Mother, father, brothers and sisters they can get on your nerves, just as you can get on theirs. Have you ever felt that you dont want your father to pick you up from a party because you think your friends might laugh at him?
And what about you? Have you ever asked your parents personal questions in public? The members of a family can embarrass each other, even without meaning to. But if youre sensitive to each others feelings youll be able to avoid upsetting each other too badly.
Understanding a parent is a two-way process. If your parents are open and reasonable with you, you owe it to them to be open and reasonable with them. That means telling them where youre going; who youre going with and when youll be back.
Believe it or not, your parents can be your best friends and theyll be pleased that youre growing up.
However, as you grow up, relationships within your family will change. The adults will continue to love and look after you, but the relationship will become much more one between equals.
The difference between your philosophy and way of life and your parents is often referred to as the generation gap. You may think your parents are really old. But try to think about them as ordinary people. They have good days and bad days, too.
Sometimes parents are under all sorts of pressures. They may worry about money, or if they're a single parent, they may be lonely. Or they may be worried about getting old themselves. Your parents also have to deal with a world that is changing faster than it did when they were young.
Whats the best action to take if you want to do something that you think a parent will disapprove of? First, work out why you think theyll disapprove. If you can present a carefully worked out argument, youre doing well. Talk things over with friends or brothers and sisters. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If you treat your parents in an honest way, their response is bound to be more reasonable. If you antagonize them, your job will be much harder.
A parent often worries that his or her children are the only ones who want to do things they dont approve of. Help your parent to see that it isnt true. Introduce them to your friends and show them that you all want similar things. Talk to other peoples parents and see how they react. In some ways, you will find life easier than those young people who are allowed to do anything. And remember, if you want to change things, think before you act. Never lie to or deceive your parents.
Post-reading tasks
Read the text again to fulfill the tasks to follow.
1. The text is headlined Believe it or not, your parents can be your friends. Do you think the heading suits the information given in the text. Express your opinion. Below youll find some more headings. Choose the one that suits best and motivate your choice.
a) Mutual understanding is a basis for good relations in the family.
b) Generation gap.
c) Parents are always easy to come to terms.
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2. Determine the meaning of the word according to the context.
To embarrass a) to interfere b) to confuse c) to upset d) to disturb
Sensitive a) touchy b) vulnerable c) delicate d) irritable
To disapprove a) to deny b) to praise c) to blame d) to have, express an unfavourable opinion
To refer to a) to direct b) to regard c) to mention d) to concern
To owe a) to be in debt to somebody b) to attribute b) to be obliged (to) c) to possess
3. Combine two sentences together omitting less important information and adding connectives.
1. Parents can get on your nerves just as you can get on theirs. If you are sensitive to each others feelings, youll be able to avoid upsetting each other.
2. Mutual understanding is a two-way process. If your parents are open and reasonable with you, you owe it to them to be open and reasonable with them.
3. When children grow up relationships within ones family change. The relationship becomes much more one between equals.
4. Your way of life and your philosophy differ from your parents. This difference is often called the generation gap.
5. Think about your parents as ordinary people. Parents may worry about money, they may be lonely or they may be upset about getting old.
6. Parents often disapprove of what their children do. If children can convince their parents that they are not the only ones who want to do things parents dont approve, parents response is bound to be more reasonable.
4. Put the jumbled sentences in the logical order to sum up the information given in the text.
1. But not all parents are easy to get on with.
2. If you antagonize your parents, your life will be much harder but if you treat them in an honest way, their response will be more reasonable.
3. Parents can get on your nerves just as you can get on theirs.
4. Mutual understanding is a two-way process.
5. The difference between childrens philosophy and way of life and their parents is called the generation gap.
6. Try to avoid doing things your parents will disapprove of and never deceive your parents.
7. Before doing something think of your parents response.
8. If you are sensitive to each others feelings, you can avoid upsetting each other.
9. They may worry about money or about getting old themselves.
10. Try to think about your parents as ordinary people who are under all sorts of pressure.
11. Be open and reasonable with your parents and theyll treat you in a similar way.
12. In time the relationship between parents and children will change and become much more one between equals.
5. Give the main idea of the text using the following words and expressions and adding connectives and some more words if necessary.
- Parents, to get on ones nerves.
