Reading

6.1 Read the story written by an American mother and choose the best summary:

a.She thinks her family is different from other families.

b.She thinks her children don’t love her.

c.She thinks that now families don’t have a normal life.

I’m married and have three kids. My husband and I both work and the kids go to school. We live in a nice house in a suburb (пригород). In the morning our house is a madhouse. The kids eat breakfast while I run around trying to do laundry (стирка), grab some coffee and get ready for work. The kids get home when Dave and I are still at work and eat whatever they can find in the fridge. We don’t eat at the table. We always have quick meals like pizza, fast food, frozen meals or hot-dogs. I don’t cook because I'm so tired in the evenings. Then, it's a hassle (ругань) to get the kids ready for bed. My husband and I are constantly like this, "Do your homework! Go and have your shower! It's late!" At weekends I have housework to do. The kids usually get their own meals. And I don't know half of the kids my kids hang around with. We argue (спорим) a lot about clothes because the styles today are crazy. They each have their own computer, iPod and television and spend too much time in their rooms. My husband and I work a lot, and our lives are hectic (напряженный). We live to pay off our debts (выплачивать долги). When I talk to other parents, I see that they live the same way (точно так же). Nobody has a normal family life. We simply live in the same house. The kids don’t realize the importance (важность) of the family. Who knows how the future families will live? by Pat Lunsford (adapted)

6.2 True or false?

a.Pat doesn’t work.

b.Pat doesn’t have much free time in the mornings.

c.The family don’t eat together.

d.Pat usually cooks every day.

e.The family spend weekends together.

f.Pat doesn’t like her children’s styles of clothes.

g.Pat thinks she spends too little time with her children.

h.Pat thinks that many other families don’t live a normal life.

6.3 What do you think?

a.Do families in Russia have the same problems?

b.What is an ideal family?