Reading
1. Read the diary of a walker and discuss the questions:
Glossary
| Walkout =person who leaves home after afight | no matter what=whatever |
| Get ears pierced=have holes put in ears for earrings | scared=frightened |
| Belongings=things | throwing her out= telling her to leave |
| Stuff= push quickly and carelessly | evicted= told to leave |
| Hangs our=spends time | accommodation=place to stay |
| Spot=notice | divulge=tell |
| Boarding house=the place that rents out cheap rooms | bitch=an offensive way to describe a girl |
| Grow up=be more mature |
Diary of a walker
March 10. Kate demands money for getting ears pierced. I refuse. Cries, threatens,
bangs on my bedroom door, then: You are so unsupportive, you don’t talk to me nicely
any more.
Here’s no point in my staying. Slam.
March 14. Appears with former boyfriend to collect belongings. Watching her staff clothes in bag causes me almost physical pain.
March 18. She’s moved out of former boyfriend ‘s house, left school. No-one knows where she is.
March 26. Search area where I know she hangs out. Spot her standing in a doorway smoking. Take her for coffee. She tells me she's staying with Melanie. Won't divulge phone number.
March 30. Volunteers phone number- just don't think you can ring me all the time.
April 7. Melanie's dad says Kate has to move out. Suggest she comes home. Doesn't work. She disappears again.
April 12. Hear she is living in a boarding house with a friend.
April 14. She makes contact and I meet her for dinner. Says the room in the boarding house needs a good clean. We go shopping for bleach, detergent and food.
April 16. My birthday. A bouquet arrives on my doorstep with a note: No matter what I do, Mum I love you .
April 18. Rings to say she accepted a lift from a man at 2am today, was attacked, but managed to get out of the car. Feel scared, helpless.
April 20. Moves out of the boarding house to another" friend" on the other side of the city.
April 23. It's 3am and she's on the phone crying, saying the " friend is throwing her out. The phone goes dead and I have no idea where she is.
April 30. Moves into a flat with a friend. Asks for rent money. Agree to pay one month's rent, but no more-she has to get a job.
Mау 30. Is evicted from her flat. Cautiously suggest she returns home for a day or two and uses phone to find alternative accommodation and job. Grudgingly agrees. I'll be out of here by the end of the week.
Six months later. She's nicer to live with, has gone back to school. Overhear her talking on the phone discussing a friend who has walked out of home. Silly beach. Tell her to grow up and move back home.
2.Put the events of the story in their correct order
Her mother gives her rent money.
Kate shouts at her mother and leaves home.
She and old boyfriend come back to collect her things.
She comes home for a few days.
She goes to stay with Melanie for a while.
She is thrown out of the flat.
She moves in with a friend on the other side of the city.
She moves into a boarding house.
She's still living at home 6 months later.
3. You are going to write an essay “ Belonging to a family : for and against”:
4. If you have a problem that you want to get off your chest, write to Daisy at: The Indy 40 City Road London EE1Y 2DB
Never been kissedI live on a farm, and I have started thinking about animal rights. Now I am a veterinarian. My problem is that my parents are furious. My Mum doesn't cook anything different for me, so every night all I eat is vegetables and bread and cheese. I don't think this is fair. Why can't she cook me something tasty? Michelle, 17.
Food for thought.
My parents went away on holiday recently, so I decided to dye my hair. I am blonde and I dyed my hair black. Now it looks awful and I don't know what to do. A couple of days ago my parents came home, and when my Mum saw my hair, she went completely mad. Now, as a punishment, she says I can't dye it back. What should I do? Lucy, 16.
To dye or not to dye?
I'm 16 and I have never been out with a girl. I've never even kissed one. My friends have all had a lot of girlfriends, but girls don't seem to be interesting to me Now I tell everyone that I have a girlfriend in France, but I don't think they believe me. What should I do? Richard, 16.
Match a heading to a letter and to an answer from Daisy.
People of your age, especially boys, often tell stories about their experiences. I'm sure some of your friends are telling stories too. You shouldn't tell lies, because that will make you feel more worried, and people will learn the truth sooner or later. Don't worry about not having a girlfriend. Your time will come.
I think you're being a little selfish. You chose to stop eating meat, not your parents. Your mother is probably a very busy woman. I think you should cook for yourself. Baked potatoes are very easy.
I think you should dye your hair back to its original color. Tell your mother first that this is what you are going to do if you want to, but I'm sure she'll be pleased to see her 'old' daughter again.
Grammar: Which verb is used to ask for or give a suggestion? An obligation?
