TEXT 14. Read and translate the text. Be ready to discuss

Sibling Rivalry

Have you got a brother or a sister? I have a younger brother and I think it's wonderful! I have a person who is very close to me and who will always help and support me in difficult situations.

However, when children are young, there may occur jealousy, competition and fighting between brothers and sisters. It is a concern of almost all parents having two or more kids. The problem usually starts when the second child is born.

Conflicts between brothers and sisters may be caused by the following reasons:

Children want to show that they are separate from their siblings. Fearing that a brother or a sister is better at anything, they try to find out their own talents, activities and interests. Sometimes children think that mum or dad loves their sibling more, they feel that another child gets more attention. Children can't share a room, their parents, toys, etc.

There are three main skills that parents should teach their children in order they could get along well together. They are communication, respect and negotiation.

Communication. It means that children should learn to listen attentively to each other. Use family meetings to talk about things that concern everyone. At such meetings nobody should shout and everyone should have a chance to express his or her opinion.

Respect. Try to explain to your children that if they want people to treat them nicely, they have to treat them nicely, too. People who treat each other with respect, get along together much better than those who are rude and selfish. Parents can also give examples of their own life so that children could understand better the necessity of being respectful.

Negotiation. Your child should keep in mind that whether he is younger or older, taller or shorter than other children, it does not give him any more rights than the others in the family have. It demands a lot of time and effort to teach the child the skill of negotiating, but it's a must for every parent. You should be fair with your children and try to find a solution which will satisfy each of them.

Parents should have a certain power in the family. However, this power can be reached only through trusting. If your children don't trust you, it's impossible to achieve anything but fear and contempt.

Finally, it's necessary to say that children shouldn't be compared to one another at all. They are individuals and are waiting for the appropriate attitude. Bringing up children is a huge responsibility.

To have a brother or a sister means to be never alone. From time to time children get sick of one another, but it is quite natural. The main thing is they'll have a close person throughout their life.

TEXT 15. Read and translate the text. Be ready to speak on the topic.

My Family And Me

In my opinion family is one of the most important things in our life.

There are four of us in the family: my dad, my mom, my younger sister and me.

I think it would be right if I begin with my parents. They have been married for twenty years already. My father Alexander Victorovich is forty-six. He is a businessman. He is tall, handsome, dark-haired, green-eyed and broad-shouldered. He has got many experiences in different spheres of life and it’s very interesting to talk to him. Besides, he has good sense of humour. My father is intelligent, polite and ready to come to help, friendly, very energetic and, what is more important, he is a loving farther. He is always interested in my problems, gives me advice which I try to follow. He is fond of car racing. We spend a lot of time together watching sport competitions and matches on TV.

I love my mother not less. Her name is Irina Petrovna. She is forty-five. She is a good-looking, fair-haired and slim woman. She is a lawyer. My mom is a woman of character and taste, well-educated, tactful and honest. She is strict but just. People say that she is always energetic, optimistic and full of common sense. My mother is good at cooking. At free time she visits cooking sites in the internet and spends hours googling new recipes. It’s a kind of relax for her. By the way, she has got a huge collection of recipes. Every weekend she cooks something delicious for us.

My sister’s name is Katya. She is a pretty girl with blond hair and blue eyes. Katya is four years younger than me, so she is 13. My sister is a pupil. She does well at school and gets good marks. I think my sister is purposeful, motivated and sociable, but to tell you the truth, she is a bit selfish. Katya is keen on dancing and we all think that she is good at it. When she has free time she listens to music, looks through magazines and communicates with her friends. My mom and my sister have much in common, for example they are both crazy about shopping.

And now some words about myself. My name is Kostya. I am 17. I’m in the first year of studies at university now and I enjoy every moment of my student life. I was born on the 29^th of March in 1993 in Smolensk under the zodiac sign of Aries. But frankly speaking, I don’t believe that stars influence our character much. As to my appearance, it’s quite ordinary: I am of middle height, slender, my hair is dark, my eyes are grey, so nothing special, I think.

Speaking about my character I can say that I’m even-tempered and reserved. But sometimes I can lose my temper and become angry. My mom says I’m stubborn but I disagree with her. Actually, I’m persistent and it’s different, in my opinion. In fact, I’m cheerful and friendly. There are many things that I like and dislike. I like when everything is OK and things are going my way.

I like to study because knowledge is useful sometimes. I’m fond of computer. I have got lots of computer games but use computer not only for playing, I surf the net to find useful information, chat with friends and make reports. I dislike talking over the phone. And I hate getting up early. But I’m happy I have more things I like than dislike.