1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words taken from the text which you are going to listen.

The cost of raising a child, to soar, double, decade, to fork out, from birth to the age of 21, the UK insurance company LV=, insurer, to reckon, expensive, early childhood, period, spokesman, statistics, sobering, current parents, staggering, unrealistic, income levels, in line with, rising level of expenditure, to be switched on, family finances, childcare, education, to account for, to feed a child, to clothe, mind-blowing, to keep amused, hobbies, pocket money, however, to decrease, sympathy, rocketing expenses, to face, experience, sacrifice, to manage, worth, provision, extra planning.

2. Give Russian equivalents to the following English words and word combinations.

The cost of raising a child, to soar, in the next decade, to fork out around $365,000 on raising a child, from birth to the age of 21, the UK insurance company LV=, insurer, to reckon, the early childhood period between two and five, spokesman, to be quite sobering, would-be and current parents, to be quite staggering, people’s income levels, to increase in line with this rising level of expenditure, to be switched on about family finances, childcare, to account for, to feed a child, to clothe, mind-blowing, to keep amused with smth, toy, hobbies, presents, pocket money, however, to decrease by, to have sympathy for parents, the rocketing expenses, to face, experience, sacrifice, to put some plans on hold, to manage the costs associated with raising a family, to be worth, to make small provisions, to do a little extra planning.

WHILE LISTENING

3. Listen to the text “Children cost $50 a day” twice. First time make notes about the numbers, geographical, proper or personal names which you might hear. When you are listening to the text for the second time, try to catch the events and the order in which they are spoken about.

4. Agree or disagree to the following statements.

1. A secret market in buying and selling kids has started in the UK.

2. The early childhood years are the most expensive for parents.

3. A report said income levels will rise for parents to raise their kids.

4. The report said parents must be more aware about childcare costs.

5. Spending on education is higher than the cost of feeding kids.

6. Children received less pocket money than usual in 2007.

7. An insurance spokesman suggested sacrificing a few children.

8. The spokesman said putting money aside now was a good idea.

5. Fill in the gaps using the following words.

Line, sobering, expect, expect, followed, raising, ever, reckons, worth, top, sacrifices, clothe, easily, accounts, decreased, hold.

Children cost $50 a day

The cost of ________ a child in the UK is soaring and set to almost double again in the next decade. Parents can ________ to fork out around $365,000 on raising a child from birth to the age of 21. This is according to a report by the UK insurance company LV=. The insurer ________ a child now costs $50 a day, with university being the most expensive years, ________ by the early childhood period between two and five. LV= spokesman Nigel Snell said the statistics are quite ________ for both would-be and current parents. “The figures are quite staggering and it’s unrealistic to ________ people’s income levels to increase in ________ with this rising level of expenditure. This means parents will need to be switched on about their family finances more than ________,” he said.

Spending on childcare and education ________ for over half of the expenditure at $200,000. On ________ of that, it costs $32,000 to feed a child, $24,000 to ________ him or her, and a mind-blowing $50,000 to keep them amused with toys, holidays, hobbies and presents. Pocket money, however, ________ by $100 a year in 2007. Mr Snell said he has sympathy for parents over the rocketing expenses they face: “As a parent of three, I know from experience that ________ have to be made in the early years, and many parents will have had to put some plans on ________ to manage the costs associated with raising a family. Of course, every parent will tell you that it is all ________ it, but making even small provisions and doing a little extra planning now could help new parents see their way more ________ through the next 21 years.”

AFTER LISTENING

6. Answer the following questions.

1. Do you think children really cost 50 dollars a day?

2. Are children expensive to raise in our country?

3. Does our government give any help to parents?

4. Why do you think childcare costs in the UK will double in the next decade?

5. Do you think this report is a scare tactic by the insurance company LV= to get people to take out insurance?

6. What is so expensive about the ages two to five?

7. Were you an expensive child?

8. Do you think more couples will think about not having children if they read the LV= report?

9. Do you think couples have a better life with or without children?

10. How do you think parents could reduce the costs of raising children?

11. Do you think only rich people should have lots of children?

12. How much pocket money do you think children should get?

13. Do you think parents spend too much on presents for their children?

14. What sacrifices (financial and social) do parents have to make when they have children?

15. Why do you think parents would say having children is worth it?

7. Match the following synonyms from the text.

soaring fork out would-be staggering switched on accounts for amused sympathy associated with provisions

alert preparations makes up potential pity spend related to rising amazing entertained

8. Match the following phrases from the text (sometimes more than one combination is possible).

…soaring and set to almost Parents can expect to fork would-be and it’s unrealistic to expect people’s income parents will need to be switched on about education accounts for over a mind-blowing $50,000 to keep them he has sympathy for parents over the sacrifices have to be made in the every parent will tell you that

their family finances early years amused with toys out around $365,000 rocketing expenses levels to increase double again it is all worth it current parents half of the expenditure

9. Write down different words you associate with childcare. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

10. In pairs or groups discuss which of these items are most important for parents to spend money on their children. Suggest solutions how parents can cut costs on these items.

pocket money / allowance food birthday and other presents higher education

clothes babysitting education hobbies

11. Roleplay the dialogue between two people, one of them considers the cost of raising children is not worth it, and the other one thinks any costs involved in having children makes it worth it.

12. Search the Internet and find more information about childcare in different countries. Talk about what you discover with your groupmates. If possible, try to make a presentation, because it will help you to present information in a way which contributes to better understanding and figures or different graphics which help to understand your report better. After presentations choose the best one.

13. Write a magazine article about what would happen if children became too expensive to have. Include imaginary interviews with a would-be parent and a population expert. Read what you wrote to your groupmates. Which article was best and why?

14. Write a letter to your government leaders. Give them three suggestions on what they should do to help poorer parents. Give them three reasons why they should help parents with childcare. Read your letter to your groupmates. Your groupmates will answer your questions.

Unit 3

Divorce is bad for the environment