1 FAMILY LIFE

This unit includes:

GETTING STARTED LANGUAGE
Vocabulary
Household chores Words and phrases related to household
chores
Listen and read.
Pronunciation
Nam: Hello? /tr/, /kr/ and/br/
Grammar
MrLong: Hello, Nam?This is Uncle Long. Is your The present simple vs. the present continuous
dad there? I'd like to ask him out for a
game of tennis.
SKILLS
Nam: Well, I'm afraid he can't go out with you . Reading about the benefits of sharing
now. He's preparing dinner. housework
Mr Long: Is he? Where's your mum? Doesn't she . Exchanging opinions about householdchores
cook? • Listening to a TV programme about the roles
of family members
Nam: Oh, yes. My mum usually does the • Writing about doing household choresin
cooking, but she's working late today. the family
Mr Long: How about your sister and you? Do you
help with the housework? COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Nam: Yes, we do. In my family, everybody Family life in different cultures
shares the household duties. Today my
sister can't help with the cooking. Mr Long: Really? It's different in my family. My
She's studying for exams. wife handles most of the chores around
Mr Long: I see. So how do you divide household the house and I'm responsible for the
chores in your family? household finances. She's the homemaker
and I'm the breadwinner. Anyway, I have to
Nam: Well, both my parents work, so we split go now. Tell your dad I called. Bye.
the chores equally - my mother cooks and
shops for groceries, my father cleans the Nam: Oh yes, I will. Bye, Uncle Long.
house and does the heavy lifting, my sister
does all the laundry, and I do the washing-
up and take out the rubbish.

6 Unjtl familyLife
 LANGUAGE
2 Work in pairs. Decide whether the following
statements are true (T), false (F), or not given Vocabulary
(NG) and tick the correct box.
Match the words and phrases in the box with
T F NG their meanings below.

NamS father is going out to play chore 2. homemaker

tennis with Mr Long. 3. breadwinner 4. groceries
5. split 6. laundry
2. Nam's mother is a busy woman. 7. heavy lifting 8. washing-up
3. Nam's sister is cooking dinner.
a. the member of a family who earns the money
4. Sometimes Nam's father cooks. that the family needs
b. divide
5. Everybody in Nam's family
does some of the housework. c. the act of washing the dishes after a meal

6. Mr Long never does any d. an action that requires physical strength

household chores. a person who manages the home and often raises
children instead of earning money from a job
3 Listen and repeat the words or phrases. a routine task, especially a household one
g. clothes that need washing
rubbish washing-up laundry
household finances groceries h. food and other goods sold at a shop or a
household chores heavy lifting supermarket

4 Write the verbs or verb phrases that are used 2 List all the household chores that are
with the words or phrases in the conversation. mentioned in the conversation. Then add
more chores to the list.
Verbs / Verb phrases Words/ Phrases

(household) chores

2 rubbish

3 laundry

4 groceries

5 heavy lifting

6 washing-up
7 household finances

3 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions below.

What household chores do you usually do?
2. How do you divide household duties in your
family?
 Its and out
/tr/ /kr/ /br/ al routines.
The present continuous is
trash create breadwinner used to talk
something that is happening or about
tree critical breakfast not happening
at the moment of speaking.
train cream brown
treat crane brother
true crack brush 2 Use the verbs in brackets in their
correctform
to complete the sentences.
Listen to the sentences and circle the word
you hear. Mrs Lan usually (do) the cooking for the
family,
but she (not cook) now. She (work)on an
1 a trashed b. crashed c. brushed urgent
report at the moment.
train b. crane c. brain 2. I'm afraid you can't talk to him now. He (takeout)
tread b. create c. bread the rubbish.
4. a. true b. crew c. brew 3. He (clean) the house every day. He (clean)it how.
4. My sister can't do any housework today.
Grammar She (prepare) for her exams.
Read the text and choose the correct 5. They divide the duties in the family. She (look
verb form. after) the children, and her husband (work)to
earn money.
Mrs Hang is a housewife. Every day, she
6. It's 7.30 p.m. now and my father (watch) the
Evening News on TV. He (watch) it every evening.
(1) does / is doing most of the housework.
She (2) cooks is cooking, washes the
clothes and (3) cleans / is cleaning the
house. But today is Mother'sDay and
Mrs Hang isn't doing any housework. Her
husband and children are doing it all for
her. At the moment, she (4) watches / is
watching her favourite programme on
TV. Her daughter, Lan, (5) does / is doing
the cooking; her son, Minh,
(6) does ( is doing the laundry;
and her husband, Mr Long,
(7) tidies up L is tidying
the house. Everybody
in the family (8)
tries / is trying
hard to
make it a special
day for Mrs Hang.
Watch out!
What are some words that can give
you clues about which tense to use?
now at the moment. + present continuoUS
presently ...+ present continuous.
usually, always, every day, + present simple
SKILLS
Reading
Sharing housework
Look at the picture and answer the questions.
1. What are the people in the picture doing?
2. Do you think they are happy? Why / Why not?

