CHILDHOOD – is the best time of your life
1 Some people say that childhood is the best time of your life. However, being a child has both advantages and disadvantages.
2 On the plus side, you have very few responsibilities. For example, you don’t have to go to work, pay bills, or do the shopping, cooking, or cleaning. This means you have plenty of free time to do whatever you want – watch TV; play on the computer; go out with friends; play sports, or purpose other hobbies. On top of that, public transport, cinema, and sports centre cost much less for children. All in all, being a child is an exciting, action-packed time in life.
3 However, for every plus there is a minus. For one thing, you have to spend all day, Monday to Friday, at school. Studying usually means you have to do homework, and you have to take exams. What is more, you may have a lot of free time, but you are rarely allowed to do whatever you want. You usually have to ask your parents if you can do things, from going shopping in town to staying out late or going to a party. Last of all, although there are still expensive – and parents are not always generous with pocket money. There’s never enough to do everything you want. The reality is that sometimes there’s not enough to do anything at all!
4 To sum up, although some people see childhood as the best time in life, I think that children have no real choice, independence, or money. Nevertheless, it is true that choice, money, and independence all bring responsibilities and restrictions – which increase with age.
2. Match the pros with the cons.
| Pros | Cons |
| 1. don’t have to go to work | __ are never given enough pocket money |
| 2. can go out to parties with friends | __ have to do homework and take exams |
| 3. don’t have to cook and clean | __ have to go to school Monday to Friday |
| 4. costs less to do things | __ need to ask your parent’s permission |
3. You are going to write a ‘for and against’ essay. Write a list of pros and cons for one of these topics.
Having a university degree
Having children while young
4. Use your ideas from ex.3 to write four paragraphs. Write about 250 words.
A letter of reservation
1. Janet Cooper wants to go on holiday with her family. She faxes the Sea View B&B to see if they have the accommodation she wants. Look at the advert for the Sea View B&B and fill the details at the top of the fax. Put the words in order, and write them into the message part of Janet’s fax.
| SEA VIEW B&B www.seaviewb&b.com Get away from the city. Escape to the peace and quite of Cornwall For reservations and enquiries contact Anna Westcombe: Phone/fax: 01326230579 Email: reservations@seaviewb&b.com |
| FAX TRANSMISSION |
| To: From: Janet Cooper Subject: Page 1of 1. Date: To fax no: From fax no: 01259 67821 |
| a) two / rooms / bed and breakfast / I / do / would like / reserve / at / your b) 27 August / We / on / are / arriving c) six / hope / stay / to / We / for / nights / departing /2 September/on d) and / husband / would like / room / I / My / double / with / en suite bathroom / an / preferably / a e) also / reserve / two / to / I / a / room / for / would / like / teenage / our / daughters f) should / non-smoking / rooms / be / Both g) see / the / possible / Would / have / it / rooms / to / facing / be/? h) available / for / you / Do / have / dates / these / rooms /? i) also / me / you / Could / tell / room / each / price / the / of /? j) from / I / forward / look / you / to / hearing |
2. Write a reply letter or fax to Janet. Include the following information:
· thank her for her enquiry
· say you are pleased to confirm her reservation for the rooms she wants and for the dates she wants
· tell her that all the rooms come with en-suite and a sea view
· each room is £50 per night
· end the letter saying that you look forward to welcoming her family to the B&B
· finish with Yours sincerely, Ann Westcombs
Writing a description
1. Read the description and complete it using these relative clauses:
a) which tells the story
b) that we’re going to next Saturday
c) where we cook and eat
d) whose family have all emigrated
e) which is the focal point of the room
i) who are cross and sleepy
j) where family and friends come together
The room in our house (1) ___ is our kitchen. Perhaps the kitchen is the most important room in many houses, but it is particularly so in our house because it’s not only (2) ___, but it’s also the place (3) ___.
I have so many happy memories of times spend there: ordinary daily events such as making breakfast on dark, cold winter mornings for children (4) ___, before sending them off to school; or special occasions such as homecomings or cooking Christmas dinner. Whenever we have a party, people gravitate with their drinks to the kitchen. It always ends up the fullest and noisiest room in the house.
So what does this special room look like? It’s quite big, but not huge. It’s big enough to have a good-sized rectangular table in the centre, (5) ___. There is a large window above the sink, looking out onto two apple trees in the garden. There’s a big, old cooking stove at one end, and at the other end a wall which a huge notice board (6) ___ of our lives, past, present, and future: a school photo of the kids; a postcard from Auntie Nancy, (7) ___ to Australia; the menu from a take-away Chinese restaurant; an invitation to a wedding (8) ___; a letter from a friend (9) ___ for years. All our world is there for everyone to read!
