Sibling conflict27

“Why can’t our kids just get along? Why must they always fight?" Parents get tired of the bickering, teasing, competing. They can't underhand why their children can't leave each other alone, and just be friends. "Who needs it?" parents ask.

The answer is "the children do." Fighting is not a sign of children not getting along. It is how they get along - using conflict to test their power, establish differences, and ventilate emotion. Children compete for dominance, parental attention, parental support, and household resources. Who gets what? Who does what? Who goes first? Who gets most? Who's right? Who's best?

When we are children, our brothers and sisters - are our first friends and first enemies. The effect of sibling relationships in childhood can last a lifetime. Many experts say that the relationship among brothers and sisters explains a great deal about family life, especially today when brothers and sisters often spend more time with one another than with their parents.

Studies have shown that sibling relationships between sister-sister pairs and brother-brother pairs are different. Sister pairs are the closest. Brothers are the most competitive. Sisters are usually more supportive of each other. They are more talkative, frank, and better at expressing themselves and sharing their feelings. On the other hand, brothers are usually more competitive with each other. The major exception to this is identical twins for whom similarity creates unusual intimacy. The more alike they are, the closer they feel. The closer they feel, the more like they want to become. They can feel incomplete in absence from each other, they can have unspoken means of knowing what is going on in each other, and they may even construct a secret language between them that no one else understands.

Experts agree that the relationship among siblings is influenced by many factors. For example, studies have shown, that both brothers and sisters become more competitive and aggressive when their parents treat them even a little bit differently from one another. But parental treatment is not the only factor. Genetics, gender, life events, people, and experiences outside the family all shape the lives of siblings.

Thanks for not smoking28

We've all heard the question "Smoking or non-smoking?" when making plane reservations. And when we travel by train, we have to choose whether we want to sit in a smoking or non-smoking car. In many countries these choices may not be available much longer. In the United States smoking Is now prohibited in most public buildings and on airlines. And the smoking car on trains is already becoming a thing of the past.

Restaurants in the USA are designating separate sections for smokers, hotels are assigning special rooms, and many companies now provide separate areas for employees who smoke. And, of course, we are all bombarded daily with anti-smoking messages in the newspapers, on the radio, and on television.

Being overweight causes a lot of problems. The extract below tells you about one of them. Comment upon the problem. Do overweight people in Russia face the same problems?

Being fat, in fact, can cause real problems for an American. He or she will find it harder to get a good job, or even to make friends. If you want to do well, you must be thin. It doesn't seem fair, does it? Advertisers and fast-food sellers scream at people to eat, eat, and eat. But inside, there is another voice saying "stop, stop, stop."