- To be sensitive to, feelings, to avoid, to upset each other.
- Understanding, to be, parents, a two-way process.
- To grow up, relations, to change, to become, one between equals.
- Generation gap, to call, difference, way of life, philosophy.
- Parents, to be under pressure, to worry about, to get old, to be lonely.
- To treat, honest way, reasonable response, to antagonize, life, to be hard.
- To think, to act, to deceive parents, never.
Unit 10
Pre-reading tasks
1. Look through the key words and expressions and guess what this text runs about.
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Sport feelings of rivalry
To create good will to arouse
To lead to hatred to humiliate
Competitive to gain a victory
The question of prestige to intervene
To do ones utmost to cheat
To win crowd
To have nothing to do with fair play
2. Look through the text to see if your guess about its contents was correct. If it wasnt, give the information that you have missed.
The Sporting Spirit
I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates good will between the nations, and that if only the common peoples of the world could meet one another at football or cricket, they would have no inclination to meet on the battlefield. Even if one didnt know from concrete examples that international sporting contests lead to hatred one could deduce it from general principles.
Nearly all sports nowadays are competitive. You play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost to win. On the village green, where you pick up sides and no feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simply for the fun and exercise; but as soon as the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused. Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this.
At the international level sport is frankly mimic warfare. But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators; and behind the spectators, of the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests and seriously believe that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue. As soon as strong feelings of rivalry are aroused, the notion of playing the game according to the rules always vanishes. People want to see one side on top and the other side humiliated and they forget that victory gained through cheating or through the intervention of the crowd is meaningless. Even when the spectators dont intervene physically they try to influence the game by cheering their own side and rattling opposing players. Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules, in other words, it is war minus the shooting.
I do hot, of course, suggest that sport is one of the main causes of international rivalry; big-scale sport is itself, I think, merely another effect of the causes that have produced nationalism. Still, you do make things worse by sending forth a team of eleven men to do battle against some rival team. There are quite enough real causes of trouble already, and we need not add to them.
Post-reading tasks
Read the text again to fulfill the tasks to follow.
1. The text is headlined The Sporting Spirit. Do you think the heading suits the information given in the text. Express your opinion. Below youll find some more headings. Choose the one that suits best and motivate your choice.
a) Serious sport and fair play are incompatible.
b) Sport as one of the main reasons for international rivalry.
c) Ambiguous nature of sport.
2. Determine the meaning of the word according to the context.
Fair a) considerable b) beautiful c) light d) honest
To intervene a) to happen b) to interfere c) to interrupt d) to disturb
Rivalry a) match b) competition c) contest d) tournament
To humiliate a) to insult b) to offend c) to praise d) to disgrace
3. Complete the following sentences. Your answers must be related to the ideas contained in the text.
1. I am always astonished when I
2. In fact, sporting contests lead to
3. Sport is
4. Players usually do their
5. When the question of prestige
6. The most important thing is
7. When feelings of rivalry are aroused
8. If spectators dont intervene
9. Serious sport has nothing
10. Sport is one
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11. In my opinion, there are enough real
4. Put the jumbled sentences in the logical order to sum up the information given in the text.
1. It is connected with hatred, jealousy, and disregard of all rules.
2. There are quite enough real causes of trouble already and we neednt add to them.
3. I think that sport never creates good will between the nations.
4. Sport is competitive and sportsmen do their utmost to win.
5. Sport is one of the main reasons for international rivalry.
6. Competitions usually lead to hatred.
7. The most important thing is not the behaviour of players but the attitude of spectators.
8. Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play.
9. People want to see their team on top and the other side humiliated.
10. When the question of prestige arises, the most savage combative instincts are aroused.
5. Use the following words and expressions to speak on the problem touched upon in the text. Add connectives and some more words if necessary.
- To be amazed, sport, to create, good will.
- International competitions, to lead, hatred.
- Sport, competitive.
- To do ones utmost, sportsmen.
- The question of prestige, to arise, to arouse, savage, combative instincts.
- Attitude, spectators, to be significant.
- Feelings of rivalry, to arouse, to play, according to rules.
- People, to intervene, to influence, game.
- Sport, to have nothing to do, fair play.
- Sport, to cause, international rivalry.
- Enough, real causes, trouble, to add.
