Ready for C1 p 75. Family. Monologue Practice

 

1. How has the idea of family changed since the past century?

2. The trouble with most children nowadays is that their parents are too easy with them. Do you agree? What's the best way to raise your children? 

Sample answer

The topic I would like to discuss with you today is the one of family and relationships. More (1)____________ (SPECIFIC), I would like to focus on an area that I consider (2)_____________ (PARTICULAR) interesting. It is how the concepts of family and relationships in general have changed in our lifetime.

To start with, I would like to reflect on how families have evolved since the times of our grandparents. As strange as it might seem today, our grandparents' generation believed that having children meant an increase in their workforce and therefore they embraced the idea of having many of them. So, the more children they had, the more work could be carried out in the fields. As a matter of fact, my grandparents were farmers and all family members were supposed to lend a (3)___________ (HELP) hand and shoulder the burden of the (4)_____________ (DAY) farm chores.

Nowadays, however, we tend to have (5)___________ (FEW) children. (6)___________ (EVIDENT), we no longer see them as workforce. Quite the (7)_____________ (OPPOSE), we have become aware that they need our constant attention and a lot of TLC (tender, loving care).  (8)_____________ (ADD),  we also enjoy an (9)___________(EXTENSION) life (10)___________ (EXPECT). People live (11)___________ (DEFINITE) (12)______________ (LONG) and this has of course influenced family structures. We even have coined a new term, the (13)_________ (CALL)  "Beanpole family", which describes a multi-generational family that is (14)__________ (THIN) (15)____________ (STRETCH) over several generations, with fewer family members in each generation and with (16)_____________ (GROW) numbers of (17)_______________ (SINGLE) families.

In (18)____________ (ADD) to family size, a (19)____________ (FAR) point to discuss is family types. At the time of our grandparents you would just find the most traditional families. Our generation, on the other hand, has witnessed the (20)______________ (EMERGE) of a much (21)___________ (WIDE) range of family structures. A case in point is the single-parent families, which have become  more common in recent years. Another family type to consider is the rainbow families, which include same-sex families and gender-diverse families. Apart from these, there is also the blended family, a family consisting of a couple, the children they have had together, and their children from previous relationships. Finally, another family type that has gained (22)____________ (PROMINENT) recently is the foster family, which takes a child into their home for a while and takes care of him or her. In any case, what we should bear in mind is that there is no such thing as 'normal' or '(23)_____________ (NORMAL)' family structures – we are all equal and love is what really makes a family.

 

Another area to consider, is our children's (24)______________ (BRING). There are (25)__________ (MAIN) two types of parenting, helicopter parenting and free-range parenting. In the former parents pay (26)______________ (EXTREME) close attention to their children's experiences and problems. And the latter advocates (27)___________ (ENCOURAGE) (28)_______________ (DEPEND) in children. These parents believe that (29)_______________ (PROTECT) is a danger in itself. (30)___________ (DEED), a child who thinks he cannot do anything on his own (31)__________ (EVENT) can't. As the popular (32)___________ (SAY) goes "either if you say you can or you can't you are always right.

(33)_______________ (OBVIOUS), these two types of parenting lead us to a dilemma. Are we living in a risk-averse culture where we stifle our children's (34)____________ (ABLE) to deal with danger by never allowing them to take (35)_____________ (REASON) risks? Does our society (36)__________ (MOLLY) its children? Or do free-range parents expose their children to real and (37)__________ (NECESSITY) danger? What do you think?

In conclusion, our generation has witnessed a major shift in not only the area of family size and structure but also in the emergence of (38)_____________ (CONVENTION) family types.(39)_____________ (WISE), today's parents are in a quandary over whether in our modern times  they should rear their children in a (40)____________ (PROTECT) or (41)_____________ (PERMIT) way. In any case, at this moment in time, we have all become (42)_____________ (PERFECT) aware that we are propelling our children to an (43)___________ (PREDICT) future.  So, as long as they have the skills to fend for themselves, we as a society should feel proud and (44)_____________ (CONTENT).

 KEY

 

1. specifically 

 

 

 

2. particularly 

 

 

 

3. helping 

 

 

 

4. daily/ day-to-day

day-to-day: involving the usual events or tasks of each day. Happening every day as a regular part of your job or life.
E.g. 

She has been looking after the day-to-day running of the school.

day-to-day problems/responsibilities

I am a vegetarian and use a lot of lentils in my day-to-day cooking.

