On Screen p 42. Family. Monologue Practice

 

 

1. How has the idea of family changed since the past century?

2. The trouble with most children nowadays is that their parents are too easy with them. Do you agree? What's the best way to raise your children? 

Sample answer

The topic I would like to discuss with you today is the one of family and relationships. More (1)____________ (SPECIFIC), I would like to focus on an area that I consider (2)_____________ (PARTICULAR) interesting. It is how the concepts of family and relationships in general have changed in our lifetime.

To start with, I would like to reflect on how families have evolved since the times of our grandparents. As strange as it might seem today, our grandparents' generation believed that having children meant an increase in their workforce and therefore they embraced the idea of having many of them. So, the more children they had, the more work could be carried out in the fields. As a matter of fact, my grandparents were farmers and all family members were supposed to lend a (3)___________ (HELP) hand and shoulder the burden of the (4)_____________ (DAY) farm chores.

Nowadays, however, we tend to have (5)___________ (FEW) children. (6)___________ (EVIDENT), we no longer see them as workforce. Quite the (7)_____________ (OPPOSE), we have become aware that they need our constant attention and a lot of TLC (tender, loving care).  (8)_____________ (ADD),  we also enjoy an (9)___________(EXTENSION) life (10)___________ (EXPECT). People live (11)___________ (DEFINITE) (12)______________ (LONG) and this has of course influenced family structures. We even have coined a new term, the (13)_________ (CALL)  "Beanpole family", which describes a multi-generational family that is (14)__________ (THIN) (15)____________ (STRETCH) over several generations, with fewer family members in each generation and with (16)_____________ (GROW) numbers of (17)_______________ (SINGLE) families.

In (18)____________ (ADD) to family size, a (19)____________ (FAR) point to discuss is family types. At the time of our grandparents you would just find the most traditional families. Our generation, on the other hand, has witnessed the (20)______________ (EMERGE) of a much (21)___________ (WIDE) range of family structures. A case in point is the single-parent families, which have become  more common in recent years. Another family type to consider is the rainbow families, which include same-sex families and gender-diverse families. Apart from these, there is also the blended family, a family consisting of a couple, the children they have had together, and their children from previous relationships. Finally, another family type that has gained (22)____________ (PROMINENT) recently is the foster family, which takes a child into their home for a while and takes care of him or her. In any case, what we should bear in mind is that there is no such thing as 'normal' or '(23)_____________ (NORMAL)' family structures – we are all equal and love is what really makes a family.

 

Another area to consider, is our children's (24)______________ (BRING). There are (25)__________ (MAIN) two types of parenting, helicopter parenting and free-range parenting. In the former parents pay (26)______________ (EXTREME) close attention to their children's experiences and problems. And the latter advocates (27)___________ (ENCOURAGE) (28)_______________ (DEPEND) in children. These parents believe that (29)_______________ (PROTECT) is a danger in itself. (30)___________ (DEED), a child who thinks he cannot do anything on his own (31)__________ (EVENT) can't. As the popular (32)___________ (SAY) goes "either if you say you can or you can't you are always right.

(33)_______________ (OBVIOUS), these two types of parenting lead us to a dilemma. Are we living in a risk-averse culture where we stifle our children's (34)____________ (ABLE) to deal with danger by never allowing them to take (35)_____________ (REASON) risks? Does our society (36)__________ (MOLLY) its children? Or do free-range parents expose their children to real and (37)__________ (NECESSITY) danger? What do you think?

In conclusion, our generation has witnessed a major shift in not only the area of family size and structure but also in the emergence of (38)_____________ (CONVENTION) family types.(39)_____________ (WISE), today's parents are in a quandary over whether in our modern times  they should rear their children in a (40)____________ (PROTECT) or (41)_____________ (PERMIT) way. In any case, at this moment in time, we have all become (42)_____________ (PERFECT) aware that we are propelling our children to an (43)___________ (PREDICT) future.  So, as long as they have the skills to fend for themselves, we as a society should feel proud and (44)_____________ (CONTENT).

