It's personal!

It's personal!

Read the descriptions of different families and label them with these words. Which one is most

like your own?

Multiple Choice

I live in Bristol with my mum, dad and brother, Tim. My parents met at university and got married when they finished their studies. I was born a year later and my brother was born when I was three years old.

• adoptive family

• blended family

• extended family

• single-parent family

• traditional family

Multiple Choice

Mum and I have just got home from holiday in Spain. Mum works hard so that we can go away once a year. It may sound strange, but I have a lot of fun with my mum. There’s just the two of us at

home, so it’s a good thing we get along!

• adoptive family

• blended family

• extended family

• single-parent family

• traditional family

Multiple Choice

My dad remarried a few years ago and when he did, Josh and I got a stepmother and a stepsister!

At first, it was strange living with them in the same house, but we soon got used to it. It’s pretty cool, actually.

• adoptive family

• blended family

• extended family

• single-parent family

• traditional family

Multiple Choice

Every summer, the whole family gets together for a party at my grandparents’ house. All three generations are there – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and everyone. We have a fantastic time. For me, it’s the best day of the year!

• adoptive family

• blended family

• extended family

• single-parent family

• traditional family

Multiple Choice

My mum and dad aren’t my biological parents. They couldn’t have children of their own, so they adopted me and my sister! They love us very much and always do their best to make us happy.

• adoptive family

• blended family

• extended family

• single-parent family

• traditional family

Reading

• Look at these household chores. Who do you think should

  do them? Child or Parent?

• 1 Make your bed

  2 Wash the car

  3 Cook meals

  4 Wash the dishes

  5 Do the laundry

  6 Dust the furniture

  7 Clean the bathroom

  8 Sweep and mop

Poll

Which of the chores do you do?

• Make your bed

• Wash the car

• Cook meals

• Wash the dishes

• Do the laundry

Read the article about helping out at home and decide

on the best title for the article.

a Top tips for a clean home

b When a household falls apart

c How to treat teenagers

Multiple Choice

In the past, women stayed at home and did all of the household chores while men went out to work. The father or sons rarely helped, but sometimes the daughters did. However, those days are long gone.

1 __________________________ But despite this change, many teenagers believe that their parents, and more particularly their

mothers, are the only ones who should pick up, tidy, wash, clean and clear. Are you one of those teens? Or do you help out?

• What this means is that they should keep their rooms tidy, leave bathrooms

  clean, pick up after themselves and wash their dishes once in a while.

• Nowadays, women have jobs and successful careers, leaving them little time

  to deal with the large number of tasks that a household requires.

Multiple Choice

It’s a sad fact that just when children are mature enough to really help in the house they become too involved with their schoolwork, part-time jobs and other activities to be of much help. They always seem too busy to lend a hand around the house. Even so, teenagers should be careful not to make extra work for others. 2 ________________ The truth is that no one is too busy to do these simple chores, and anyone claiming otherwise is probably just being lazy. So what happens when parents become sick and tired of their children’s excuses?

• What this means is that they should keep their rooms tidy, leave bathrooms

  clean, pick up after themselves and wash their dishes once in a while.

• Another option was to ask her girls to sign contracts, which clearly outlined

  which chores each one was to do regularly.

Multiple Choice

Jessica Stilwell faced this very problem. Her three daughters didn’t lift a finger at home. So she went on strike. It all began on a typically busy Saturday, when Jessica was rushing around all over the town, taking her daughters to and from sports, shopping for the family and running errands. That evening, when she put her feet up for the first time all day, she looked around at the mess in her home and realised,

with a shock, that she hadn’t made any of it. Stilwell went on strike there and then, and stayed on strike for six days.

3 ________________ Incredibly, they didn’t even notice what was happening until day three of the strike.

• Interestingly, these are the main reasons parents give for not pressing their

  children to help at home.

• She didn’t actually tell her children; she just stopped doing the chores.

Multiple Choice

By then, dishes had piled up in the sink, dirty plates were still on the dining table and smelly socks were on the bedroom floors.

4 _____________________ It wasn’t until day five that

the girls started to clean up the house, blaming one another for the mess. During the clean-up, Stilwell sat on the sofa drinking coffee that her daughters had made for her.

• Her daughters complained about the ‘disgusting’ house, but it apparently

  hadn’t offended them enough to clean it.

• Nowadays, women have jobs and successful careers, leaving them little time

  to deal with the large number of tasks that a household requires.

Multiple Choice

Stilwell says it was shocking to see how much of what she did for her children were things that they were perfectly capable of doing on their own. She hadn’t asked them to help because she didn’t want to argue with them, or because it was faster and simpler to do it herself. 5 __________________________

• Interestingly, these are the main reasons parents give for not pressing their

  children to help at home.

• She didn’t actually tell her children; she just stopped doing the chores.

Multiple Choice

Complete the sentences with the correct form of these expressions.

1 Jenny shares a flat with two other university students and they all __________________________________________to keep

the place clean and tidy; no one does more or less than anyone else.

• be sick and tired

• do your fair share

• lend a hand

Multiple Choice

2 Jim’s not at home right now; he’s _______________________ for his dad, but he’ll be back later.

• not lift a finger

• put your feet up

• running errands

Multiple Choice

3. I _______________________ of asking you to clean your room, so there’s no pocket money for you this week!

• am sick and tired

• not lift a finger

• put your feet up

Multiple Choice

4. You look exhausted, Terry! Why don’t you _________________ and I’ll bring you a nice cup of tea?

• lend a hand

• do your fair share

• put your feet up

Multiple Choice

5 I’ve got a lot to do today and it would be a big help if you could ________________________.

• not lift a finger

• lend a hand

• put your feet up

Multiple Choice

6. While I cooked a three-course dinner, my husband watched TV and ___________________ !

• didn't lift a finger

• do your fair share

• lend a hand