Supplementary material for the third - year students. Учебное пособие

Approval

Affection

Possessiveness

Demand obedience and discipline

Patience

Tolerance

Acceptance

Friendship

Generosity

Consistence

Care

Worry

Ex. 2. You are going to read a newspaper article which consists of six paragraphs. Read the opening of each paragraph. Guess how the paragraph will continue. What do you think the article is about?

a)Perhaps memories of my own childhood have been coloured by time. I grew up during the war and without a father.

b)I know of no other country where so many crimes are committed against children;

c)The British tradition of boarding school will always remain a mystery for us poor foreigners.

d)In public, at least, The British appear cold,

e)Women friends who travel to Italy with their children come back glowing with praise for the way their children (and they themselves) are treated.

f)How can I say that the British do not make good parents, when I happen to be married to an Englishman who is a wonderful father and husband, and have many English friends whom I consider to be excellent parents?

Ex. 3. Read the whole article. Match the openings in ex.2 to the paragraphs.

“A) – And yet every day the evidence before me in the streets and in the newspapers suggest that they are unusual. Where is the warmth and tenderness between adults and children which is so prevalent in my native Italy, among all classes and types of people? Is this the famous British ‘reserve’?

B)– and their children certainly look as if they bear the brunt of this national characteristic. In my experience, children thrive on tenderness. I have looked, but there certainly does not seem to be a lot of it among the British. Perhaps in private they are warm and affectionate parents, but in public they seem to go to extraordinary lengths to hide it.

C)– it could almost be called the English disease. It seems almost impossible to turn on the television without some new crime being reported. Of course, there

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are similar horror stories in other countries, including Italy, but one does not hear about them with such appalling regularity. To what extent, I wonder, is football hooliganism the result of bad parenting?

D)– Not only are they not shunned, but seats are proffered, doors smilingly held open for pram-pushing mothers and tables miraculously appear in crowded restaurants. Why is it that children are so unwelcome – and so rarely seen – in restaurants here?

E)– In the course of our travels, my husband and I have often met British diplomats and foreign correspondents who, between gulps of pink gin at one party or another, would bewail the departure of their eight-year-old child, usually a son. Why were these distressed parents sending their children away? ‘It’s a beastly family tradition…a high standard of education…blah blah blah.’ And if they have to go, why on earth when they are only eight? Of course some children like it. But what happens when children hate it? From countless melancholic memoirs, biographies and novels it seems that when it comes to tradition children have to do what they are told.

F)– What kept us going was love and support of family and friends. There was always that feeling of tenderness which I so often find lacking over here” (Vince M., First Certificate Language Practice, 2003. p.28).

Ex. 4. What would be the best title for the article?

The British and boarding schools

A national lack of tenderness

Parents’ contribution to football violence

Children in Britain and Italy

Ex. 5. Complete the following sentences.

The writer comes from…

The British ‘national characteristic’ is…

The “English disease’ is…

The writer had a very…childhood.

She thinks that being a bad parent can lead to…

Ex. 6. Answer the following questions.

According to the writer, what is the British attitude to children in restaurants? What is her opinion of parents who send their children to boarding schools? What does she think about the way her friends bring up their children?

What are the examples of bad and good parenting?

Ex. 7. This is the reaction of some British people to the newspaper article in ex.3. Discuss their and your responses.

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a)At least our children have some discipline and good manners and don’t demand attention all the time. Francesca’s kids think the world revolves around them.

b)I think we are prepared to spend more time and money on our children’s education and extra curricular activities than many foreign parents are.

c)Well at least we spend our summer holidays together and have our kids’ friends back to the house a lot, which is more than can be said for a lot of families abroad.

d)British children grow up more independent and self reliant because they are not over-babied and over-protected. Lots of foreign parents are much too possessive.

Ex. 8. Read an interview with Pat

Her childhood and her own children’s upbringing

-Pat, do you think the way you were brought up influenced the way you brought your children up?

-Oh definitely, yes. One silly thing is that I always wanted a party when I was younger and my mother – I mean I can see now, she was very very busy, and we were never allowed a party – so now my children always have these huge parties. Another thing is that I think I probably took too much interest in my children’s upbringing – you know – wanted to know what they were doing in school, encouraged them to join clubs and was quite happy to drive them anywhere, for example if they had a violin lesson or a piano lesson or wanted to go swimming – quite happy to drive them there, whereas my parents didn’t show any interest really in us doing anything. And although my father had a car we would never have thought of asking him to drive us anywhere, we walked or got the bus.

-Any other things that were different?

-Well, yes – I think – well, my husband was much more involved with the children, and our relationship, and particularly his is much different to my relationship with my father. I mean, really, I don’t know what to say to my father, whereas John’s got a very, very good relationship with the children and show them a great deal of affection. I mean, my children are now in their twenties, but – you know, still cuddle him and kiss him and all this, and I think it’s very important, affection in families, and a hug and a cuddle will help a lot. And altogether our relationship is different – it’s more informal and we can talk about things with our children that I’d never dream of mentioning in front of my parents.

-What do you think your best qualities are as parents?