 KEY

 

1. specifically 

 

 

 

2. particularly 

 

 

 

3. helping 

 

 

 

4. daily/ day-to-day

day-to-day: involving the usual events or tasks of each day. Happening every day as a regular part of your job or life.
E.g. 

She has been looking after the day-to-day running of the school.

day-to-day problems/responsibilities

I am a vegetarian and use a lot of lentils in my day-to-day cooking.

 

 

 

 

5. fewer 

 

 

 

6. Evidently 

 

 

 

7. opposite 

 

 

 

8. Additionally 

 

 

 

9.extended

 

 

 

10. expectancy 

 

 

 

11. definitely 

 

 

 

12. longer 

 

 

 

13. so-called 

 

 

 

14. thinly 

 

 

 

15. stretched 

 

 

 

16. growing 

 

 

 

17. single-parent 

 

 

 

18. addition 

 

 

 

19. further 

 

 

 

20. emergence 

 

 

 

21. wider 

 

 

22. prominence 

 

 

 

23. abnormal 

 

 

 

24. upbringing 

 

 

 

25. mainly 

 

 

 

26. extremely 

 

 

 

27. encouraging 

 

 

 

28. independence 

 

 

 

29. overprotectiveness / overprotection

 

 

 

30. Indeed 

 

 

 

31. eventually 

 

 

 

32. saying 

 

 

 

33. Obviously 

 

 

 

34. ability 

 

 

 

35. reasonable 

 

 

36. mollycoddle

mollycoddle somebody 

 to protect somebody too much and make their life too comfortable and safe.

E.g.
She was mollycoddled as a child.

 

 

 

37. unnecessary

 

 

 

38. unconventional 

 

 

 

39. Likewise 

 

 

 

40. protective 

 

 

 

41. permissive 

 

 

 

42. perfectly 

 

 

 

43. unpredictable 

 

 

 

44. contented 

  

On Screen p 25. Work-life Balance . Speaking

1. MONOLOGUE. Prepare a talk of AT LEAST 5 minutes on the subject. You may use the pictures above and the contents below if you wish:  

You may make some notes for your talk to take into the exam. These should not exceed five lines. 

 

“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.” —Michelle Obama, former First Lady

“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” —Dolly Parton, singer
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

 

“One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren't enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress.”
Viggo Mortensen

 

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”
Henry Ford

 

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.”
Dale Carnegie  

 

"It's like Forrest Gump said, 'Life is like a box of chocolates.' Your career is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get. But everything you get is going to teach you something along the way and make you the person you are today. That's the exciting part - it's an adventure in itself." Nick Carter

2. INTERACTION

In this part of the test, the examiner will ask you some questions about topics related to the TOPIC. Remember that you are expected to have a conversation as natural as possible and give full answers. This part of the examination will last AT LEAST 5 minutes. You will not see the questions below. 

 

________________________________________

TEACHER'S QUESTIONS

1. Has anybody at work ever planned a birthday party for you unbeknown to you?
2. Which could be the drawbacks of being a foreman at a factory?
3. Have you heard of any factory fires in the past few years? How were they ignited?
4. What do you think our subsequent generations will think of some of our jobs today? What work skills do you think will be passed on to subsequent generations?
5. How do you envisage a future into which we are being propelled by advanced technologies in the workplace?

6. How do you use the hours of a normal weekday? What about the weekend? Are you a workaholic? Do you work all hours? Do you think it's good to have a breather from time to time? Do you take a short rest in the afternoon? How often do you find yourself feeling short of time, on average? In what ways do we waste time every day? Do we tend to waste time at any time of the day or at specific times? How do you while away a Sunday afternoon? What time of the year are you able to kick back and relax?
7. Have you ever held down two jobs at once?
8. Do you know the symptoms of a heart seizure? Would you be able to help a colleague? Could you use a defibrillator if one of your workmates suffered a cardiac arrest?
9. Under what circumstances may people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Do you know the symptoms? Can it be brought on by overwork?
10.  What are the most sought-out skills in employees today?

