1. Practice the reading and pronunciation of the following words
| majority | [ mә`dʒɔriti ] | through | [ θru: ] |
| recent | [ `ri:s(ә)nt ] | ages | [ `eidʒiz ] |
| marriage | [ `mæridʒ ] | cheered | [ `t∫ iәd ] |
| responsibility | [ ri,spɔnsә`bilәti ] | separate | [ `sep(ә)rәt ] |
| percentage | [ pә`sentidʒ ] | tension | [ `ten∫n ] |
| couple | [ `kΛpl ] | argument | [ `a:gjuәmәnt] |
2. Match the right and the left columns of the table
| 1. | to hold | a. | , |
| 2. | majority | b. | |
| 3. | supervise | c. | , , |
| 4. | unequal | d. | , |
| 5. | tensions | f. | , |
| 6. | separate | g. | , , |
| 7. | to avoid | h. | |
| 8. | community | i. | |
| 9. | as a whole | j. | |
| 10. | in many cases | k. |
3. Read and translate the following verbs, divide them into two groups (regular / irregular), write down all three forms of the given irregular verbs.
To earn, to present, to release, to look at, to find, to say, to increase, to cheer, to avoid, to research, to argue, to enjoy.
4. Listen to the text and fill in the gaps
| In the past, a majority of American college students were men. As a result, men held higher paying jobs 1 than women. For most families, the husband was the top earner. But this is changing. Women now represent a majority of American college students. And they are earning more money than ever. Mario Ritter tells us about a recent study 2 that looks at the new economics of marriage. Mario Pitter: The study was released in January by the Pew Research Center. It found changes in the way that American wives and husbands share 3 economic responsibility for their families. | |
| The study found a big increase in the percentage of married women who earn more money than their husbands. The researchers studied information about married couples 4 from nineteen seventy through two thousand seven. The study centered on couples between the ages of thirty and forty-four who were born in the United States. In that group, twenty-two percent of the wives 5 earned more than their husbands during the most recent 6 year of the study. Thirty-seven years ago, just four percent of wives were top earners. | |
| Emily Mendell cheered the news in a blog she co-writes called mothersofbrothers.com. Miz Mendell supervises communications for a financial industry association in Washington, D.C. She earns more than her husband, Dave, who is a school teacher. But she says their unequal incomes are no reason 7 for tensions. Emily Mendell says she and her husband have separate bank accounts. This helps avoid arguments about spending 8 money. Money is considered the number one reason for arguments between married couples. | |
| Job satisfaction for the lower earning partner is also important Emily Mendell says her husband Dave really enjoys his job as a teacher. He knows he is doing something 9 important in their community. Miz Mendell also says it is important to look at family life as a whole. She says both partners have to give their time, effort and, in many cases, income 10 for the good of the family. |
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5. Read and translate the text.
6. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words and word combinations, learn them by heart.
| , | |||
| , - | |||
7. Translate the following word combinations into English. Use the verbs from ex.3
. . . . . . . () . . . . .
8. Read and learn the following words paying attention to the ways of word-building.
To increase - increase.
To research - research - researcher.
To satisfy - satisfaction.
To argue - argument - argumentative - argumentativeness.
9. Answer the following questions
1) In the past men were the top earners for most families, werent they?
2) Where do American women present a majority?
3) What did the recent study find (show)?
4) What helps Emily and her husband to avoid arguments about spending money?
5) Does Dave enjoy his job as a teacher?
10. Translate the following questions into English
1) ?
2) ?
3) ?
4) ?
5) ?
6) ?
7) , ?
8) ?
9) (continue) ?
10) ?
11. Translate the following sentences into English. Use the words given in brackets.
. . . , , . - 4% , 22%. (in the past, in most families, a top earner, to change, recent studies, increase, in the percentage of, than, if, ago, only, in recent years, figure, to grow up to).
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, , . . . . . , . . (to earn, than, a school teacher, separate, bank account, to avoid, arguments about spending, unequal, incomes, reason for tensions, to enjoy, something, for the community, important).