The front door is seldom used in our house, only by strangers. All our friends use the back door (10) ___ they come straight into the kitchen and join in whatever is happening there. The kettle goes on immediately and then we all sit round the table, drinking tea and putting the world to rights! Without doubt some of the happiest times of my life have been spent in our kitchen.
2. Link these sentences with the correct relative relative pronoun: who, which, that, where, whose.
The blonde lady is Pat. She’s wearing a black dress.
There’s the hospital. My sister works there.
The postcard arrived this morning. It’s from Auntie Nancy.
I passed all my exams. This made my father very proud.
Did you meet the girl? Her mother teaches French.
3. Complete the sentences with a word from the box in the present or past participle.
| Play give stick listen arrange |
1) I spend hours in my room, _______ to music.
2) I have lots of prospects _______ on the walls.
3) My brother is in the bedroom, _______ on his computer.
4) There are photos of my family _______ on my shelves.
5) I also have a colour TV _______ to me on my last birthday.
4. Write a similar description of your favourite room in about 250 words. Describe it and give reasons why you like it. Use relative pronouns and participle to link your sentences.
Childhood is Certainly not the Happiest Time of your Life
It’s about time somebody exploded разражается that hoary 
почтенный old myth about childhood being the happiest period of your life. Childhood may certainly be fairly happy, but its greatest moments can’t compare with the sheer 
абсолютным joy of being an adult 
. Who ever asked a six-year-old for an opinion? Children don’t have opinions, or if they do, nobody notices. Adults choose the clothes their children will wear, the books they will read and the friends they will play with. Mother and father are kindly but absolute dictators. This is an adult world, and though children may be deeply loved, they have to be manipulated 
so as not to interfere too seriously with the lives of their elders and betters. The essential difference between manhood and childhood is the same as the difference between independence and subjection.
For all the nostalgic remarks you hear, which adult would honestly change places with a child? Think of the years at school: the years spent living in constant fear of examinations and school reports. Every movement you make, every thought you think is observed by some critical adult who may draw unflattering 
нелестные conclusions about your character. Think of the curfews 
время, после которого ребёнку не разрешается быть вне дома, the martial 
law военное положение, the times you had to go to bed early, do as you were told, eat disgusting stuff
that was supposed to be good for you. Remember how «gentle» pressure was applied with remarks like «if you don’t do as I say, I’ll. » and a dire ужасное warning would follow.
Even so, these are only part of a child’s troubles. No matter how kind and loving adults may be, children often suffer from terrible, illogical fears which are the result of ignorance and an inability to understand the world around them. Nothing can equal the abject 
жалкий fear a child may feel in the dark, the absolute 
horror 
of childish 
nightmares. Adults can share their fears with other adults; children invariably 
face their fears alone. But the most painful part of childhood is the period when you begin to emerge выходить from it: adolescence 
подросткового возраста. Teenagers may rebel 
violently возмущаться against parental authority, but this causes them great unhappiness. There is a complete lack of self-confidence during this time. Adolescents 
подростки are overconscious of their appearance and the impression they make on others. They feel shy, awkward 
неловкими and clumsy 
неуклюжими. Feelings are intense and hearts easily broken. Teenagers experience moments of tremendous 
elation or black despair отчаяние. And through this turmoil 
суматоху, adults seem to be more hostile 
враждебными than ever.
What a relief it is to grow up. Suddenly you regain your balance; the world opens up before you. You are free to choose; you have your own place to live in and your own money to spend. You do not have to seek constant approval for everything you do. You are no longer teased, punished or ridiculed by heartless adults because you failed to come up подходить to some theoretical standard. And if on occasion you are teased, you know how to deal with it. You can simply tell other adults to go to hell: you are one yourself.
(From: «For and Against» by L.G. Alexander)
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Childhood is Certainly not the Happiest Time of your Life
It’s about time somebody exploded that hoary old myth about childhood being the happiest period of your life. Childhood may certainly be fairly happy, but its greatest’moments can’t compare with the sheer joy of being an adult. Who ever asked a six-year-old for an opinion? Children don’t have opinions, or if they do, nobody notices. Adults choose the clothes their children will wear, the books they will read and the friends they will play with. Mother and father are kindly but absolute dictators. This is an adult world, and though children may be deeply loved, they have to be manipulated so as not to interfere too seriously with the lives of their elders and betters. The essential difference between manhood and childhood is the same as the difference between independence and subjection.