-I think I care very much for my children and so even perhaps they did something that I didn’t approve of I would always help them, as opposed to my parents only really want to know us in good times – you know, if things are going well and not if things are going badly. And John, I think it’s because he’s much more even than I am, and more consistent and he will – you know, if there’s a problem he

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can discuss it without getting all upset, which is much better with young people – you get much further.

-If you had your time again is there any way in which you’d change the way you brought them up?

-Oh yes, loads. I wouldn’t worry – I felt I worried far too much about education, but that was a reflection on my upbringing, where my education was really sort of messed about, and so I wanted to make sure that theirs wasn’t, and that they got a good education and I think I focused too much on it. Because we were both young, I think, when we had the children we were growing up very much with them and things that I thought were very important then, I can see from this point of view, they’re not now. Now I know that having young parents has some advantages but I do think that I’d make a better parent now, simply because I’ve got a more mature view of life. But having said that we’ve got two nice children and enjoy being with them.

Ex. 9. Write True or False to the following sentences.

a)Pat’s parents didn’t use to have a car. –

b)Pat doesn’t find it easy to talk to her father. –

c)Pat’s children show affection to their father. –

d)Pat feels that her parents didn’t care about their children all the time. –

e)She thinks she had a very good education. –

f)Pat and John waited until they were older to have children. –

g)They have two children. –

h)The children are still at school. –

Ex. 10. Write down three differences between Pat’s upbringing and the way her children were brought up:

Ex. 11. Tick the words and expressions which Pat thinks best describe either her husband or herself as parents: caring, consistent, patient, mature, generous, worried about education

Ex. 12. Use the verbs in correct tenses.

Richard is a househusband, which means that every day his wife (go) off to work and (leave) him at home to look after their two young children.

Although the family (live) in Oxford his wife (work) in London this year so she usually (not get back) home before 8 p.m. However, Richard (think) the arrangement is a good idea. ‘For the moment I still (enjoy) the change in my lifestyle and I (not need) to get the train to work every day, which is great! I also (learn) lots of new things. For example, I now (understand) how difficult it is to do the housework as well as look after two children.’

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This afternoon Richard (want) to do some work on the book he (write), but he (not think) this is very likely. ‘I (find) it difficult to concentrate. Even when the baby is asleep I often (feel) too tired to write anything.’

Ex. 13. Read and discuss the text

Parents are too permissive with their children nowadays

“Few people would defend the Victorian attitude to children, but if you were a parent in those days, at least you knew where you stood: children were to be seen and not heard. Freud and company did away with all that and parents have been bewildered ever since. The child's happiness is all important, the psychologists say, but what about the parents' happiness? Parents suffer constantly from fear and guilt while their children gaily romp about pulling the place apart. A good old-fashioned spanking is out of the question: no modern child-rearing manual would permit such barbarity. The trouble is you are not allowed even to shout. Who knows what deep psychological wounds you might inflict? The poor child may never recover from the dreadful traumatic experience. So it is that parents bend over backwards to avoid giving their children complexes which a hundred years ago hadn't even been heard of. Certainly a child needs love, and a lot of it.

But the excessive permissiveness of modern parents is surely doing more harm than good.

Psychologists have succeeded in undermining parents' confidence in their own authority. And it hasn't taken children long to get wind of the fact. In addition to the great modern classics on child care, there are countless articles in magazines and newspapers. With so much unsolicited advice flying about, mum and dad just don't know what to do any more. In the end, they do nothing at all. So, from early childhood, the kids are in charge and parents’ lives are regulated according to the needs of their offspring. When the little dears develop into teenagers, they take complete control. Lax authority over the years makes adolescent rebellion against parents all the more violent. If the young people are going to have a party, for instance, parents are asked to leave the house. Their presence merely spoils the fun. What else can the poor parents do but obey?

Children are hardy creatures (far hardier than the psychologists would have us believe) and most of them survive the harmful influence of extreme permissiveness which is the normal condition in the modern household. But a great many do not. The spread of juvenile delinquency in our own age is largely due to parental laxity. Mother, believing that little Johnny can look after himself, is not at home when he returns from school, so little Johnny roams the streets. The dividing-line between permissiveness and sheer negligence is very fine indeed.

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The psychologists have much to answer for. They should keep their mouths shut and let parents get on with the job. And if children are knocked about a little bit in the process, it may not really matter too much. At least this will help them to develop vigorous views of their own and give them something positive to react against. Perhaps there's some truth in the idea that children who've had a surfeit of happiness in their childhood emerge like stodgy puddings and fail to make a success of life” (Alexander L.G., For and Against, 1968, p. 42).

The argument: key words

1 One can't defend Victorian attitude to children, but position clear then: children seen, not heard.

2 Freud and Co. have done away with this view.

3 Psychologists: child's happiness important. Parents'?

4 Parents: fear and guilt; spanking forbidden; barbarity.

5 Not even shouting: psychological wounds; traumatic experience. 6 Parents try to avoid giving complexes unknown 100 years ago. 7 Love, yes, but excessive permissiveness harmful.