Glossary
| Furious | взбешенный, в ярости |
| Experiences | жизненный опыт |
| Selfish | эгоистичный |
| Suggestion | совет |
| Obligation | обязанность |
| punishment- | наказание |
| kiss | целовать |
| to cope with adults | ладить с взрослыми |
| currently | в настоящее время |
| misunderstanding | непонимание |
| appearance | внешность |
| envious | завистливый |
| regret | сожалеть |
5. WORK IN PAIRS. Look at some other letters written to Daisy's problem page. What should the people do?
Not fair.
I get 1.50 pounds a week pocket money, but most of my friends get much more. When I ask my Mum and Dad for more, they say I can have more if I help in the house, but I don't see why I should. Mum's at home all day, and it's her job to look after the house, not me, What do you think? Sharon, 14.
Weighty problem.
Girls don't find me attractive, and I think the reason is that I'm fat. Ever since I was about seven I've been on the chubby side, but it didn't worry me until now. I'm quite intelligent and have lots of friends but not the type I'd like. What should I do? Peter, 14.
Bullies at school.
Please help me, because I'm in trouble. There are bullies at my school who hit me and kick me, and they say I have to give them. Please tell me what to do. Jeremy, 14.
Roses are red.
I am in love with a girl who is very attractive. A friend introduced us. She doesn't know how I feel. I have her address and telephone number, but I don't know what to do. Should I call her? I could send her some roses or chocolates, but I can't decide which is better. If I send something what should I write on the card? Andrew, 15.
Problems with lessons.
I'm very worried because the lessons at school are too difficult for me. I don't understand them, but the others in the class know what the teachers are talking about. Who should I talk to?
We have exams soon, and I know I'm going to fail them. My parents will be furious, because they think I'm doing OK. Please help. Suzie, 17.
My friends steal.
Some of my friends steal things from shops after school. Usually it's sweets, but some of them steal bigger things too, and sell them or just give them away. They keep telling me to go with them, and call me names because I don't want to. They say I'm a coward I don't want to steal, but I don't want to look stupid, either. What should I do? Simon, 13.
Do you have the same problems? Discuss it in pairs.
6. Choose a letter and write a letter in reply. Give some explanation as well as practical advice.
7. Read the letter and put the verb in brackets in an appropriate tense or verb form:
Glossary
| fell in love | влюбиться |
| passionately | страстно |
| to dissuade | разубедить |
| stranger | посторонний, чужой |
| reasonable | здравомыслящий |
Wendy Englefield
Don’t just sit and worry … share your problem with Wendy who’s always here to help
My parents (a)_______ ( have) terrible problems with their teenager daughter. It all began while we were on holiday last year. Kay, my sister, who is 16, went to a disco and met a man who, she says, she fell passionately in love with. He is 15 years older than her. They (b) ________( see) each other ever since, and despite all our attempts to dissuade her, she says she wants to marry him.
My parents have tried to be reasonable. It is not just the fact that this man has entered her life that upsets us, although I wish she ( c) __________ ( not go) to the disco that night, we might still (e) _______ ( lead) the life that (f) _______ ( make) us so happy until that terrible evening.
She (g) _______ (change) to the point that I hardly recognize her. She stays out all night. I (h) ________ ( not mind) if she (i) _________( tell) us where she is, but she refuses. It is not as though we ( j) _______ (be) unreasonable, just protective towards her.
She has also left school. We (k) ______ (like her (l) _________ ( stay) on at school until she (m) _________ (be) 18, but she (n)________ ( not listen) . She is now working as a cashier in a supermarket, and says that she has no interest in academic subjects. It is a terrible shame. She is naturally bright, and (o) _________ (can) ( make) a success of any subject she (p) _______ ( turn) her attention to. Before, she wanted to go to university, and I can say without and doubt that she (q) ______ (get) a degree easily/ After that, who knows what she might ® ________ (do)?
Please help us. We are desperate. My sister behaves as if we (s) ________ (be) strangers. Personally, I feel it is time she (t) ________ (leave) home. What do you think?
John B.
Sheffield
8. Read the letter once again and discuss the following questions:
- Do parents have control over their daughter? Give evidence from the text.
- What problems does Kay have?
- What is Kay’s attitude to living in a family?
- What is her attitude to academic subjects?
- What may the girl do in future?
9. Match the words with opposite meanings:
| terrible dissuade upset refuse bright doubt success passion |
accept stupid feel confident persuade indifference pleased failure wonderful |
Key:
- are having / have been having/ have
- have been seeing
- had never met
- hadn’t gone
- be leading
- had made
- has changed
- wouldn’t mind
- told/ would tell
- are being / are
- and l) would like her to have stayed / would have liked her to stay / would have liked her to have stayed
- was/ were
- wouldn’t listen ( The Past Simple is not really possible, because it suggests she didn’t listen on one occasion only).
- Could have made/ could make
- Turned / had turned
- Would have got / would get
- Have done / do
- Were / are
- Left