Are you on good terms with your parents and grandparents?

My parents and my brother are very understanding and are always there when I need them. They are my best friends, so when I have a problem they are my advisers. We talk about everything. There are no taboos among us. At weekends we spend a lot of time together. I like discussing football with my father. He’s an expert on the matter.

I don’t have a good relationship with my parents. They are too strict. They never accept my opinion. I think they are old-fashioned.During the week I almost never see my father and my mother is always busy. They don’t listen to my problems; they simply don’t have the time or the will to do so. They’re too worried about their jobs and the only thing that matters to them is my marks at the end of the term.

I live with my mother. I only see my father at weekends. They are divorced. My father married again and now I have got a baby brother.My relationship with my mother is quite good, but she is very protective and she’s afraid of everything. I think she is a bit insecure about me.My father is understanding but our relationship is not very close, perhaps because we don’t spend much time together.

3. What will you ask your British friend about his\her family relationships?

- How many sisters or brothers have you got?

- What kind of person is your mother/father/brother/sister?

- Have you got your mother's or father's personality?

- What family occasions do you celebrate?

- Do you have your own family traditions?

What can you advise people who want to have a close and happy family?

I think we are old enough to realize that adults are not saints and may make mistakes and that the so-called generation gap should not spoil our relations. Good children are prepared to compromise and meet their parents halfway, render any possible help to their parents, treat their parents in the way they would like to be treated themselves.

So first of all I can advise for anyone to try to understand the feelings of your parents and show respect to them. Even if you don’t agree with their thinking, try to make them understand politely, don’t use harsh words with them which may hurt. It’s important to celebrate your parents’ and grandparents’ birthdays. It will make them realize that you care for them.

They say that parents and children have difficulties understanding each other because of the generation gap. What do you think about this problem?

I often hear this term “generation gap”, but I hope it’s not about my family. To my mind misunderstanding may happen if people don’t respect each other. Of course different generations have different ideas and values, nevertheless children and parents love each other. So any problem can be discussed. It’s much easier to find the way out together.

№4

1. Let`s talk about friendship. How important is friendship for you?

2. Can you rely on your best friend? Why (not)?

3. What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?

4. What can you advise a teenager who has no friends?

5. Nowadays teenagers have got up to 300 friends in Contact. What do you think about it?

1. Let`s talk about friendship. How important is friendship for you?

Friendship is a feeling of comfort and emotional safety with a person. It is when someone knows you better than yourself and assures to be your side in every emotional crisis. It is when you can sleep fighting and get another morning with a better understanding. Friendship is much beyond roaming together and sharing good moments, it is when someone comes to rescue you from the worst phase of life. Friendship is eternal.

The best of friends totally love, support, trust each other, and bare to each other the secrets of their souls, and run – no questions asked – to help each other, and tell harsh truths to each other when they must be told.

Can you rely on your best friend? Why (not)?

My best friend is really special. Let me tell you about him. His name is Nikita, he is 15 years old (just like me) and we both live in Mogilev. He is taller than me but I am more athletic than him. His parents are divorced. He has got one sister, Tanya, and two dogs: Tim and Kuzya. He loves them because they always do funny things and they often comfort him when he is sad. He has a lot of qualities: he is nice, brave, helpful and reliable. He is not shallow like many other teenagers. The problem is that he is really stubborn: he never changes his mind! On Wednesday afternoons, we usually play videogames together. He wins all the time! I don’t care because I’m not a competitive person. We often do our homework together: it’s cool because we can help each other and it’s less boring. Nikita is the best friend you can imagine.

I have lots of friends, but my close friend is Lena. She is my schoolmate. She is tall, slim and slender and very pretty. Lena’s got dark long hair and a turned-up nose, beautiful green eyes with bushy eyelashes.Lena is as good as gold. Warm-hearted and gentle, quiet and well-bread. We trust each other. She is always ready to help people, when they are in need.She does well at school because she is a very hardworking person. This year she is leaving school and has chosen medicine as her future profession.We always meet at the weekends. We discuss books, music or visit our friends.I’m happy to have such friend as Lena.

What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?

The questions may be like these:

- Where are you from?

- Where do you study?

- What is your hobby?

- What is your favourite writer?

- How do you usually spend your holidays?

What can you advise a teenager who has no friends?

Frankly speaking it’s not a usual case. Probably, a person with such problems needs advice on behalf of a psychologist. But if someone asks me to help, I will recommend her or him to join some kind of a club or a society to meet people with the same interests.

Nowadays teenagers have got up to 300 friends in Contact. What do you think about it?

Our modern life with fast speed has made the world a lonely place. So many of us live and work surrounded by people, but it’s hard to find true friendship. Perhaps this is why the websites like “Facebook” and “Contacts” are so popular these days. They allow people to communicate and even become close without meeting up. But in reality it is not friendship. It’s just one of the ways of communication.

№5

1.Let’s talk about education. What can you tell me about your school?

2. Do you agree that Belarusian secondary school provides a person with good knowledge? Why (not)?

3. Ask me whether I liked school when I was a pupil.

4. What ideas from Belarusian school can you advise a teacher from Great Britain to use in British school?

5. Today some young people think that having a good education is not very important. Do you agree with them?