2. Choose the synonyms to the words given in italics according to the context.

to compete a) to cooperate b) to oppose c) to rival d) to fight

tense a) tight b) stretched c) excited d) worried

to deal with a) to trade b) to distribute c) to behave d) to cope

to share a) to participate b) to divide c) to distribute

4. to have equal shares with others in the use, expense, etc

3. Complete the following sentences. Your answers must be related to the ideas contained in the text.

1. Modern life is … .

2. People compete at … .

3. There are different signs of stress: irritability … .

4. Many people try to get … .

5. They take sleeping … but they don’t … .

6. The causes of stress may be different … .

7. It may be helpful to examine … .

8. It may also help if one changes his view … .

9. If there are several different problems … .

4. Put the jumbled sentences in the logical order to sum up the information given in the text.

1. This results in irritability, sleeplessness, restlessness, gloominess.

2. But the only way of stopping stress is finding its cause.

3. Modern life is full of stress.

4. What causes the stress?

5. If you have several problems, deal with them one by one.

6. People compete at work and in sport, try to save time and to earn as much money as possible.

7. If you have too much responsibility, share some of it and your life will change for the better.

8. Many people try to get rid of the signs of stress instead of its cause.

9. Talk to someone about your problems.

10. Examine yourself and your feelings.

11. If you understand the cause of stress, it will help.

12. Change your view of the situation by redefining it.

13. Try to be realistic.

5. Use the following outline to speak about the problem mentioned in the text.

1. Modern life is full of stress and tension.

2. The signs of stress: irritability, gloominess, suspicion, unsociability, restlessness, sleeplessness, etc.

3. Getting rid of stress is finding its cause.

4. Causes of stress.

5. Tips to follow if you want to change the state of affairs.

Unit IX

Pre-reading tasks

1. Look through the key words and expressions and guess what this text is about:

to get on one’s nerves generation gap

parents to hold adult conversations

to embarrass to disapprove of something

to avoid upsetting each other to be under pressure

understanding to antagonize somebody

two-way process to worry

to be open and reasonable to deceive

2. Look through the text to see if your guess about its contents was correct. If it wasn’t, give the information that you have missed. Believe It or not, Your Parents Can Be Your Friends

Mother, father, brothers and sisters – they can get on your nerves, just as you can get on theirs. Have you ever felt that you don’t want your father to pick you up from a party because you think your friends might laugh at him?

And what about you? Have you ever asked your parents personal questions in public? The members of a family can embarrass each other, even without meaning to. But if you’re sensitive to each other’s feelings you’ll be able to avoid upsetting each other too badly.

Understanding a parent is a two-way process. If your parents are open and reasonable with you, you owe it to them to be open and reasonable with them. That means telling them where you’re going; who you’re going with and when you’ll be back.

Believe it or not, your parents can be your best friends and they’ll be pleased that you’re growing up.

However, as you grow up, relationships within your family will change. The adults will continue to love and look after you, but the relationship will become much more one between equals.

The difference between your philosophy and way of life and your parents’ is often referred to as the generation gap. You may think your parents are really old. But try to think about them as ordinary people. They have good days and bad days, too.

Sometimes parents are under all sorts of pressures. They may worry about money, or if they're a single parent, they may be lonely. Or they may be worried about getting old themselves. Your parents also have to deal with a world that is changing faster than it did when they were young.

What’s the best action to take if you want to do something that you think a parent will disapprove of? First, work out why you think they’ll disapprove. If you can present a carefully worked out argument, you’re doing well. Talk things over with friends or brothers and sisters. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If you treat your parents in an honest way, their response is bound to be more reasonable. If you antagonize them, your job will be much harder.

A parent often worries that his or her children are the only ones who want to do things they don’t approve of. Help your parent to see that it isn’t true. Introduce them to your friends and show them that you all want similar things. Talk to other people’s parents and see how they react. In some ways, you will find life easier than those young people who are allowed to do anything. And remember, if you want to change things, think before you act. Never lie to or deceive your parents.

Post-reading tasks

Read the text again to fulfill the tasks to follow.

1. The text is headlined “Believe it or not, your parents can be your friends.” Do you think the heading suits the information given in the text? Express your opinion. Below you’ll find some more headings. Choose the one that suits best and motivate your choice.

a) Mutual understanding is a basis for good relations in the family.

b) Generation gap.

c) Parents are always easy to come to terms.