2 Read the text below and decide which of

the following is the best title for it.
a. Doing Housework is Good for Children
b. Husbands Who Share Housework Make Their Wives Happy
c. Sharing Housework Makes the Family Happier

In many cultures, doing housework is considered a woman's duty. The mother is usually the homemaker,
who has to do most of the household chores, while the father is the breadwinner, who is responsible for
the family finances. However, it is not good for the mother when the rest of the family does not help out.
When families share household chores, it is good for them as individuais z' id good for all the relationships
5 within the family.
According to psychologists, most people do not realisethe enormous benefits that come to a family when
husbands and children share the housework. Children who share the housework with their mums and dads :
do better at school, become more sociable, and have better relationships with their teachers and friends.
They learn good skills, are more responsible, and tend to be overall good people. When men share the t'
housework, they tend to have better relationships with their wives. Women often feel happy when they :
: 10see their husbands doing housework because it says, 'He cares about me and he doesn't want to put all
of the housework on me.' Women whose husbands do not contribute to the household chores are more
vulnerable to illness and tend to think more about divorce.
When everyone works together on household chores, it creates a positive atmosphere for the family
: 15and sets a good example for the children. This is especially true if mum and dad can find a way to work
well together and are not critical of each other.

3 Read the text again. Do you understand the 4 a What does 'it' in line 11 mean
words from the context? Tick the appropriate A. women feeling happy
meaning for each word from the text. B. women seeing their husbands doing housework
1. sociable C. the husbands doing housework
a. friendly b What does 'it' in line 14 mean
b. unfriendly A. a good example for children
B. everyone working together in the house
2. vulnerable
a. able to be well protected C, a positive family atmosphere
b. able to be easily physically,
emotionally, or mentally hurt 5 Answer the questions.
3. critical 1. How do children benefit from sharing housework?
a. saying that something is good 2. Why do men tend to have better relationships
b. saying that something is bad with their wives when they share housework?
3. What may happen to women whose husbands
4. enormous do not contribute to the household chores?
a. not very large 4. How does the family benefit when everyone
b•very very large works together on household chores?
C]
5, tend 6 Discuss with a partner.
a. likely to behave in a particular way 1. Do you have any problems with sharing housework?
b. unlikely to behave in a particular way 2. What benefits do you get when sharing housework?
Speaking
Chores I like! which do you dislike?
write your answers to the
doing and
chores do you like
Which household reason.
below and add a
questions in the table
Dislikes
Likes
Name of chore Reason
Reason
Name of chore

cleaning/ the 9t/'&diÆü/.

9 like eatinc.

2 Below is part of Anna's interview with Mai.They are talking

about the household chores Mai likes and dislikes. Match
Mai's answers with Anna's questions. Then practise the
conversation.

Anna Mai

What household chores do

a. Well, I think I like sweeping the house.
you do every day?

2. Which of the chores do b. Washing the dishes, because I often

you like doing the most? break things when I do the washing-up.

c. I do the laundry, wash the dishes, and

3. What do you like about it? sweep the house. I sometimes do the
cooking when my mum is busy.

4. Which of the chores do you It's not too hard, and I like seeing the
dislike doing the most? house clean after I sweep it.

