Use your imagination and complete these descriptions.

II. Listening and Comprehension Tasks

Now listen to the speakers. How close were your descriptions to theirs? Try to guess who they are describing.

Speaker 1

Speaker 2

Speaker 3

Speaker 4

Listen to the recording again and fill in the chart with the adjectives of appearance and personality.

Person	Appearance	Personality

 

Listen to the first three speakers and complete the sentences.

1. She tells terrible jokes but …

2. I curse her when …

3. She can twist me …

4. He is the kind of person who …

5. Well, the first few years were OK but…

6. Sometimes he’s cheerful and tells us jokes but…

7. Oh, I know he is married but …

Listen to the fourth description and write it down word for word.

III. After-Listening Task

Write a description of your groupmate and let the students guess who you have described.

Unit 5. Family Relations

In-Class Listening 1. Brothers and Sisters

I. Pre-Listening Task

Do a class survey. Find out who has any brothers and/or sisters. How many? Who has the most? Do they like having lots of brothers and sisters? Does anyone have a twin?

II. Listening and Comprehension Tasks

Listening 1

Listen to Jullie talking about her family and answer the questions.

1. How many brothers and sisters does she have?

2. Was she happy as a child? Why? Why not?

3. Is she happy now? Why? Why not?

4. How has the family changed over the years?

5. What do you learn about other members of her family and friends?

Listening 2

Now you are going to listen to Philippa talking about her family. Before listening find out if there are only children in your group and whether they like being an only child.

Listen and answer the questions from the previous listening.

Listen to both the people once again and fill in the chart.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
A large family
An only child

Think with your partner of more advantages and disadvantages of living in a large family or being an only child.

III. After-Listening Tasks

3.1. Discuss the following questions:

· What size is the perfect family?

· How many children would you like to have? Why?

3.2. Write an essay “Would you like to live in a large family or would you prefer to be an only child” using the following paragraph plan:

· State in what family you would like to live.

· List the advantages and disadvantages of living in a large family.

· List the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child.

· Make a conclusion.

In-Class Listening 2. Position in the Family

I. Pre-Listening Task

What’s your position in the family? Are you the oldest child, a middle child, the youngest child or an only child? Do you think your position in the family has an influence on your personality?

II. Listening and Comprehension Tasks

Listen to the psychologist talking about the influence your position in the family has on your personality. Complete the chart by writing more adjectives of personality in each column.

Oldest children	Middle children	Youngest children	Only children
self-confident	independent	charming	spoilt

Compare the results with your partner. Make the chart complete.

2.3. Listen to the recording once again and say who the following things are characteristic of:

· get maximum attention

· think of themselves more than of other people

· have to fight for their parents’ attention

· are more likely to go to university

· get the top jobs

· like being with people

· always have brothers and sisters to help them

· use their charm to get what they want

· make good leaders

· have to look after their younger brothers and sisters

· with time they worry a lot about things

· don’t have to share with anyone

 

III. After-Listening Tasks

Explain the adjectives of personality from the chart with the help of the expressions in 2.3.

Say if it is true for you – if not, why not; if it is true for your brothers and sisters or your friends. Use the vocabulary of the recording.

Out-Of-Class Listening 1. Position in the Family and People’s Character

I. Pre-Listening Task

They say the position in the family affects people’s personality. Do you agree?

II. Listening and Comprehension Tasks

2.1. Listen to four people talking about how their position in the family has affected their personality. Which of the following adjectives are used to describe each position in the family? Mark them E (eldest child), M (middle child), Y (youngest child) or O (only child).

1. open-minded………. 6. ambitious……….

2. serious………. 7. aggressive……….

3. independent………. 8. adaptable……….

4. self-confident………. 9. relaxed……….

5. selfish………. 10. responsible……….

Listen to the speakers again and answer the following questions. Write the number of the speaker (1, 2, 3 or 4) in the gaps.

a) Who tries to do what people expect? …..

b) Who probably works best in a team or group? …..

c) Who probably had more freedom as a child? …..

d) Who may try to dominate others? …..

e) Who may be a bit irresponsible? …..

f) Who may blame other people for her/his mistakes? …..

III. After-Listening Tasks

Fill in prepositions in the following sentences.

1) Years of looking … my younger brother has made me a bit bossy.

2) … a more positive note, I’m a good communicator.

3) I was left to play … my own.

4) I had to fit … with what my brothers and sisters wanted.

5) I get … … all sorts of people.

6) It has made me better … coping … problems … later life.

7) I tend to be passive to take responsibility … things.

8) All my parents’ hopes and expectations rested … me.

9) I try to live … … what people think … me.

10) One negative thing is I often felt left ….

Match the two columns to make up the expressions from the recording and use them in the sentences of your own.

to win back a link

to act like self-confidence

to lack attention

to be the babe attention

to be expected close

to be the centre friendships

to form thoughts

to share in the family

to let attention

to direct to conform

Using the vocabulary from 3.1. and 3.2. explain why the speakers used the adjectives in 2.1. to describe themselves.

Translate from Russian into English.

1. Так как я старший ребенок в семье, я люблю быть лидером и люблю командовать. Я считаю, что это результат того, что я всегда пытался вернуть внимание родителей.

2. Будучи средним ребенком в семье, я научился быть независимым, так как часто мне приходилось играть с самим собой.

3. Я был младшим ребенком в семье, и мне не нужно было подчиняться всем правилам.

4. Я был единственным ребенком в семье, и это сделало меня ответственным, организованным и серьезным, так как все надежды и ожидания моих родителей возлагались на меня.

Tell your groupmates about your position in your family and about the qualities of your character you have developed.

Out-Of-Class Listening 2. We are Family

You are going to listen to the song “We Are Family”. The song was originally recorded in 1979 by Sister Sledge, four sisters whose surname was Sledge. The writers of the song (Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers) got the idea for the song from seeing how well the four sisters got on with each other.

Listen to the song and correct the wrong words.

Everyone can see we’re friends

As we walk on by

And we flock just like birds of a feather

I won’t say no lie

All of the women around us they say,

“Can they be that friendly?”

Just let me state for the record

We’re giving money in a family dose.

We are family

I got all my sisters with me

We are family

Get up everybody, sing!

Living life is great and we’ve just begun

To get our share of this world’s delights

High hopes we have for the summer

And our goal’s in sight

No, we don’t get sad

Here’s what we call our golden rule:

Have faith in you and the work you do

You won’t go down, oh – no

This is our family jewel.

 

Now sing the song.

 

Unit 6. Love Stories

In-Class Listening. Edna and Fred’s Love Story

I. Pre-Listening Task

Do you know the love story of your parents? Other relatives? What do you know?

II. Listening and Comprehension Tasks