 

 

 

 

5. fewer 

 

 

 

6. Evidently 

 

 

 

7. opposite 

 

 

 

8. Additionally 

 

 

 

9.extended

 

 

 

10. expectancy 

 

 

 

11. definitely 

 

 

 

12. longer 

 

 

 

13. so-called 

 

 

 

14. thinly 

 

 

 

15. stretched 

 

 

 

16. growing 

 

 

 

17. single-parent 

 

 

 

18. addition 

 

 

 

19. further 

 

 

 

20. emergence 

 

 

 

21. wider 

 

 

22. prominence 

 

 

 

23. abnormal 

 

 

 

24. upbringing 

 

 

 

25. mainly 

 

 

 

26. extremely 

 

 

 

27. encouraging 

 

 

 

28. independence 

 

 

 

29. overprotectiveness / overprotection

 

 

 

30. Indeed 

 

 

 

31. eventually 

 

 

 

32. saying 

 

 

 

33. Obviously 

 

 

 

34. ability 

 

 

 

35. reasonable 

 

 

36. mollycoddle

mollycoddle somebody 

 to protect somebody too much and make their life too comfortable and safe.

E.g.
She was mollycoddled as a child.

 

 

 

37. unnecessary

 

 

 

38. unconventional 

 

 

 

39. Likewise 

 

 

 

40. protective 

 

 

 

41. permissive 

 

 

 

42. perfectly 

 

 

 

43. unpredictable 

 

 

 

44. contented 

  

Open World p 15. Personality. Speaking

A) Interaction

1. Do you know anybody who has a nose for lucrative deals? Does any of your friends have a good nose for a bargain?
2. Do you have an eye for fashion? Does any member of your family have an eye for contemporary art?
3. Do you have an ear for English pronunciation?
4. When was the last time you saw somebody lose their head? Have you ever lost your head?
5. Is there anybody that you would regard as a safe pair of hands at your workplace? Do their colleagues admire their conscientiousness?
6. Do you know anybody who has earned a reputation as someone who'll stick his neck out? Have you ever stuck your neck out and said something bold that many others wouldn't dare say?
7. Do you know any sportsperson who is head and shoulders above the rest? Has their outstanding achievement been recognised?
8.  When was the last time you had to bite your tongue to avoid trouble? Are you impetuous or circumspect when it comes to saying what you think?

B) Monologue 

Student A 

1. What are environmental groups fighting tooth and nail for? Have you ever fought tooth and nail to get something? Would you describe yourself as persevering? Who is one of the most determined, stubborn, persevering people you have ever met?

2. Do you tend to give credit to your colleagues when they perform well? Should we give credit to others more often? Could we be more thoughtful? Do we sometimes speak thoughtlessly?

3.  Do you know anybody who is reasonably knowledgeable about a particular field? Do you enjoy listening to people who talk knowledgeably about a subject?

 Student B

1. Do you know anybody who has started behaving rather eccentrically after the pandemic? Has any of your acquaintances a reputation for eccentricity?

2. Do we tend to distance ourselves from people because of their narrow-mindedness? 

3. When was the last time you behaved unselfishly towards others?

 

 

Vocabulary 

lose your head:

to lose control and not act in a calm way.

E.g.

He usually stays quite calm in meetings but this time he just lost his head. 

a safe pair of hands:

someone who you can trust to do an important job well, without making mistakes: Colleagues regard her as a safe pair of hands.

stick your neck out ​(informal) to do or say something when there is a risk that you may be wrong. E.g.
I’ll stick my neck out and say that Bill is definitely the best candidate for the job.

fight tooth and nail
​to fight in a very determined way for what you want. 

E.g.
The residents are fighting tooth and nail to stop the new development.
She fought tooth and nail to keep custody of the children.

persevering: /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪərɪŋ/

being determined to achieve a particular aim despite difficulties.

E.g.
A few persevering climbers finally reached the top.

credit: 

praise or approval because you are responsible for something good that has happened.

E.g.
to get/deserve/receive/take/claim the credit.
He's a player who rarely seems to get the credit he deserves.
We did all the work and she gets all the credit!
credit for (doing) something I can't take all the credit for the show's success—it was a team effort.
At least give him credit for trying (= praise him because he tried, even if he did not succeed)
Credit will be given in the exam for good spelling and grammar.
His courage brought great credit to his regiment.