Тексты и упражнения по английскому языку
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There is also no denying that a new distinctive generation has grown,
which is rather practical and cautious of life’s values, skeptical of any authority.
Weighing all pros and cons, it might be more fair to say that today’s youth is a
many colored mosaic, knowledge that grown-ups are alarmed by the behavior of
the growing generation, by increasing disorders, even vandalism and cruelty of the
youngsters, their violence crime and what not!
Notes
1. Generation gap – конфликт поколений.
2. One may certainly consider this an extreme point of view – можно
рассматривать это утверждение как чрезвычайную точку зрения.
3. There is also no denying – нельзя также отрицать, что …
Questions
1. What is still a goal for many young people?
2. What do they want to improve?
3. What generation has grown?
4. Why can one say that today’s youth is a many coloured mosaic?
5. Why are grown-ups alarmed by the behaviour of the growing generation?
Generation Gap
(Part 2)
Anyhow we can’t help but admit that “society prepares the situation for
crime to happen, and it is the criminal commits it”. Adults call the teenagers
behavior shocking, intolerable and aggressive. The younger generation has a
different outlook, a different approach to life, different values. And the depth of
this difference probably depends on how much adults understand the world of the
young and their problems. Sometimes they cry for help, but the grown-ups do not
hear it. Some of them think “what can not be cured should be endured”, because
they feel helpless in their relations with the young.
“Respect the opinion of others even if you disagree with them”, - that is
probably what should be born in mind by both generations to avoid unkind
criticism. Grown-ups hate teenagers’ tastes even in clothes, hairstyles, music. They
consider them extreme and ugly though one may think it’s the way of showing
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their individuality and self-defense. Bernard Show said: “If parents could only
realize how they bore their children!”
Notes
1. for crime to happen – для совершения преступления;
2. a different approach to life – другой подход к жизни;
3. they feel helpless – они чувствуют себя беспомощными;
4. what should be born in mind – то, что нужно иметь ввиду;
5. to avoid unkind criticism – для того, что бы избежать ненужной
критики.
Questions
1. What can’t grown-ups help but admit?
2. How do adults call the teenagers behaviour?
3. What does the depth of the difference between adults and teenagers
depend on?
4. What do a lot of adults think about young people?
5. What did Bernard Shaw say about the parents’ attitude to their children?
Generation Gap
(Part 3)
There’s no denying that understanding, kindness and consideration for
others in the family is very important, though a home can be heaven or hell
sometimes. “The best way to make children good is to make them happy”, - Oscar
Wilde said. It does not mean at all that grown-ups should only express their love
and consideration for the young. “Spare the rod and spoil the child!” Don’t forget
that there are not only rights, but also duties! And when kids are doing nothing,
they are doing mischief. Young people should find their place in the life and
paddle their own canoe, working in the sweat of the face to achieve their goal in
life.
“The teenage world is the world of extremes. Actually the teenagers’
motto is “Everything or nothing”, there is no middle. Indeed, home is too narrow a
place for youngsters to grow up. Though home and family are the most important
things for children, they also need ‘street upbringing’. It means they must also mix
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with other people. They must be allowed to move away, involve themselves in
their own society and work out their problems. Life is life; parties must meet half-
way. Sons should recall more often Socrates’ words: “Treat your parents as you
want your own children to treat you!”
Notes
1. There’s no denying – нельзя отрицать (того) что …
2. It does not mean at all – это вовсе не означает, что …
3. grown-ups – взрослые;
4. Spare the rod and spoil the child – пожалей прута и испортишь ребенка;
5. paddle their own canoe – плыть в своей собственной лодке;
6. in the sweat of the face – в поте лица;
7. motto – девиз;
8. street upbringing – уличное воспитание, или воспитание улицы;
9. to work out – решать;
10. treat – обращайся, послушай.
Questions
1. What is very important in the family?
2. What is the best way to make children good?
3. What should young people do to achieve their goal?
4. What are the most important things for teenagers?
5. Why should sons recall Socrates’ worlds?
Generation Gap
(Part 4)
“Without parents’ love a child is an orphan, though his parents are alive.
I think that mutual understanding, respect and consideration for others are
obligatory traits of all happy families. I’m dead sure that a family is a unit of
friendly and loving people. In such families serious conflicts are very seldom. The
atmosphere of happiness and quiet rest has a positive effect on children’s character.
Is that really so? Yes. I’m absolutely sure. If children spend much time with their
parents they understand each other better. Children are warm-hearted and
sympathetic just like their parents. They will not become malicious, nervous and
selfish if their parents love them. I have a good reason to believe – “Like father,
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like the son”. Children are a mirror where parents see themselves, their merits and
demerits. I think that a family is a school of life.”
