or teaching English as a second language. After graduating from college,
my wife and I moved to Japan where we lived for eight years. Now, I work
back in the States in Utah.
However, my greatest interests are my family. Years ago, I wanted to
make something of myself in my profession… you know… get ahead in life.
However, I realized that the most important things in life lived within the walls of my own home, and today, I try to put them first. My kids wouldn’t remember me for the work I did outside of the home; they would only recall the moments we spent together.
Therefore, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have four children, and we go hiking and camping together, usually in Utah. On our hikes, we often talk about life, and I tell stories or share personal experiences. When I do this, I can focus on the kids without the distractions of video games or the Internet. Telling stories sounds easy, but when you have to think of a new story on a hot, 12-kilometer hike through the desert, you have come up with ideas off the top of your head.
Now, this doesn’t mean we don’t have problems; all families face chal- lenges in their lives, and our family is no exception. However, we try to talk openly about our problems, and we try to solve our problems together. Building a strong family takes time, but it is worth the effort.
1) Where did Kevin probably grow up?
a) in Indiana b) in Venezuela c) in Utah
2) What was his undergraduate major?
a) English b) Spanish c) Japanese
3) How many children does he have?
a) two b) three c) four
4) What does Kevin do on his hikes with his children?
a) He points out the wildlife and plants along the way. b) He enjoys telling them stories about his life.
c) He teaches them how to survive in emergency situations.
5) What point does Kevin make about raising children?
a) Enroll kids into schools early to help them learn better.
b) Be consistent in the way you administer discipline in the home.
c) Talk with your kids about problems so they learn how to solve them.
Key: 1 a, 2 b, 3 c, 4 b, 5 c.
5. Vocabulary practice
Match.
| 1) Unfortunately, I can’t remember all of my grand- children’s names… | a) make something |
| 2) His uncle tried to … of himself by going back to school and getting a university degree | b) ealize |
| 3) I often … many fond memories of celebrating Christ- mas together as a family | c) focusing |
| 4) Instead of … our energies on our careers, we should dedicate our lives to our families | d) off the top of my head |
| 5) We often don’t … how important it is to spend time with children until it is too late | e) recall |
Key: 1 d, 2 a, 3 e, 4 c, 5 b.
6. speaking
Do ex. 6, p. 84.
7. summary
Do ex. 7, p. 85.
8. Homework
Write a short essay about a successful family. What kind should it be in your opinion?
Lesson 28
FrIendS helP YoU lIVe longer
Цілі: вдосконалювати навички аудіювання, усного мовлення й читання; роз- вивати культуру спілкування й мовленнєву реакцію учнів; виховувати поваж- не ставлення до людей похилого віку й сімейних цінностей.
Клас
Дата
1. Warm-up
Do ex. 1, p. 86.
2. Reading and speaking
Do ex. 2, p. 86.
3. speaking
Procedure
Which of these things would you like to do with your friends when you
reach your seventies? Talk about how different these things might be at 70.
Hiking, bungee jumping, study English, travel around the world, ballroom dancing, go on dates, talk about the old days.
You may add your own variants.
| 3. | Writing and speaking | |
| Work in pairs Talk about whether you prefer to do / spend the following activities / oc- | ||
| casions with family or friends. Do you think this will change when you are |
|
Change partners and explain what you discussed with your previous
partner.
Talk about whether you will still be doing / celebrating the activi-
ties / occasions when you’re in your seventies and what difference being older will make.
3. Listening
Listen to a journal article and say if the following statements are true or false.
a) Friends are more important than family for a longer life. b) A study was carried out on 1,500 British 70-year-olds.
c) Good friends can help you live 22 years longer. d) Social activity has positive effects on the body.
e) A group of 70-year-olds was studied for a period of 10 years.
f) The group was monitored every year over the 10-year test period.
g) The death of a spouse greatly affected the test data.
h) The message is to keep in touch with friends for a longer life.
Key: a T, b F, c F, d T, e T, f F, g F, h T.
FRIENDS HELP YOU LIVE LONGER
A new health report says that having good friends in your old age helps you live longer. The report also says that having close friends may be more important than having close family ties. Researchers interviewed
1,500 Australians over the age of 70 about their social and family ties. The results suggest that people with close friendships were 22 per cent more likely to live longer. The researchers said this is because of the positive ef- fects on the body of social activity and recreation.
The researchers analyzed data from an Australian study, which began in 1992. The 10-year-long study measured how behavioral, economic, envi- ronmental and social factors affected the health of 70-year-olds. The senior citizens were monitored annually for four years and then at three-yearly intervals. The team found that those with the strongest network of friends were less likely to die by the end of the ten-year period. This was true even when the senior citizen lost a spouse. The message is to keep in touch if you want to live longer.
4. Vocabulary practice
Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
