2.10. A) Read the introduction to a magazine article about how your position

In the family affects your personality. Then read the paragraphs.

b) Write all the adjectives of personality from the text in the chart after

the text.

Family Fortunes

Scientists and psychologists agree that although many factors

contribute to forming your personality, for example, your sex,

class, culture, or lifestyle, one of the most important is your

position in the family. So how have you been affected?

Are you a first child, a middle child, the youngest, or an only child?

First-born children. If you are a first-born child, you are probably self-confident and a good leader – you came first, after all. You may also be bossy and even aggressive if you don’t get what you want. You are ambitious, and good at communicating, because you learned to speak from your parents, not from your brothers and sisters. On the other hand, you are the oldest and so you have to be the most responsible, and this can make you the kind of person who worries a lot.

Middle children are usually independent and competitive. You had to fight with your brothers and sisters to get what you wanted. You are also co-operative as you always had to negotiate with either your elder or your younger brothers and sisters. You are sociable, as you always had someone to play with. On the other hand, you may be jealous and insecure or moody if you felt that your parents preferred your elder brother or sister.

Youngest children are often very charming. You learned very quickly that you could get exactly what you want by being charming – and this can make you manipulative. You are usually affectionate and relaxed because when you arrived, your parents were more relaxed themselves. But you are often not very independent, as you always had so many people to help you. This makes it hard for you to take decisions. And you may be lazy, because your parents probably pushed you less and were less strict with you than with your elder brothers and sisters.

Only children are often quite selfish. You had the wonderful luxury of not having to share your parents’ attention with anybody else. In fact, you received so much attention as a child that you find it difficult to be interested in other people. On the other hand, you are usually organized and responsible, and quite imaginative. But you may find it difficult to communicate with others, and are very sensitive to criticism.

	first-born children	middle children	youngest children	only children
positive adjectives
negative adjectives
positive or negative adjectives

2.11. A) Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. Try to explain

the meaning of the bold-faced words without consulting a dictionary.

b) Answer the questions after the text.

China: The Changing Family

Looking at the People’s Republic of China before 1949, when the Communist Party under Chairman Mao took control of the country, and today, we see vast changes in the family, especially in the cities. Traditionally the desirable family was a big extended one, the ideal family having five generations and as many as one hundred people under one roof. Although rich landowners, merchants, and government officials could afford to support such a large family, the common people lived in much smaller units in either a nuclear or limited extended pattern. Only men were expected to work outside the home, and the eldest male had complete authority over the household. Marriages were most often arranged by the parents.

Today the family unit is a smaller one although there may often still be a grandparent present. The government’s attention to family planning, including the campaign launched in 1979 for the one-child family, has naturally reduced the size of the family. The Communist government encourages women to contribute politically, socially, and professionally, so women are no longer expected to stay at home. Indeed, almost all adults in China have a job. Relations between parents and children are more democratic than in the past, and children, especially in the cities, are more likely to marry the person of their choice, but probably after consulting their parents. Change is normal in any society, but these changes in the Chinese family are noteworthy for how quickly they have occurred since the revolution.

Questions:

1. Why are the changes in the Chinese family amazing?

2. What two time periods are compared?

3. How has the size of the family changed?

4. In what way has the role of women changed?

5. How have parent-child relations changed?

12. Complete these sentences with an appropriate word or expression. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

1. Mr. and Mrs. Smith live at home with their two children. They are a typical

example of a modern __________ family.

a. extended b. nuclear c. compact

2. Mr. and Mrs. Popayan live at home with their aged parents, children and

grandchildren. They are a typical example of a traditional __________ family.

a. nuclear b. enlarged c. extended

2. Mrs. Jones lives on her own and has to look after her two children. There are a lot of ________ families like hers.

a. single-parent b. mother-only c. mono-parent

2. Some parents need to ______ their children more strictly.

a. bring down b. bring about c. bring up

2. When I was a child, I had a very turbulent _______________.

a. upbringing b. upraising c. uplifting

2. Mrs. Kelly is ________ and finds it difficult to look after her children on her own.

a. divorced b. divided c. diverged

2. Many men believe that _________ is the responsibility of women.

a. childhelp b. childcare c. childaid

2. _________ is a particularly difficult time of life for a child.

a. convalescence b. adolescence c. convergence

2. A person’s behaviour can sometimes be traced back to her/his ___________

a. creative years b. formulating years c. formative years

2. The country has seen a sharp drop in the ________ in the last few years.

a. birth rate b. baby rate c. born rate

2. She has five _______ who rely on her to look after them

a. dependants b. dependers c. dependents

2. _________ is on the rise, with over 20% of serious crimes being committed by children under the age of seventeen.

a. junior crime b. juvenile delinquency b. minor crime