Parents about Their Children

UNIT 4: PERSONALITY

Personality: 1. state of being a person; existence as an individual;

2. qualities that make up a person’s character;

3. person who is well known in a particular context;

4. impolite remarks about a person’s looks, habits, etc: Let’s avoid personalities.

Ex. 1. Read the text. The words below the text will help you to understand it.

PERSONALITY

The enduring characteristics of an individual's behavior, attitude, and feelings in everyday social situations make up personality. There are many influences on an individual's personality, including culture, genetic makeup, and early family life. Studies have shown that people with certain personality characteristics are more suitable for specific occupations or special activities. Personality studies can also reveal the relationship between specific types of personalities and the incidence of disease, divorce, and stress-related problems.

THEORIES

There are many different theories concerning the nature and development of personality and the causes of personality changes. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates believed that people behave differently because they have a predominance of one type of bodily fluid, or humor. According to this theory, people with calm or passive personalities have one dominant humor, while impulsive and temperamental people have a different dominant humor.

In the 20th century, other classification schemes were advanced. The German psychiatrist Ernst Kretschmer thought that personality was determined by the person's body type--such as plump, lean, or athletic. He suggested that short persons were more likely to be social, friendly, and lively. Both of these theories remain unproven.

Contemporary personality theory began with the work of Sigmund Freud, who developed psychoanalysis. According to Freud, personality is the result of the expression and satisfaction of psychological impulses in childhood. Freud proposed that an individual's personality is established in the first few years of life at critical periods of psychological development. He described three structures of personality: the id, which houses instincts and provides the source of psychic energy (libido) for all psychological processes; the ego, which interacts with the demands of reality in fulfilling instinctual desires; and the superego, which represents the internalization of social and parental standards and ideals of behavior. Freud said that these structures are in constant conflict and their interaction influences human behavior.

The American psychologist Gordon Allport developed a trait theory of personality. A trait is a tendency to behave in some consistent manner over time and in different situations. In his trait theory, Allport identified traits common to all persons in a given culture. He also identified traits that grow out of personal experience and are unique to individuals.

Another theory of personality is called situationism. It emphasizes characteristics of the situation in which persons are placed, rather than traits within the person. According to situationism, human behavior is determined by influences in each situation. Situationism suggests that people behave in response to changes in the situation. Factors in a given situation influence different people in different ways.

In the theory of personality known as interactionism, the significance of both trait and situational determinants of behavior are recognized. Interactionism takes into account both a person's predisposition to a type of response and the variables of the situation. It says that both factors influence performance.

There is evidence that both genetics and environment affect personality, but these influences are not completely understood. Studies have shown that the tendency to acquire some personality characteristics--including temperament, activity level, extroversion, introversion, anxiety, aggression, and independence--can be inherited.

Personality is also influenced by environment. Thus, a child with a biological predisposition toward a particular personality characteristic is more likely to show the characteristic if the home environment reinforces this characteristic. For example, harshly punishing a child who has a genetically based predisposition for aggression contributes further to the child's aggression.

predominance dominant fluid suggest unproven desire trait identify emphasize

Господство Доминирующий Жидкость Предложить Недоказанный Желание Черта Выделить, определить Подчеркнуть

response significance determinant take into account predisposition acquire extroversion introversion

Ответ Значение Детерминант Принять во внимание Предрасположение Приобрести >Открытость >Сосредоточенность на себе

Ex. 2. Answer the questions to the text. While expressing your ideas you are recommended to use the phrases below.

To my mind... In my view... It seems to me... I’m convinced that...

I think... I believe... I reckon... I realise that...

What makes a personality?

What are the most well-known theories of personality?

What is the essence of Hippocrates theory of personality?

What is Ernst Kretschemer contribution to the field?

What is the structure of personality in Mr Freud terms?

Situationism, trait theory and interactionism. How are these theories interconnected?

What theory do you think is the most true to life and why?

What theory do you think is worth criticism?

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Parents about Their Children

Ex. 3. Read parents’ words about their cuties paying attention to the underlined words and combinations.

Comment on the underlined expressions. Use these expressions in your own sentences.

“She has a lovely temperament and it is a pleasure to be around. She has just started school and I miss her. If I had to choose her best feature, I’d say her eyes. They are so bright and her lashes go on for miles.”

“His wild hair, big brown eyes and wicked smile mesmerise everyone. Friends say he should be a model. Right now he is more interested in dressing up as Spiderman.”

“Lottie has something special about her, she’s a very independent child.”

“Luke’s a great kid. He’s mad on the Spice girls and anything that moves, like tractors, cars and planes.”

“Eleanor is extra special for us, she was conceived after fertility treatment. She loves limelight. ”

“Jamie is a real live wire. ”

“With a half-Jamaican mum and red-head dad, Ellie’s a stunner. Everyone notice her auburn curls. It’s an unusual combination.”

to be around mesmerise have something special about somebody to be mad on

Быть рядом Гипнотизировать Иметь в себе кое-что особенное Сходить с ума по ч.-л.

to conceive fertility treatment limelight stunner live wire

Зачать Лечение бесплодности Центр внимания Изумительное зрелище провод под напряжением

Ex. 4. Fill in the gaps using the words above:

1. He is a very energetic and lively person. He always tries to find an occupation and never idle out a single minute. He is very enthusiastic and spreads his energy on the people who ________. He is a real _____.