“We are used to think that “there’s a black sheep in every flock”. That
means that there is a bad man in every family, a never-do-well, who is a cause of
shame for his parents and relatives. I don’t agree with such an extreme point of
view. I think that the atmosphere in the family influences the character of children.
Notes
1. orphan – сирота;
2. obligatory traits – обязательные личностные качества;
3. I’m dead sure – я (точно) полностью уверен;
4. malicious – злобный;
5. We are used to think – мы привыкли думать;
6. there’s a black sheep in every flock – в каждом стаде есть паршивая овца.
7. a never-do-well – тот кто никогда не поступает правильно.
8. an extreme point of view – крайняя точка зрения.
Questions
1. When can we say that a child is an orphan?
2. What traits are obligatory for a happy family?
3. What families are serious conflicts seldom in?
4. When do children and parents understand each other better?
5. What can you compare children with?
Generation Gap
(Part 5)
Only tenderness, warm-heartedness, respect and understanding between
fathers and sons help a child to become not only a human being but a Man.
Children escape from home thinking that their friends can understand them better
than parents. As for me I can not say anything about the children who do not
remember their parents and do not respect them, who are deprived of the dearest
and warmest in the world.”
“It is interesting to note that good advice from parents is seldom welcome
and those teenagers who need it most like it the least. It is true some adults think
‘spare the rod and spoil the child’. But it is common knowledge that you can take
the horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink. So, let the child’s first lesson be
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obedience and the second will be what you (adults) will. What I mean to say is that
patience will achieve more than force. Bearing in mind that grown-ups may order
and drive a teenager, but they cannot make him respect them. Moreover, nothing
good ever comes of violence.”
Notes
1. a human being – живое существо.
2. as for me – что касается меня.
3. like it the least – нравится меньше всего.
4. can take the horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink – можешь
отвести коня на водопой, но не сможешь заставить его пить.
5. bearing in mind – имея ввиду.
Questions
1. What makes a child not only a human being but a man?
2. What is the reason that children escape from home?
3. What children like good advises the least?
4. What is the first child’s lesson?
5. Does anything good ever come of violence?
Generation Gap
(Part 6)
“Young people today are much stronger than their parents in the battle
for life, though high education is still a goal for many of them, there are a great
number of those who think more about careers and jobs, and many are interested in
careers of economists and businessmen. The mentality of today’s youth differs a
lot from their parents’ way of thinking and this causes problems in relationship
between grown-ups and youth”.
Everybody knows that we can not choose our parents, and they can not
choose children either. The main problem today is that youth has lost ideals and
aims in life”.
“Unfortunately, mistrust, misunderstanding and selfishness are typical for
families in our time. For one thing it’s the fault of parents. I mean they do not pay
much attention to upbringing and education of their children sometimes. Parents
should be sensitive to their children’s troubles and worries.”
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Below are a selection of comments from what students have said in their
compositions and discussions on the topic of Generation Gap.
It is still impossible to solve the problem of “fathers and sons” it is not so
easy, because it’s not a problem of a particular family, but a problem of
generations.
Elder people are in horror for the young generation. They don’t
understand young people, or they don’t want to, they only criticize it everywhere.
They hate our hairstyles, the clothes we wear, our language and the way of
behavior – they hate everything we are doing. They say that our generation is lazy,
cruel and selfish. But why do they generalize? Not all the young people are so bad.
There are hundreds of talented, clever young people, who have wonderful qualities
and characters.
Notes
1. rather new – довольно-таки новых.
2. way of thinking – способ мышления.
3. for one thing – прежде всего.
Questions
1. What new professions is young generation interested in?
2. Can people choose their parents?
3. What is typical for families in our time?
4. Why is it impossible to solve the problem of “fathers and sons”?
5. Is it true that the young generation is lazy, cruel and selfish?
Generation Gap
(Part 7)
Old people say it’s too much freedom and self-expression. They are not
used to the society where all the people were homogeneous, they had the same
views, ideals, they were united by the communist party and they denied any other
ideas. And now when everything has changed they still can’t stand our self-
expression. They criticize, but don’t try to understand what makes people behave
in such a way. Maybe, they have problems, maybe, they need help? But nobody
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asks if they need help, nobody gives them advice. Everybody likes to criticize.
They say it’s too much of self-expression. But if an individual does not need self-
expression he is a faceless being.
No one has the right to prevent him from striving for self- expression and
to meddle in his life in any other way. But what do old people expect us to be? We
don’t know what is good and what is bad. Our society had worshipped Stalin. The
same story had happened with Khrushchev and Brezhnev. We have no history. We
crossed out everything: our past, our history and nobody can guarantee that
everything will change for the better. That’s why we are so different from our
parents. Because we struggle in our own way to survive in this cruel world. I think
that if people were kinder and not so indifferent to others we would solve half of
our problems.