3 Have a similar conversation with a partner. Find out which

chores she / he likes or dislikes the most and why. Report your
findings to the class.

10 11mtl familylife 2B- TléNG ANH 10/1

Listening 3 Work in pairs. Match the word / phrase with
its appropriate meaning.
Family life —Changing roles
balance a. a way of solving a problem
I Look at the chart and discuss the changes in
weekly hours of basic housework by married or dealing with a difficult
men and married women in the USA between situation
2. nurture
1976 and 2012. Guess the reasons for the b. to care for and protect
changes. somebody / something
3. equally shared while they are growing
parenting and developing
29.8
30 c. sharing housework and
traditional childcare evenly
25 d. existing for a long time
20 solution e. a state where things are of
17.2
equal weight or force
15

10 6.8
5
4 isten again and answer the questions.
1. How has the role of men in the family changed?
2. How have men's and women's roles become alike?
year
1976 2012 3. What is the result of 'equally shared parenting'?
Married men Married women

2 isten to a family expert talking about how

the roles of men and women in families have
changed and decide whether the following
statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. Men'sand women's roles in the

family have become similar.

2. Both men and women now

work to contribute to the family
finances.

3. According to 'equally shared

parenting', both men and women
have equal chances for recreation.

4. According to 'equally shared

parenting', the husband's career is
less important than the wife's.

5. Families following 'equally

shared parenting' are happier.
Writing 3 Read the text again and answer the

"Many hands make light werk." 1. How many people are there in Lam's
family?
2. Why are they very busy?
Work in pairs. Discuss the meaning of the 3. How do they split the housework in the
family?
saying above. Do you agree with it? How does 4. What household chores does each member
this saying apply to doing housework in the the family do?
of
family?
5. Do the family members enjoy the housework?
2 Read the text about Lam's family below and 6. What are the benefits of everyone in the family
complete the chore chart. sharing the housework?

I live in a family of four: my parents, my 4 Make your family chore chart. Then, using the
younger sister and l. We are all very busy ideas in the chart, write a paragraph about
people: both my parents work, my sister and how people in your family share housework.
I spend most of our time at school, so we You can use the questions in 3 as cues for your
split the household chores equally. writing.
My dad is responsible for mending things
around the house. He also cleans the bathroom
twice a week. My mum does most of the
cooking and grocery shopping.
Being the elder child in the family, I take up Family Chore Chart
a large share of housework. I do the laundry,
Name:
take out the rubbish, and clean the fridge once
Chore List
a week. My younger sister An's responsibilities
include helping mum to prepare meals and
washing the dishes. My sister and I take turns
laying the table for meals, sweeping the t:
house, and feeding the cat.
We do our share of housework willingly Name:

as we know that if everyone contributes, Chore List

the burden is less and everyone can have

some time to relax.
t:
t:
HOUSEHOLD CHORE CHART Name:
t:
Chore List

Dad

Mum t: Name:
Chore List

Lam
t:

An
COMMUNICATION Culture
AND CULTURE Read the two texts about family life in Singapore
Communication and in Viet Nam then answer the questions.
SINGAPORE
Discussion In Singapore today, people tend to live in nuclear
families which consist of parents and children.
Families in Singapore are getting smaller.
Many children even grow up in single-parent
homes. In most Singaporean families, both
parents work. Very young children go to nursery
schools or stay home with a child-minder when
their parents are at work. Old people usually live in
their own homes or a nursing home if they
cannot look after themselves. Singaporean parents
try to spend their free time collaborating with
Look at the pictures. What is the person in the school in educating their children through
each picture doing? Do you think they are the activities of the Parent Support Group or
happy? Why? or Why not? Parent Teacher Association.