2. She thinks she is very beautiful, but she is not. Perhaps someone finds her attractive, but tastes differ. She will do anything to draw attention, she enjoys being in ______.

3. Her main attraction is her eyes. They light up when she meets you, and her smile _______ you.

4. She is ______ collecting royal memorabilia. She travels all over the country visiting specialists’ shops and conventions.

5. She has ___________ about her appearance: blond hair, jet-black eyebrows and very deep dark eyes. She is a ____.

Ex. 5. Translate into English:

1. У нее прекрасный характер – просто удовольствие быть рядом.

2. Его растрепанные волосы, большие карие глаза и хитрая улыбка гипнотизируют каждого.

3. Она - очень независимый ребенок.

4. Она любит быть в центре внимания.

5. Черные волосы и большие зеленые глаза – необычное сочетание.

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Ex. 6. Read the text:

He and I

He’s always warm, I’m always cold. In summer, when it is really hot, he never stops complaining how hot he is. If he sees me putting on a jersey in the evening, he is scornful.

He speaks several languages well; I don’t speak a single one properly. Even languages he doesn’t know he manages to speak in a way of his own.

He has a good sense of direction; I have none. After a day in a town abroad he gets about as carefree as a butterfly. I get lost in my own town, and I have to ask how to get myself home. He hates asking the way; when we drive about towns we don’t know he refuses to ask the way and tells me to look at the map. I can’t read maps, I get all tangled up in those little red circles and he gets angry.

He isn’t shy; I am. Sometimes I’ve seen him shy, though. With policemen, when they come up to our car armed with notebooks and pencils. With them he turns shy, feeling he’s in the wrong. And even not feeling in the wrong. I think he feels respectful towards established authority.

I’m scared of established authority, and he isn’t. He respects it. That’s different. If I see a policeman coming along to fine us, I think straight away he’s going to drag us off to prison. Prison doesn’t enter his head; but out of respect he grows timid and agreeable.

To me, every activity is extremely hard, wearisome, uncertain. I’m very lazy, and if I want to get through anything I’ve simply got to spend long hours lazing on a sofa. He never lazes, he is always doing something; he types at top speed with a wireless on; when he goes to lie down in the afternoon, he takes along proofs to correct or a book of notes; on the one day he wants us to go to the cinema, then to a party, then to the theatre. In a single day he manages to do, and to make me to do as well, any number of different things; to meet the most disparate people; and if I’m alone and try to do as he does, I can’t manage anything, because I stay stuck for the whole afternoon where I meant to stop for half an hour, get lost and can’t find the way, or because the dreariest person I least want to see drags me off to the place I least want to go to.

If I tell him what I’ve done with my afternoon he thinks it completely wasted, he’s amused, teases me and gets annoyed; and says I’m hopeless without him.

I can’t arrange my time. He can.

He has sudden rages that overflow like froth on a glass of bear. My tempers are sudden as well. But his pass off quickly; whereas mine leave a complaining, insistent trail behind them, which I think is tremendously irritating, a sort of bitter whine.

Sometimes, in the whirlwind of his temper, I weep; and far from softening and soothing him, my tears make him angrier than ever. He says they’re all play-acting; and maybe he’s right. Because, in the midst of my tears and his rages, I am completely calm.

Over my real sorrows I never weep.

At one time I would hurl plates and crockery on the floor in a rage. No longer now, though. Perhaps because I’ve grown older, and my rages are less violent; and then I wouldn’t dare touch our plates now, as I’m fond of them and we bought them in London, one day, in the Portobello Road.

Natalia Ginzburg

to complain of smth scornful to get tangled to drag timid agreeable wearisome disparate to stick (stuck) dreary to tease

Жаловаться на smth Презрительный Запутаться Тянуть (ся) Робкий Подходящий Утомительный Несоизмеримый Застревать Тоскливый Дразнить

to annoy hopeless to arrange a rage to overflow froth to irritate whine to weep to hurl violent

Раздражать Безнадежный Договариваться Гнев Переполняться Пена Раздражать Скулить Плакать Швырять Вспыльчивый

Ex. 7. Aanswer the following questions:

What sort of person do you think is Mr Ginzburg? Give the most characteristic features of his personality.

What do you like and don’t like in Natalia’s character?

Ex. 8. Translate:

1. Я боюсь властей, а он нет. Он уважает их. Если я вижу полицейского, подходящего чтобы штрафовать нас, я думаю что он собирается отправить нас в тюрьму.

2. Я очень ленив, и если я хочу сделать через что-нибудь, мне нужно проваляться на диване несколько часов.

3. Он никогда не ленится, он всегда делает что-то.

4. Я не могу организовать мое время. Он может.

5. Он удивляется, дразнит меня и раздражается; и говорит, что я безнадежна без него.

6. У него случаются внезапные вспышки ярости.

7. Мои вспышки ярости также внезапны.

8. Мои слезы делают его более сердитым. Он говорит, что все они - игра и, возможно, он прав. Поскольку посреди моих слез и его ярости я полностью спокойна.

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