11. If you had more time outside work or school, how would you spend it? What would you like to do to chill out more? What helps you unwind after a busy day? Does a good night out help you take your mind off work? Do you enjoy letting your hair down at the weekend?
12. Are you realistic when you map out what you hope to achieve in the time available?
13. What kind of things can often present major obstacles to our achieving the goals we have set ourselves or to meeting the deadlines that others have set for us?
14. Do you set aside enough time to pursue your own interests? What helps you to ease your mind after a stressful day? Where do you hang out after work? Do you put your feet up when you get home or you carry on with the household chores?

 

Vocabulary 

unbeknown: /ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊn/ (also less frequent unbeknownst /ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊnst/) unbeknown to somebody without the person mentioned knowing. E.g. Unbeknown to her they had organized a surprise party.

foreman: /ˈfɔːmən/ (plural foremen /ˈfɔːmən/) a male worker who is in charge of a group of other factory or building workers. E.g. He got a job as foreman of a building site.

ignite: /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ to start to burn; to make something start to burn. E.g. The petrol tank suddenly ignited. The candle ignited the plastic. The fire was ignited by sparks.

subsequent: /ˈsʌbsɪkwənt/ happening or coming after something else. E.g. These skills were passed on to subsequent generations.

propel: /prəˈpel/  

1. to move, drive or push something forward or in a particular direction. E.g. mechanically propelled vehicles. A boat propelled only by oars.

2. to move someone into a new situation. E.g. The film propelled her to stardom.

against (all) the odds/against all odds: If you do or achieve something against (all) the odds/against all odds, you do or achieve it although there were a lot of problems and you were not likely to succeed. E.g. Against all the odds, he recovered.

hold sth. down: to be able to keep a job. E.g. He couldn't hold down a job for more than a few months at a time. She had three children, and still managed to hold down a full-time job.

seizure /ˈsiːʒə(r)/ a very sudden attack of an illness in which someone becomes unconscious or develops violent movements. E.g. an epileptic seizure. a heart seizure.

defibrillator: /diːˈfɪbrɪleɪtə(r)/ a piece of equipment used to control the movements of the heart muscles by giving the heart an electric shock in a carefully managed way.

 

arrest: an act of something stopping or being interrupted. E.g. He died after suffering a cardiac arrest (= when his heart suddenly stopped). 

post-traumatic stress disorder: /ˌpəʊst trɔːˌmætɪk ˈstres dɪsɔːdə(r)/ (abbreviation PTSD /ˌpiː tiː es ˈdiː/) a medical condition in which a person suffers mental and emotional problems resulting from an experience that shocked them very much. E.g. treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

bring sth. on: to make something develop, usually something unpleasant. Cause. E.g. He was suffering from stress brought on by overwork.

overwork: /ˌəʊvəˈwɜːk/ the fact of working too hard. E.g. His illness was brought on by money worries and overwork.

seek-out: to look for and find somebody/something, especially when this involves using a lot of effort. E.g. He admired her ability to seek out bargains.

map something out to plan or arrange something in a careful or detailed way. E.g. He has his career path clearly mapped out.

ease: /iːz/ to become or to make something less unpleasant, painful, severe, etc. E.g. The pain immediately eased. This should help ease the pain. The plan should ease traffic congestion in the town. It would ease my mind (= make me less worried) to know that she was settled.

hang out (informal) to spend a lot of time in a place. E.g. The local kids hang out at the mall. She knew all the clubs where he usually hung out.

put your feet up: to sit down and relax, especially with your feet raised and supported. E.g. After a hard day's work, it's nice to get home and put your feet up.

chore:  /tʃɔː(r)/ a task that you do regularly. E.g. doing the household/ domestic chores.