Reading for Information Part 1 The Family Pattern

Family is very important for us. It gives us a sense of belonging and sense of tradition. Families give us strength and purpose. Our families show where we are. The things we need most deeply in our lives-love, communication, respect and good relationships- have their beginnings in the family.

Families serve many functions. They provide conditions in which children can be born and brought up. Families help educate their members. Parents teach their children values as well as daily skills. They also teach their common practices and customs. Such as respect for elders and celebrating holidays. But the most important job for a family is to give emotional support and security.

Generation Gap

Some people often talk about ‘generation gap’ – gap between the views of the younger generations of teenagers and the views of their parents. But talks about a generation gap are sometimes exaggerated.

When parents and teenagers argue, usually it is about simple things. The most common reason for their arguments is the teenagers’ attitude towards other family members. One more common reason is that parents want their children to help more about the house. The third most common basis for arguments is the quality of teenagers’ schoolwork.

Some other traditional disagreements are over such things as curfew, the friends with whom the young people spend their leisure time (peer pressure).

Task 1. Answer the following questions:

1. What is ‘generation gap’?

2. Do you feel ‘generation gap’ in your family?

3. What are the most common disagreements between parents and children?

4. What can children-parent disagreement lead to?

Task 2. Discuss the parent-child relationship using the following patterns and phrases:

Parents want their children expect their children ask like

to be polite to be intelligent to be kind to be friendly to be honest to be hardworking to be punctual to come home in time to go in for sports not to be rude not to be lazy not to be forgetful not to smoke not to drink strong drinks not to stay up late not to listen to pop music all day long

Children want their parents

to understand them to give them pocket money to buy them all they want to leave them alone to help them with their problems

Task 3. Comment on the proverbs and sayings.

As the tree, so the fruit.

As you sow, you shall mow.

Seven baby sitters can’t say why their only baby lost her eye.

Don’t teach your granny to suck eggs.

Part 2 Native City

Task 1. Translate the following:

architectural ensembles, commercial, financial, gateway, mouth, navy harbour, Rostovites, sights, tributary, twin cities, the river station, the recreation area, the outskirts of Rostov, the Customs house.

Task 2. Study the following geographical and proper names:

Dmitri Rostovsky, Elizabeth, Greek, Italian, Persia, Peter the Great, the Don Cossacks, the Temernitskaya Customs house, the Quiet Don, the Sea of Azov, the North-Caucasus, Southern Russia, The Russian Navy.

Task 3. Read Texts 1-2 to answer the following questions:

1. When was Rostov-on-Don founded?

2. Why was the Customs house set up in this city?

3. Why did the city get this name?

4. What is its geographical location?

5. What are the most famous sights of Rostov-on-Don?