Listening for details is an important skill to practice because it will help you improve your listening comprehension. To do this close listening, you have to concentrate and trv not to miss any part of what a speaker is saving.

1
Look at this representation of part of Roberts family tree and then read the questions that follow it.

1 Where did Robert’s parents and grandparents live?

a in the same house b in the same neighborhood

2 What kind of family did Robert grow up in?

a a nuclear family b an extended family

3 What was Robert’s father’s attitude toward him?

a He was very protective. b He encouraged him to live his own

life.

4 When did Robert have a problem with his family?

a when he was in his early teens b when he went to college

5 How important were the other children in the neighborhood to Robert?

a extremely important b not very important

6 Where did Robert and his cousins often play?

a on the block where they lived b in the basement of their house

7 How did Robert’s parents feel about his grandparents’ values?

a They rebelled against them. b They shared them.

8 How much does Robert feel that families today have changed?

a He thinks they have changed a lot. b He does not think they have changed

very much.

9 What does Robert believe is the most important characteristic of a family?

a the fact that people are blood relatives b the fact that people love each other

2

Now listen to the interview with Robert and circle the correct answer to each I question.

3 Compare your answers with a partner.

INTERVIEW WITH CARLOS: Growing up in a single-parent family

Here are some words and phrases from the interview with Carlos printed in bold and given in the context in which you will hear them. They arc followed by definitions.

That industry is seasonal: the amount of work varies from one season to the next There was a good stretch when 1 was in junior high school: a long period of time We’d just play stickball, and marbles, and yo-yos: children’s games I remember being taught to pick up after myself: clean up, put things away I remember running errands: being sent out to buy something

It’s important that you get moral instruction: teaching about what is right and wrong an anchor in your life: someone or something that keeps you focused on your goals School was very influential in my life: had an important effect

Listening for numerical information is an important skill to practice because conversations, interviews, and lectures often include this type of information.

1 Before you listen to some information about trends in the American family, read the following questions and answers about current trends in family structure. Do you think the answers are true or false? For each answer, circle either T (true) or F (false). Compare your predictions with a partner.

Now listen to the information about trends in the family and check whether your predictions were correct. Cross out any false information in the "Answers" column and write in the correct information. Compare your answers with your

► PLAY

Q AMERICAN VOICES: Robert and Carlos

In this section you will hear Robert talk about growing up in an extended family. Then you will hear Carlos discuss how he was raised in a single-parent home.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEWS

PERSONALIZING THE TOPIC

Thinking about vour own experiences and ideas related to a topic can help you understand and remember the information that you hear.

1 Work with a partner and compare your family backgrounds. Use the chart below each question to make notes about your and your partner’s answers.

1 How many people were there in your household when you were a child? Who were they?

2 In what ways was your family typical of other families in your community? Tn what ways was it different?

3 What important lessons did you learn from your family? Can you describe one? For example, did anyone in your family ever explain to you why it was necessary to act a certain way?

Work with a different partner and compare the information you wrote down in your charts.

INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT: Growing up in an extended family

Here are some words and phrases from the interview with Robert printed in bold and given in the context in which you will hear them. They are followed by definitions.

Probably the most important influence in my life was my family: something that makes a strong impression on yon

not just my mother and father, but my extended family: a family that includes many relatives such as cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and several generations I grew up very close to my family: closely connected by love for each other and tune spent together

I never really sought people out besides mv family: looked for My grandfather wasn’t retired: was still working

He was more protective of us than my mother was: watched over us closely some of my best traits: characteristics

Families are not necessarily blood relations: genetically related; related by blood

Here are some words and phrases from the interview with Victor and Samira printed in bold and given in the context in which you will hear them. They are followed by definitions.