Notes
1. a faceless being – безликое существо.
2. to meddle – вмешиваться.
3. to cross out – перечеркивать.
4. that’s why – вот почему.
5. in our own way – по-своему
Questions
1. What were people united by in the homogeneous society?
2. Why can’t people understand what makes them behave in such a way?
3. Why are young people so different from their parents?
4. We can say that we have no history, can’t we?
5. What would help us to solve our problems.
Generation Gap
(Part 8)
Children will never know the love of the parents till they become parents
themselves … it so happens that sometimes grown-ups think that young people
need not their help at all. They are mistaken. From that all the difficulties begin.
All our problems are because of the lack of understanding …
Children need concern for themselves from their parents …
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“It is good when a family is friendly. In a loving family people share joys
and sorrows, take care each other. It is very important to be on good terms with
parents. They are the only dearest people in the world, always ready to help, cost
what it may. They always share both, grief and happiness with their children.
There’s nothing like home, like a good friendly family in this cruel world!”
“Understanding and respect between fathers and sons will come sooner,
if they both try to be patient and attentive to each other and conditions of life.”
I believe, parents should be an example for their kids in everything, for
children are often like their parents, both in character and in behavior.
Notes
1. at all – вовсе.
2. the lack of – недостаток.
3. take care – заботятся.
4. to be on good terms – быть в хороших отношениях.
5. cost what it may – чтобы это не стоило.
6. there is nothing like home – нет ничего лучше дома.
Questions
1. When will children know the love of the parents?
2. What do all difficulties begin from?
3. What families do people share joys and sorrows in?
4. Is it important to be on good terms with parents?
5. What is needed to improve the social situation and conditions of life?
6. Are children often like their parents?
Generation Gap
(Part 9)
“It’s rather important to consider one more aspect. To my mind the
surrounding situation influences children’s character greatly. What really matter is
that youth is corrupted by spirits, smoking and drugs today … The source of these
problem is society. Often children become victims of these problems.”
“Parents are the first who must make the first step for mutual
understanding. But some consider that their children must be the first. And that is
the main problem. Parents are to take care of us and teach us how to understand
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people. However, rather many grown-ups want their children to be good boys and
girls without any efforts”.
“I think that all people have some problems and youth is no exception. I
also think that in different countries young people have different problems, but
some of them are common. I’m sure that in essence, a great part of these common
problems boils down to the fact that succeeding generations can’t understand each
other”.
Notes
1. to my mind – по моему мнению.
2. what really matter is – то, что действительно имеет значение.
3. are to take care of us – должны заботится о нас.
4. in essence – по своей сути.
5. boils down to the fact – сводится к тому факту, что
Questions
1. What do you think influences children’s character greatly?
2. Who often becomes victims of the society?
3. Who must make the first step for mutual understanding?
4. Are the problems the same in different countries?
5. Can succeeding generations understand each other?
Generation Gap
(Part 10)
“According to their attitude towards this problem parents may be divided
into 2 groups: the first try to understand their children and we can only envy them;
the second even don’t try. Such parents become unreasonable dictators toward
their sons and daughters. This surely separates the two generations still farther”.
“Parents have more duties compared with grown-ups in general. Their love
for the children must be obvious. It is so easy to hurt an open, frank teenager’s
soul. So try to show your love for your children: it is very important for them to
know that you need them. And never try to humiliate your child. A wounded
teenager remembers the offense for a long time”.
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“A teacher is the first stranger in a child’s life. Before him the child had
been loved and cared for. That’s why a child judges the whole world by a teacher.
That’s why it’s so important to have experienced, educated, professional, talented
teachers at school. They must be born teachers. Really, they must teach, not
compel. Try to persuade your pupil to do so, but not the other way”.
So there’s a lot to think about. What are the reasons of generation gap at
present? What is more sensible in relationships with youth?
Notes
1. towards – по отношению.
2. surely – действительно.
3. still farther – еще дальше.
4. stranger – незнакомый (человек).
5. born teachers – прирожденные учителя.
Questions
1. How many groups may all parents be divided into?
2. What parents are unreasonable dictators?
3. Why should parents show their love for their children?
4. Who remembers the offence for a long time?
5. Why is a teacher so important in a child’s life?
Тексты для дополнительного чтения
Text A
YOUNG AMERICANS OF TODAY
The present generation of Americans differs very essentially from
generations of past decades. They are a lot tougher and practical–minded than
previous generations.
Americans are talented nation. They are remarkably hard-working,
hospitable and open-hearted. They believe in trying something new in an attempt
to make life better. They have a faith in progress. Some people accuse Americans
of being materialistic. It is not exactly so. When choosing their careers Americans
consider the significance of their work just as important as the income the job
brings. Their work means a lot to them.