Владимир Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 3 курс [calibre 2.43.0]

resistance which is resorted to when a parent is just too exhausted to think of better ways if dealing with a child? 5. What is the result

of the undermined parents' confidence in their own authority according to the author's point of view? 6. Do you think doing nothing

with children is the best solution? 7. To what results can lax authority lead? 8. Do you think that children should always obey their

parents? What about parents obeying their children to make them happy? 9. Would you agree with the author that extreme

permissiveness is harmful for children and can result in negative development? 10. Two extremes discussed in the text do not seem to

produce good effect. What do you think is important in order to have normal relations between parents and children? Is tolerance

necessary?

2. Find in the text the arguments the author gives to illustrate the following:

1. impossibility to defend Victorian attitude to children; 2. parents' sufferings due to undermined confidence in authority; 3.

harmful effect of excessive parents' permissiveness; 4. parents' decision to regulate lives according to children's needs; 5. parental

laxity— dividing line between permissiveness and negligence; 6. people to blame.

3. Try and preserve the wording of the original. Add your arguments as well.

4.Summarize the text in four paragraphs showing that love and care so important in the process of bringing up children is not the same as

permissiveness anci negligence.

5.Use the Topical Vocabulary in answering the questions:

,1. What is done in this country to make the child a responsible person? 2. What are the basic patterns of upbringing, both within

the family and in collective situations? What roles do parents, school and age-segregated groups play in bringing up children? 4.

What is the role of mother and father in a modern family? 5. Is a young mother more eager than previous generations to enroll her

child in nursery? Why? 6. Do you consider grandparents and their influence important in the process of upbringing? 7. How does the

regular school using the well-proven techniques of collective upbringing care for the individual needs of a child? 8. What is more

important in the process of upbringing school (teachers, collective) or home (parents) background? 9. What home atmosphere encour-

ages a child's development? 10. What are the best ways, in your opinion, to praise and punish a child? 11. Do you think child-care

books necessary for young parents? What else can be helpful?

6.What solution can you offer for the following problems?

1. "To the average child his parents are kill-joys. They are always saying "No". No getting dirty, no jumping on the sofa, no

running around naked, no hitting the little sister."

2. "Much more than a direct rebuke, sarcasm infuriates children. It makes them completely irrational and they direct all their

energies to planning counter-attacks. They will be completely preoccupied with revenge fantasies. Sarcasm not only serves to deflate

a child's standing in his own eyes but in the eyes of his friends as well."

3. "I don't like James to play with Paul next door. Paul uses very bad language, and James will pick it up. But Paul is James's best

friend and he sneaks out and sees him very often. So I lock him up in the bathroom as a punishment. Sometimes I deliberately don't

speak to him for hours on end."

7.Read the following dialogue between Mrs. Brent and Mr. Alden, a teacher. The expressions in bold type show the WAYS ENGLISH PEOPLE

COMPLAIN. Note them down. Be ready to act out the dialogue in class.

A: Would you like another cup of tea or something?

B: Well, no...........Thanks just the same.

A: I am sorry to have to say this,but what would our youngsters do without the youth centre? They'd be pretty lost, wouldn't

they?

B: It's all right I suppose.

A: Er ... would you care to dance, Mrs. Brent?

B: Thank you ... but no. The music isn't of my generation. You know ... the generation gap. When I was young I'd never dared

speak as our children do. Especially with a teacher present.

A: We've got a bit of a problem here, you see.It's part of my job to know people ... and especially young people ... as they are.

And really the so-called generation gap is a myth you know. Teenagers aren't really so different. As a teacher I find them quite

traditional in their attitudes.

B: I'm sorry to disagree with you,but look at the way they dress ... and their hair!

A: I don't think you get the point. Those things are quite superficial. But basically their attitudes are very similar to those of our

generation.

B: There is no excusefor their language and you seem to approve of the kind of language we hear from our children.

A: Now, I didn't say that. Anyway the concepts of "approval" and "disapproval" tend to over-simplify matters. Every generation

creates its own special language just as it creates its own styles in clothes and music.

B: I'd like to point outthat the styles and habits of today's teenagers are so ... Well basically ... unacceptable.

A: You mean unacceptable to you. In fact their clothes are very practical and very simple.

B: I do wish you had a teenage son or daughter of your own, Mr. Alden.

A: But I have more contact with them. You see, we have regular discussions. You could come and sit in sometime if you like. And

you'll realize I think how traditional their attitudes are. «

8.Answer the following questions:

1. What do you think of the problem of the generation gap? 2. Do you agree with all that is said in the dialogue? With which

statements do you disagree? (In answering this you may use the formulas of agreement and disagreement. See Appendix.) 3. What is

Mrs. Brent complaining about? Are her complaints justified?

9.Work in pairs. Take turns to make complaints about the following and to respond appropriately. Use the expressions and clichés of complaint and

apology:

Expressions of complaint and apology:A direct complaint in English sounds very rude indeed. To be polite one usually "breaks

it gently" and uses expressions like these before one actually comes to the point:

I wonder if you could help me...

Look, I'm sorry to trouble you, but...

I've got a bit of a problem here, you see ...

I'm sorry to have to say this, but...

It is usually better to break it gently like this than to say, for example: "Look here! I wish you'd arrive on time or I've just about

had enough of your unpunctuality (of your coming late)."

The following expressions can also be used:

I have a complaint to make.

It's just not good enough. You must try to ...

There's no excuse for doing it.

It's completely unjustified (unfair).

I'd like to point out that...

Next — and this is very serious — I feel that...

It gives us real cause for grievance.

Note: It is often not enough to just say "Sorry" and promise it won't happen again. You may need to apologize more profusely, like this:

Oh dear, I'm most awfully sorry.

I can't tell you how sorry I am.

I'm so sorry, I didn't realize.

I just don't know what to say.

I'm ever so sorry.

1. You find some pages torn out of a book. Complain to the librarian. 2. You have ordered the TV Times but you have been

brought the Radio Times. Complain to the newsagent. 3. You have bought a colour TV set which is not correctly adjusted. Complain