Answer the following questions on the text. 1. Instability of family as an institution of national life arouses nationwide concern in the United States

1. Instability of family as an institution of national life arouses nationwide concern in the United States. Consider the following points:

a. Why is emphasis laid on parental responsibility?

b. Where do educational institutions come in?

c. How does the social structure affect family instability?

2. What are the basic components of the theory of permissiveness? What is the origin of this theory traced to? What are some of the possible reasons why it has been so popular?

3. What social evils does the author blame on permissiveness? Do you agree that permissiveness is the root of the US nationwide upsurge of violence?

4. What wide-ranging measures are suggested by the author in order to achieve family stability and effectiveness in child-rearing? As you speak, consider the following points:

a. parents: working out a cooperative and flexible child-rearing approach;

b. social and economic institutions: 1) stimulating parental participation in child-upbringing; 2) preparation of teenagers and young adults for parental responsibilities and children’s needs.

5. What conclusion does the author arrive at? Do you agree with it? Find arguments to prove your point of view?

Comprehension Check

Find the phrases from Section A in the article, then match them with the corresponding synonymous expressions in Section B. Try to guess from the context what each one means and give a suitable translation. If necessary, use the definitions in Section B to help.

A

1) critics are zeroing in on the home – not society at large

2) parents of juvenile criminals are sometimes finding themselves on the receiving end of multimillion-dollar damage suits brought by the families of the victim

3) declining achievement in classrooms

4) the intrusion of alien values into the home through television

5) to downgrade enthusiasm

6) on the block with rules

7) on the block with playful activity

8) some of whom condone occasional resort to “paddling” the recalcitrant child

9) permissiveness is not the sole culprit in parental shortcomings

10) authoritative households

11) to keep each child’s family in the

picture

B

a) some of whom occasionally allow beating the disobedient child with a stick

b) critics put the blame on the home, not institutions of society on the whole

c) deterioration in children’s progress at school

d) (when) engaged in games and physical activity

e) to keep the child’s parents/family members continuously informed of how the child is doing in the day-center

f) permissiveness is not the main and

only parental shortcoming

g) parents of juvenile criminals sometimes receive summons over the multimillion-dollar damage done by their children

h) families that command and pressure the children rather than uses persuasion

i) interference of negative influence of television

j) (when) trying to impose rules

k) to reduce significance of enthusiasm

Article Rendering: Basic Structure Build-Up

a. Theme Development: In each point, circle the letter next to the answer which best relates the contents of the article.

1. The subject of the article is:

a) the life of the American family;

b) permissiveness as a theory of raising children;

c) the responsibility of courts and schools for rearing children.

2. The main idea of the article is that:

a) permissiveness has failed as a theory of the child rearing;

b) an authoritative household will not work;

c) parental responsibility is the only cure.

3. The author’s points in paragraphs 1-5 are:

a) a family is the nucleus of national life;

b) the home and not society is responsible for declining achievement in classrooms;

c) statistics about the family are very alarming;

d) educators are aware of deteriorating standards;

e) television is a bad influence.

4. The best summary of paragraphs 7-9 is:

a) right things should come at the right time in raising children at home; also broad-scale adjustments in social and economic institutions should supplement family efforts;

b) early marriages are harmful for family life and often lead to a divorce;

c) home and family classes should be an essential part of high school education.

5. The main idea of paragraphs 10-12 is:

a) support from outside institutions is an integral part of effectiveness in child rearing;

b) outside institutions have separated themselves from child rearing;

c) courts have accepted too much responsibility for raising youngsters.

b. Message Development: Match the thematic sub-aspects from the previous task with the following ideas implying the message of the article.

1. A return to stability in national life cannot be achieved without a strong family base.

2. Much of the root cause in social evils is lack of support and motivation in the home.

3. The rise of a permissive theory of child rearing is a major factor that puts new strains on family solidarity and stability.

4. An authoritative household cannot solve the disarray in a family.

5. The time has come for outside institutions to search for ways to support the family in carrying out its functions, not take them over.

Text B

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