Практика устной речи по английскому языку - Малышева О.Л., Валько О.В., Щёголева Т.П

Idiom B. What do you think the following expressions mean?

1.to see eye to eye (with someone) (on something)

2.to have / get one’s own way

3.to be close to someone

4.to be the black sheep of the family

5.to take someone’s side

Now decide which expressions you could use in the sentences below:

a.The problem is that her parents never stop her doing anything that she wants to do. She’s become a very spoilt child as a result.

b.My family is very ashamed of my brother and we never talk about him. He was expelled from school and has been in prison twice.

c.Whenever I had an argument with my mother or father, I could always rely on my grandparents to support me.

d.My father and I usually agree about most things, but when it comes to politics we have completely different views.

e.I can talk to my sister about my problems because I know she will understand me and share my feelings.

Interaction C. Work with your partner. Take turns asking and answering the questions. Try to use the multi-word verbs and expressions in the box in your answers, as well as the verbs above.

Example: – How do you get on with the other people in your family?

– I don’t get on with my sisters very well, but I’m very close to my mother. I feel I can confide in her.

a.What kind of relationship do you have with the people in your family?

b.Are you similar to anyone in your family?

c.Do you have the same opinions as other members of your family?

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d.Where did you spend your childhood?

e.Who took care of you when you were very young?

f.Did you have a strict upbringing?

g.When were you reprimanded as a child / teenager?

h.Were you able to do what you wanted all the time?

i.Who did you admire and respect when you were a child / teenager?

j.When you think about the past, what do you remember?

Exercise 5. A. Work with a partner. Use the multi-word verbs Activate and idiomatic expressions you have learnt to describe

your relationship with one of the following people:

grandparent teacher uncle / aunt parent brother / sister neighbour boss cousin

Interaction B. Match the sentences in the right and left columns. Then practise saying the questions and answers.

7.Has he complained about the noise? g. Yes, I look up to them. C. Answer the questions:

1.What is the difference between to grow up and to bring someone up?

2.What is the opposite of to look up to someone?

3.What is the noun of a. and adjective of b.?

a. to bring up ( + noun) She had a very strict ______.

b. to grow up ( + adjective) He doesn’t behave in a very _____ way.

Exercise 6. Scan the article and useful vocabulary.

Reading

All that’s left is A BAND OF GOLD

California, as we all know, is a land prone to earthquakes, in which the ground splits asunder beneath one’s feet and one is likely to lose one’s bearings. Luckily for us, such physical events do not extend far beyond that state and we learn about disasters only through our news bulletins.

But the US, and California in particular, is a major source of dramatic psychological movements which first shake that country and then sweep

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eastward towards Europe. The energy of these waves may be diminished by the Atlantic crossing, but Britain absorbs the main impact. Even after the resulting waves arrive here, social changes have continuing effects in the US, extreme changes often generating a backlash or antidote which arrives here later.

Marriage and the family may have begun to come apart in the US earlier than in Britain, but the first reports of an antidote to family breakdown – family therapy – were coming ashore in the fifties when I was training, though I did not feel bold enough to get my feet wet and try it myself until 1962.

A recent swing of the pendulum in the US, still taking place, is moving not only public but professional opinion away from divorce towards the view that marriages should, if at all possible, be sustained for the sake of the children, even at the cost of the continued unhappiness of the spouses.

No doubt these changes of view will soon affect us too as the waves arrive, but in Britain nobody has reached any conclusions yet. Recent research in Britain compared those children whose parents had divorced with those whose parents had sustained an unhappy relationship. It found that in those families where the parents had split up, half of the behavioural problems of the boys, and some of the girls, were present before the divorce.

Even in the US, some experts are not following the new tide. John Gottman and other researchers suggest that children from intact homes where there is high conflict do worse in the long run than children of divorced parents, though the latter may appear more disturbed in the early years after the break-up before they ‘bounce back’.

I have outlined in a previous article Gottman’s claims to be able to predict the future success or failure of marriages with extraordinary accuracy, by observation of simple reactions such as the rise in heart rate and blood pressure during arguments.

