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,

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 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.