For all the nostalgic remarks you hear, which adult would hon-estly change places with a child? Think of the years at school: the years spent living in constant fear of examinations and school re-ports. Every movement you make, every thought you think is ob-served by some critical adult who may draw unflattering conclusions about your character. Think of the curfews, the martial law, the times you had to go to bed early, do as you were told, eat disgusting stuff
that was supposed to be good for you. Remember how «gentle» pres-sure was applied with remarks like «if you don’t do as I say, I’ll. » and a dire warning would follow.
Even so, these are only part of a child’s troubles. No matter how kind and loving adults may be, children often suffer from terrible, illogical fears which are the result of ignorance and an inability to understand the world around them. Nothing can equal the abject fear a child may feel in the dark, the absolute horror of childish night-mares. Adults can share their fears with other adults; children invari-ably face their fears alone. But the most painful part of childhood is the period when you begin to emerge from it: adolescence. Teenag-ers may rebel violently against parental authority, but this causes them great unhappiness. There is a complete lack of self-confidence during this time. Adolescents are overconscious of their appearance and the impression they make on others. They feel shy, awkward and clumsy. Feelings are intense and hearts easily broken. Teenagers experience moments of tremendous elation or black despair. And through this turmoil, adults seem to be more hostile than ever.
What a relief it is to grow up. Suddenly you regain your balance; the world opens up before you. You are free to choose; you have your own place to live in and your own money to spend. You do not have to seek constant approval for everything you do. You are no longer teased, punished or ridiculed by heartless adults because you failed to come up to some theoretical standard. And if on occasion you are teased, you know how to deal with it. You can simply tell other adults to go to hell: you are one yourself.
(From: «For and Against» by L.G. Alexander)
Formulate the central problem of the text. By what arguments does the au thor support It? Do you agree with them?
Debate the major points of the text either in pairs or in teams. Use the argu ments and counter-arguments below.
A happy childhood is a myth.
Children have no right to opinions of their own; adults choose their clothes, books, even friends.
The children are manipulated by the grown-ups so as not to interfere with them.
The difference between manhood and childhood is the differ ence between independence and subjection.
The years of school are hard: homework to prepare every day, examinations to take, lack of understanding on the part of the teachers.
The grown-ups are tyrants: the everlasting «don’t-do-that’s» and «do-as-I-tell-you’s» are hard to bear.
Children are vulnerable; they suffer from the ignorance of the world around them, from unreasonable fears, nightmares faced alone.
8.’Adolescence is the most painful time: lack of self-confidence; over-consciousness of one’s appearance; shyness and diffidence.
Adolescence is the time of intense, sometimes violent feelings which may lead to unpredictable actions.
An adolescent may feel himself alone in what seems to him a hostile adult world.
Against
1. Childhood means complete freedom from care, responsibility, social and economic pressures. Isn’t it happiness? By comparison, adults are anxiety-ridden, tired, worried.
Adults have to choose everything for their children who don’t know anything about the surrounding world and so cannot choose for themselves. Of course, a grown-up woman knows more about good taste in clothes than her adolescent daughter and can advise her better than her teenage friends. As to choosing friends, it is the parents’ duty to protect their children from bad influence.
Children should be manipulated so as not to interfere with the elders who have lives of their own to live.
Children cannot be «independent»: first, they are dependent on their parents for food, clothes, place to live in, education, entertain ments. Second, they are spiritually dependent on their parents be cause their own spiritual values are yet unformed.
Going to school every day and doing homework may be heavy tasks for a child. But is there nothing to say for the sheer joy of ac quiring knowledge? Are there no good, understanding teachers whom one remembers all through one’s life?
As to «tyrants», what about children who harass their bewil dered parents with constant demands for expensive clothes, motor-
cycles, luxury holidays, etc., without stirring a finger to earn at least part of the money for all these things?
Childhood is the incomparable joy of discovering the world for the first time. All things around are full of colour and life which we nostalgically miss in our adult life.
Adolescence is the spring of adult life, of the first awakening of «grown-up» feelings, romantic dreams, hopes and plans for the fu- • ture. No matter how painful the process of growing up may be, the young are secretly sure that something wonderful is in store for them.
Adolescents have moments of intense happiness never recap tured in adult life.
Friendships formed in adolescence sometimes, last through all life. It’s people with whom you made friends when very young who understand you best.