His research has now led to some further interesting conclusions, and he challenges the commonly held view that couples who fight all the time and those who avoid conflict at any cost are the ones more at risk of marital failure. He found that in happy marriages the commonly expressed view that men are less emotionally expressive than women did not apply. His research also suggests that anger between spouses is not harmful except when it is accompanied by more lethal emotions like contempt or disgust; indeed, ‘blunt, straightforward anger seemed to immunize marriages against deterioration … disagreements and fights seem necessary in some degree in all good marriages, and avoidance of confrontation often results in avoidance of intimacy’.

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Marriages, he says, ‘seem to thrive on, proportionately, a little negativity and a lot of positivity’. As to divorce, it is an unpalatable truth that some marriages cannot and should not be saved.

‘Not only do patterns of toxic marital interaction keep the body in a state of unhealthy physical arousal, they create a psychological climate of helpless misery … these bone-deep states of arousal can no longer be willingly controlled … Not only is it fatuous to suggest they just ‘try harder’ at this juncture, it may even be bad for their health – witness our data suggesting that staying in a hostile, distant marriage actually compromises the immune system, increasing susceptibility to illness.’

Exercise 7. Choose the option that corresponds to the text.

Comprehension

1.What does the writer compare the earthquakes to?

a.psychological theories

b.news bulletins

c.crossing the Atlantic

d.the institution of marriage

2.What was the writer scared to do?

a.get married

b.get divorced

c.learn about family therapy

d.encourage people to stay married

3.What do British therapists believe about family breakdown?

a.It should be avoided at all costs.

b.It should be avoided if children are involved.

c.They are undecided about its effects.

d.They are critical of the American findings.

4.Which of the following sums up the findings of recent research in Britain?

a.Boys from divorced families have more behavioural problems than girls.

b.Problems amongst children from broken homes can be present before divorce.

c.Childrenofunhappyparentswhodonotdivorcehavemoreproblems.

d.Children whose parents divorce have more academic difficulties.

5.What conclusion has John Gottman reached about happy marriages?

a.Women express their angry feelings more readily.

b.There are more good times than bad times.

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c.Both parents are likely to engage in fierce disagreements.

d.Issues which could lead to arguments are avoided.

6.Why might staying in a bad marriage be bad for your health?

a.It raises the blood pressure.

b.It increases the heart rate.

c.It reduces bone density.

d.It affects the immune system.

Exercise 8. A. What metaphor does the writer use in the second

1.coming ashore

2.to get my feet wet

3.following the new tide

Which of them have a connection with the metaphor in the second paragraph? Say what this connection is.

B.There are many expressions in English which use words to do with weather. Explain the meaning of the expressions in these sentences:

1.I’m feeling a bit under the weather as I think I’ve got a cold coming on.

2.Sarah accused me of making heavy weather of it but, actually, it really was hard work.

3.This year his business has managed to weather the storm, but I’m afraid that next year things are going to get tougher.

4.Unfortunately, as soon as David got wind of my plan to sell the car, he put a stop to it.

5.The old lady said she always saved some of her pension for a rainy day.

6.There was a storm of protest in Parliament when the Chancellor announced new tax increases.

WordForm C.Inthearticle,youcameacrosssomeofthefollowingwords. Each word contains a suffix. Group them into nouns, adjectives and verbs.

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Activate D. Read through the sentences below and insert the correct form of the word in brackets. Look back at the noun, adjective and verb groups in C to help you decide on the word ending.

1.Mike’s extremely ______; he never hides his feelings. (demonstrate)

2.The two French chefs went into ______ and opened a restaurant in Mayfair. (partner)

3.‘This office equipment badly needs to be _______. Look at this typewriter – it’s completely out of date!’ (modern)

4.After working together for several days, their initial _____ disappeared. (shy)

5.When talks between the two governments broke down, military _____

seemed inevitable. (confront)

6.After moving house, changing job, and getting married, Susan reflected on what an _____ year it had been. (event)

7.‘There’s no point in trying to negotiate improved working conditions, the situation is _____ – we must all go out on strike!’ (hope)

8.I must admit that I find Simon’s sarcasm absolutely _____! (detest)

9.There was a strong sense of _____ in the village; most families had lived there for generation after generation. (continue)

10.Joe was extremely nervous about his driving test, so passing it the first time was quite a(n) _____. (achieve)

11.It was only when the company went bankrupt that the extent of its

_____ problems were revealed. (finance)

Exercise 9. Are you a suitable person to have children? What

Quiz sort of parent are you or would you be – strict, softhearted, or somewhere between the two? Answer the questions and check your score.

