Read the text and retell it.

The Family

The first thing most Western people notice in the Far, Middle and Near East is the respect ev­eryone has for old people. Elderly men and wom­en live with their married children and are im­portant members of the family. They look after the children, help with cooking, give advice and often rule family life. Living in an extended* fam­ily has advantages for everyone. A small child, for example, knows many people from the very be­ginning, not just his mother and father. When his mother goes out, it doesn't matter. He'll stay with someone who loves him — an aunt, sister or grandmother.

For a young mother and father there are also advantages. They can go out to work, and grand­mother will look after the house and children. This is especially important in farming communities, where both men and women work in the fields.

And the older woman, for example, has some­thing important to do. She sees how her children and grandchildren grow up. She is needed and loved.

The nuclear* family is a product of the West. The typical family consists of mother, father and two children. If the mother goes out to work, she must leave them with a stranger — someone who looks after them as a job, for money. If there is a divorce* or separation*, the child's life will change completely.

And as for the elder people, too many of them live alone — in special flats or homes. They hardly ever see their children and grandchildren. They have nothing important to do. They are often poor and lonely. In the winter many elder people die of cold or from falls in the house, because there is no one to look after them.

Nobody cares.

extended family расширенная семья hardly едва

nuclear family малая семья, состоящая из детей и ро­дителей

divorce развод lonely одинокий

separation разлука, раздельное проживание

6. Complete these sentences about the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear and extended fam­ilies. a. In the extended family older men and women b. In the nuclear family the children c. In the extended family a young mother and father_______. d. In the nuclear family many older people

7. Answer the questions.

1. What is the first thing most Western people notice in the Far, Middle and hear East? 2. Are elderly men and women important mem­bers of the family? 3. What are advantages of living in an extended family? 4. How is family life organized in the nuclear family? 5. What is the life of elderly people in the nucle­ar family? 6. How can you describe the family life in Rus­sia? Who looks after the children? Do we have ex­tended or nuclear families? Are elderly people in Russia happy or miserable? What can we do to improve their lives?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16