2 Listen to the TV talk show. Who said what? e VIET NAM

3. Ms Mai Lan The extended family, which consists of three or even
Pham Hoang Nguyen Nam four generations - great grandparents, grandparents,
parents and children - is still very popular in Viet Nam.
In most Vietnamese families, when both parents
work, young children stay home and are looked
after by their grandparents or great-grandparents.
On the other hand, it is the duty of the young
people to take care of their elderly parents. A person
will be considered ungrateful if he / she does not
a. Women also work to share the household
take good care of his / her parents or grandparents.
financial burden with their husbands. Vietnamese parents often spend their free time
b. Homemaking can't only be the job of the wife. helping their children with their homework or
c. A woman's job is to look after everybody in giving them advice on behaviour.
the family and take care of the house. Answers
d. Both husband and wife should join hands to Questions
provide for the family and to make it happy. In Singapore In Viet Nam

e. In the family, the husband is the provider.

What type of family
f. Women's roles have changed. is popular in the
country?
3 Work in groups. Discuss the questions. Then,
report your group's opinions to the class. Who takes care of
1. Whose opinion do you agree with? 2
young children
when their parents
2. What do you think the roles of the wife and the are at work?
husband should be? Give reason(s) for your
opinion. Who looks after
3
3. What roles do your mother and father perform in I elderly parents?
your family?
How do the parents
4. Are your mother and father happy about their contribute to
4
roles? Why? or Why not? educating their
children?

13
LOOKING BACK Household chores are divided equally
among
the members of Thanh's family. His mother
Pronunciation . Thanh's father
sister enjoy the food she cooks very and
Listen and underline the words that have Besides, she often (2)
much.
the consonant cluster sounds I tr/, I br/, and because she wants to choose the freshest
I kr/. Write ltrl, I br/ or I kr/ above the word
and healthiest ingredients for the meals.
that has the corresponding consonant cluster
Thanh's father is a strong man but he
sound. Then practise reading the sentences.
doesn't have much time for housework.
1. After having the ice cream, she brushed her teeth. So he only (3) that
2. The car crashed into a tree near the traffic lights. requires physical strength. Thanh helps with
(4) and (5)
3. Try this new dish created by your brother.
He feels happy to see his parents wearing
4. They often have brown bread for breakfast. clean and neat clothes to work. Although
5. That brave young man likes travelling by train. he doesn't really like it because he thinks it's
6. Is it true that the crime rate is increasing? dirty, he (6) every day.
Thanh's sister contributes by
(7) . She does it
Vocabulary very carefully so the house is always
What chores are the people very clean. Before each meal, she (8)
doing? Write the name and after the meal,
of the chore under each Thanh (9) . Sometimes,
picture. he breaks a bowl or a plate. Everybody in the
o family shares housework so that all can have
some time for rest and recreation.

Grammar
Finish the sentences with either the present
simple or the present continuous.
1. I (write) to you to tell you how
much I (miss) you.
2. Jack is away on business, so I
(look after) his dog.
3. Nam always (look) untidy. He
(wear) dirty jeans now.
4. I can't answer the phone
now. I (cook) the dinner.
5. Excuse me, you (read) your
newspaper? Could I
borrow it?
6. What do people in your
family (do) in the evening?
2 Work in groups. Discuss
the following questions.
Then report the results
to the class.
1. Should young people
like you share the
housework? Why? Why
not?
O 2. What household
chores are suitable for young
people like you?
3. What do you actually
2 Use the words I phrases in the box in their do to help with the housework
correct form to complete the text. in your family?

: do the washing-up take out the rubbish

do the heavy lifting iron
: laundry shop for groceries
do the cooking lay the table
: sweep the house
 Do a survey. Find out
• how many classmates live in a nuclear family and how many live in an extended family;
• how many classmates have both parents working;
• how many classmates spend at least one hour a day doing housework;
• how many classmates have parents who spend at least one hour a day helping them with their homework;
• what your classmates think the ideal family is like.

2 Work in groups. Compare your findings and get ready to report to the class.

NOW YOU CAN

I Use words / phrases about household chores
Use the present simple and the present continuous
I Exchange opinions about householdchores
I Write about doing household chores in your family 1

Unttl family Life 15