1.You have just been for a healthy five-mile run. Your pulse is somewhere over 200 and you wonder whether you are going to live. As you step out of the shower, your child walks into the bathroom, waves a paper in your face, and starts telling you all about the wonderful story he/she has just written about a rabbit with pink ears. As you stand there, dripping wet and searching for your glasses, what do you say? Something more like a, b, or c?

a.Lovely, dear. What’s the rabbit’s name?

b.Super, darling. But could you just wait until I’ve dried myself and got dressed?

c.If you and your bloody rabbit don’t get out of the bathroom now you’re both going down the toilet.

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2.You have told your child, about seventeen times, to calm down and stop jumping on the living room furniture. Your child climbs up on to the window ledge and breaks a window. You tell the child that he/ she will have to put two weeks’ pocket money towards the cost of the repair, and you say that he/she can’t go into the living room again for three days. Is this punishment:

a.too strict?

b.not strict enough?

c.just right?

3.Your child is generally pretty well-behaved, but when his/her best friend Pat comes to play he/she turns into a wild beast. One day, they steal some lipstick and draw pictures all over the kitchen walls. Do you:

a.say that Pat can never come again?

b.try to explain to both of them why this is a bad thing to do?

c.make them clean off the lipstick as well as they can?

4.What do you think about physical punishment?

a.It’s all right to smack a child occasionally for something very serious.

b.Children need to be smacked when they’re naughty – it’s much better than telling them off.

c.It’s always wrong to smack a child.

5.Your child refuses to eat anything except crisps and ice cream. Do you:

a.let him/her live on crisps and ice cream?

b.make the child eat up everything that is on his/her plate at mealtimes?

c.let the child have crisps and ice cream if he/she eats a certain amount of other food?

6.Your child is playing in the middle of the kitchen floor. When you say that you need to clean the floor, the child kicks and screams and refuses to move. Do you:

a.forcibly move the child and his/her toys?

b.explain to the child why it is important that you clean the floor now?

c.put off cleaning the floor till later?

7.At weekends, your child watches an average of eight hours’ TV a day. He/she is developing square eyes. Do you:

a.have a discussion with the child, explaining why he/she should watch less TV?

b.ration the child to three hours a day?

c.let the child watch what he/she wants?

8.Your child’s room looks like a rubbish dump that has been hit by a bomb. Do you:

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a.leave the child to tidy up the room when he/she feels like it?

b.ask the child to tidy up the room?

c.tell the child to tidy up the room?

Score: 1. a-3 b-2 c-1 3. a-1 b-2 c-3 5. a-3 b-1 c-2 7. a-2 b-1 c-3 2. a-3 b-2 c-1 4. a-2 b-1 c-3 6. a-1 b-2 c-3 8. a-3 b-2 c-1

TOTAL 8-13: You are (or would be) a pretty strict parent. Don’t forget that children need patience, understanding and love as well as firmness.

TOTAL 14-19: You (would) try to be neither too strict nor too easygoing. This can be very good if children know what to expect; but it is no good being strict about something one day and soft about it the next.

TOTAL 20-24: You tend towards soft-heartedness. Be careful: children need some limits, so they can define themselves as people and set their own limits later on. The children will know that you love them if you set the limits in a firm but loving way.

Exercise10. A. Readthetextthroughwhilelistening.StudythecounterListening arguments below.

‘The younger generation knows best’

Old people are always saying that the young are not what they were. The same comment is made from generation to generation and it is always true. It has never been truer than it is today. The young are better educated. They have a lot more money to spend and enjoy more freedom. They grow up more quickly and are not so dependent on their parents. They think more for themselves and do not blindly accept the ideals of their elders. Events which the older generation remembers vividly are nothing more than past history. This is as it should be. Every new generation is different from the one that preceded it. Today the difference is very marked indeed.

