility for washing the laundry and cleaning the bathroom as they are growing up, ….

3. Another option would be to provide them with a list of tasks ….

4. Although there are many advantages to children helping with family responsibilities, ….

5. Offer praise, thanks, and encouragement…

 

… that need to be completed and have them pick out what they would like to do.

… it is often difficult to get cooperative, cheerful help from reluctant children.

… that it teaches them the skills they will need when they have an apartment or house of their own.

… even if the meal your child prepared was a little different than what is normally prepared.

… they will know how to do these tasks when on their own.

 

Exercise 2. Are the statements true or false?

1. Most parents don’t want their children to share household tasks such as cleaning, meal preparation, or washing up.

2. Children learn about their role in the family and the importance of helping others.

3. Communication among all family members is the key to the success of having children help with household tasks.

4. If mom, dad or siblings are not helping around the house, it will be difficult to convince the child that they need to be responsible for certain tasks.

5. Involving children in household tasks provides families an opportunity for communication, problem solving, role modeling, discussion of gender roles, and potential reduction of family stress.

 

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences from the text.

1. Children can see the results of what happens when ….

2. As children become older, ….

3. You can make household responsibilities easier ….

4. Rather than telling your child he/she is lazy for not picking up clothing left on the floor, ….

5. If the child refuses to fulfill their responsibilities, ….

Exercise 4. Fill in the gap.

1. There are many … to having children help with household tasks.

2. Involve the child … the decision making process.

3. Children have a tremendous need … fairness.

4. Then, make sure you follow … … the consequences set.

5. It is safe to say that children’ household activities and … help them to explore the general world of work, develop helping behaviors, and grow … independence.

 

Exercise 5. Tell your group mates about your family responsibilities.

Тема: Дом, квартира, еда, досуг

Text A

MEALS

The legendary English breakfast has become the symbol of British meals. One may think that bacon, eggs, tomato, fried bread and a variety of sausages are traditional ingredients of British food.

“Go to work on an egg!” is a popular advertising slogan, but for many families the usual breakfast is tea and toast. The children may have a breakfast cereal, such as cornflakes or puffed rice with sugar and milk, or porridge – oat – flakes cooked with water and served with hot milk and sugar.

Leaving for their work, some people will take a snack with them – a couple of sandwiches of cheese or sausage meat.

The midday meal is the main meal of the day for most families. It must be healthy and substantial. The word “lunch” is still used but it means either a light meal or that the main meal of the day, dinner, will be eaten in the evening.

Tow dishes are eaten for dinner, meat of some kind (beef, lamb or pork) with potatoes and a green or root vegetable, followed by a sweet course, sometimes called pudding, which may be fruit pie, or rice pudding, or a steamed pudding. Typical dishes on a menu might be roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, baked potatoes, cabbage or carrots, apple pie and custard, or grilled lamb chops with onion sauce, boiled potatoes fresh peas and steamed jam roll.

Tea, or high tea is the third meal of the day, although some families may have a small snack during the later part of the evening, which is called supper. The cookery books describe such a meal as including cooked ham, grilled or tinned fish, salad and variety of cakes.

Vocabulary

Breakfast - завтрак

Bacon – бекон

Egg - яйцо

Sausage – сосиска, колбаса

Bread - хлеб

Ingredient - ингредиент

Cereal - овсянка

Cornflakes – кукурузные хлопья

Porridge - каша

a snack - легкая закуска

lunch – ланч

dinner - ужин

beef - говядина

lamb - баранина

pork - свинина

cabbage - капуста

custard – заварной крем