8 Psychologists undermined parents' confidence in authority.

9 Children aware of this.

10 Bombarded with child-care books, articles, etc., parents don't know what to do; do nothing.

11Regulate lives according to children's needs.

12Lax authority: adolescent rebellion all the more violent.

13E.g. parties: parents not wanted.

14Children: hardy creatures; most survive permissiveness.

15Many don't: juvenile delinquency; e.g. Johnny roams streets.

16Dividing line, permissiveness and negligence very fine.

17Psychologists to blame: leave parents alone.

18If children knocked about a bit - not important.

19Develop vigorous views, something positive to react against.

20Surfeit of happiness: stodgy puddings?

The counter-argument: key words

1 If parents err today in bringing up children, they err on the right side.

2 There is no defence for Victorian harshness, hypocrisy, lack of under standing, barbarity.

3 We can only be grateful to Freud and Co.: an age of enlightenment. 4 Child-care manuals: sensible and practical; not authoritarian.

5 We know too much to be authoritarian these days. 6 Of course love is all important.

7 Love and care is not the same as permissiveness and negligence. 8 No one would defend parental laxity.

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9 We are not concerned here with delinquent children, but with children from happy home backgrounds.

10Psychological wounds can be very real.

11E.g. can later lead to mental illness, etc.

12Children today: healthy in body and mind; parents really care.

13Develop more quickly than previous generation.

14Soon gain independence from parents.

15Grow up to be mature, responsible adults.

Ex. 14. Put the words into their correct places: possessive, suppress, inhibited, upbringing, formative, authoritarian, permissive, adolescence, juvenile delinquency, rebelliousness, run wild.

How Much Freedom Children Should Have?

“It is often said that we live in a (a) age, one in which people are allowed to do almost anything they like. Is it good for children? They are going through their (b), which is a very (c) stage of their development since their final adult characters are beginning to take shape. Some parents think it is good for children to be allowed to (d), without control or supervision. They say that this enables children’s personalities to develop naturally and that they will learn to be responsible by the mistakes they make. However, this might lead to (e), with the children ending up in the courts, or it might simply make children self-centred, without any consideration of others. Other parents believe in being strict, but taken to extremes this can produce a too (f) atmosphere in the home, with the children being dominated and ruled by their parents. Parents can also be very (g) and try to keep the children dependent on them. These last two attitudes can encourage (h) (against parents, school, authority) in a child, or, conversely, (i) a child’s natural sense of adventure and curiosity. A strict (j) by over-caring parents can make a child so timid and (k) that he or she is unable to express freely his or her emotions and form mature relationships. To bring up children to be normal, well-adjusted human beings requires great wisdom, and perhaps a bit of luck” (Goodale M., Idioms Workbook, 2003, p.50).

SPEAKING

1. Problems of Up-Bringing

WRITING

1. Being a Young Parent is Better

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Prepare a report on a British Painter

SPEAKING

1. Aesthetic Education

WRITING

1. Visiting Art Galleries is Boring

Part 3 DECEPTION

Ex. 1. Use the dictionary to explain the idioms.

A white lie Behind your back To cook the books

Go through the motions Pay lip service to sb

Pull the wool over sb’s eyes

Pull sb’s legs (Br.E- harmless piece of fun; AmE – serious deception or trickery) Take sth with a pinch of salt (Am.E – a grain of salt)

Smell a rat

Ex. 2. Complete the following definitions with the correct idiom.

a)If you say that sb…an idea, you are being critical of them because they appear to be in favour of it, but are not doing anything to support it.

b)If you say that a piece of information should…, you mean it should not be relied on, because it may not be accurate or true.

c)If you accuse sb of…your….,you mean that they are trying to deceive you, in order to get an advantage over you.

d)If you say that sb is…, you mean that they are doing sth. that they have to do or are expected to do, but without any real effort or enthusiasm.

Ex. 3. Select the idiom.

a)The Police launched Operation Canteen to catch their caterers…

b)She clearly found the child primarily a bother. She…, doing a few of the right things for any mother.

c)If she caught you bending the truth, even…, she was capable of weeping over

it.

d)He was showing no emotion, he was just…like he was on auto-pilot.

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j)…want a horse to slow down or stop?

k)…express spontaneous delight?

MODULE V SUCCESS AND FAILURE

Ex. 1. Study the idioms.

Hit the nail on the head

With flying colours

A feather in your cap

The writing is on the wall

Go to the wall

Back to the drawing board

Throw in the towel

Draw a blank

Win hands down

Plain sailing

A white elephant

In the bag

Ex. 2. Match up the following jokes and quotes

Ex. 3. Choose the idioms.

1.A search by Australian astronomers for signs if intelligent life in outer space has so far…

2.‘Lady’ was an immediate success. A work of theatre art, a feast of plenty,…of the American theatre.

3.The European identity remains far too weak to bear the stresses and strains of a single currency. It is no accident that currencies are nationally based. Brothers and sisters,…

4….for Capriati when she lost the first set 6-1 in less than 20 minutes.

5.The new pyramid in Memphis can be viewed either as an architectural wonder or a 32-story…

6.As Phillippa found, even with the ideal tenant it isn’t all…

7.Bad publishers…, good ones prosper.

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