The old always assume that they know best for the simple reason that they have been around a bit longer. They don’t like to feel that their values are being questioned or threatened. And this is precisely what the young are doing. They are questioning the assumptions of their elders and disturbing their complacency. They take leave to doubt that the older generation has created the best of all possible worlds. What they reject more than anything is conformity. Office hours, for instance, are nothing more than enforced slavery. Wouldn’t people work best if they were given complete freedom and responsibility? And what about clothing?

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Who said that all the men in the world should wear drab grey suits and convict haircuts? If we turn our minds to more serious matters, who said that human differences can best be solved through conventional politics or by violent means? Why have the older generation so often used violence to solve their problems? Why are they so unhappy and guilt-ridden in their personal lives, so obsessed with mean ambitions and the desire to amass more and more material possessions? Can anything be right with the rat-race? Haven’t the old lost touch with all that is important in life?

These are not questions the older generation can shrug off lightly. Their record over the past forty years or so hasn’t been exactly spotless. Traditionally, the young have turned to their elders for guidance. Today, the situation might be reversed. The old – if they are prepared to admit it

– could learn a thing or two from their children. One of the biggest lessons they could learn is that enjoyment is not ‘sinful’. Enjoyment is a principle one could apply to all aspects of life. It is surely not wrong to enjoy your work and enjoy your leisure; to shed restricting inhibitions. It is surely not wrong to live in the present rather than in the past or future. This emphasis on the present is only to be expected because the young have grown up under the shadow of the bomb: the constant threat of complete annihilation. This is their glorious heritage. Can we be surprised that they should so often question the sanity of the generation that bequeathed it?

The counter-argument: key notes

*The young do not seek responsibility: they evade it.

*Too much money spoils them.

*They are not interested in important questions; avoid involvement: e.g. major political issues, etc.

*They are interested only in themselves: they want material possessions (clothing, cars, etc.) without working for them.

*The young should be grateful to older generation.

*Older generation bequeathed peace and freedom which the young enjoy.

*The older generation provided the young with good education, money to spend.

*The older generation fought in two world wars; it faced real problems. The young have had everything easily.

*The young cling to passing fashions: clothes, pop music, etc.

*Mass hysteria is a modern phenomenon.

*Too much freedom resulted in immorality; the young are shameless.

*Appearance of many young people is disgusting: strange haircuts; dirty, scruffy, lazy.

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*The older generation are too soft and kind with the young; a tougher policy might work wonders.

*The young are unadventurous; lack noble ideas; are too clever by half.

*Their outlook for the world is very bleak.

Exercise11. Givealiterarytranslationforthefollowingpassage.What Translation are Louise’s views on love and marriage?

-You don’t think it’s a bit … a bit obsessive? – Miriam asked cautiously. – I mean, how you are about him? You don’t think you are a kind of typical mistress waiting and waiting while he fobs you off with excuses?

Louise closed her mouth on an angry retort. – We are going at my speed, – she said. – I didn’t want more commitment at the early stages. It’s only just now that I feel ready to move on…

-You’re not truly free if you’re not free to fall in love.

-Fall in love! – Louise mocked. – ‘Melt and flame and flutter’?

-Not melting or flaming then – but you know what I mean. Intimacy, openness.

Louise shook her sleek head. – I believe in comradeship and sexual compatibility. All the rest is just a patriarchal myth to keep women in their place, waiting for men, putting up with their neglect or abuse.

Exercise12. A.Look at the quotations about family life. What do they Discussion mean and do you agree with them? Can you describe modern attitudes towards family and family

relationships?

*‘Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.’

*‘Parents are the last people on earth who ought to have children.’

*‘Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.’

*‘Marriage is the waste-paper basket of the emotions.’

B.What is your opinion on the following:

1.What are the position and role of woman in the family?

2.Would you like to have the family of your own similar to your parents’family or you feel it should be different? What would you like to change?

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