Do you ever change your mind: change your opinion Site said it’s a waste of money: not worth the money I am jusL jealous: unhappy and slightly angiy because you want what someone else has loads of people: a lot of

the people you hang out with: spend time with You can’t conform all the time: do what everyone else is doing You’re in the same boat: in the same situation

LISTENING FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION

1 Read the following questions before you listen to the interview with Victor and Samira.

1 How old is Victor?

2 Does Victor think he is influenced by his friends? Explain your answer.

3 What does Victor want to get and why?

4 How does Victor’s mom feel about what he wants?

5 What is Victor going to do about the situation?

6 What grade is Samira in?

7 Does Samira agree that her peers influence her a lot? Explain your answer.

8 Who influences Samira more – her friends or her parents? Why?

2 Now listen to the interview. Write short answers for the questions in step 1.

З I Compare your answers with a partner and then with the class.

AFTER THE INTERVIEWS

PERSONALIZING THE TOPIC

Discuss the following questions with a partner and then share your ideas with the class.

When you were an adolescent. . .

1 Did your family try to influence the clothes you wore?

2 Did you ever have friends lhal your family did not like?

3 What time did you have to be back home in the evening?

4 Were you allowed to date?

5 Did you spend a lot of time alone?

6 Did your family have strict rules about what you couldn’t do?

EXAMINING GRAPHIC MATERIAL

A lot of information that you find on a topic is presented in graphic form, so it is important to practice reading and analyzing graphs and charts.

One of the reasons that parents worry about adolescent peer pressure is that teenagers may start to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Look at the following chart and then discuss the questions below with the class.

1 Describe the information in the chart. Does any of the data surprise you?

2 What do you think would be different in a chart about teenage drug abuse in your community?

THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT THE TOPIC

Work with a partner. Think of times in your own lives when vour parents or caregivers rewarded you, punished you, or provided you with a clear model. Tell your partner about your experiences and compare your stories. Which of the three methods were successful? Which were not? Why?

SHARING YOUR OPINION

An issue becomes more interesting if you share your own opinion about it. Your ideas will probably be influenced by many factors, including your age, educational experience, and cultural background. It is likely that people with backgrounds different from yours will have different opinions.

1

Look at the pie chart and read the list of possible arrangements for preschool child care – ways that children who are not yet old enough to go to school can be cared for.

Possible arrangements for preschool child care:

1 The mother stays home and takes care of the child.

2 The father stays home and takes care of the child.

3 The child is cared for by a relative, such as an aunt, uncle, or grandparent.

4 The child goes to a child-care center.

5 The child has a babysitter at home.

6 The child is cared for bv a babysitter in another home.

Review your notes on modeling from Part Two of the lecture. Then discuss the following question in a small group:

For each of the six possible arrangements listed in step I, what are the advantages and disadvantages for children and their parents in relation to modeling?

GUESSING VOCABULARY FROM CONTEXT

1 The following items contain important vocabulary from Part Two of the lecture.

Work with a partner. Using the context and your knowledge of related words, take

turns trying to guess the meanings of the words in bold.

___ 1 Children’s first role models are their parents.

2 There is an old saying in English: “Don’t do as I do. Do as I tell you.”

. . . But this advice doesn’t work most of the time.

3 If you smoke yourself, it is probably ineffective to tell a child not to smoke.

___ 4 Many people do not even realize the impact that they can have on a child.

5 It is common for babysitters, relatives, and child-care centers to take care of children.

___ 6 The most important thing for children is to grow up in an environment

where there are fair rules that are clearly established and followed consistently by everyone.

Work with your partner. Match the vocabulary terms with their definitions by writing the letter of each definition below in the blank next to the sentence containing the correct term in step 1. Check your answers in a dictionary if necessary, a influence b not going to work c in the same way all the time d opinion about what you should do e people who are an example for them to copy f places where professionals take care of young children

Look at these notes on Part Two of the lecture. Notice that the first main idea is number 6 because the last main idea in Part One was number 5.

Main Ide-aS

(o Mode-l’mg. mcans:

3 “Pon’T do as I do,
doesn’t work.

11 Most important thi n^t

2

I Now listen to Part Two of the lecture. Take notes on your own paper.

3 I Use your notes to fill in the missing main ideas and details in the columns in step 1.

Compare the notes you took on your own paper and your completed notes for step 1 with a partner.