way2go! 7. Coursebook, Schulbuch

28 Unit 02 | It’s all relative You are going to listen to Beryl Stephenson, a sociologist, talking about four different family structures that will change society in the future. Before you listen, match the expressions with their explanations. LISTENING 12 a M p. 10 traditional families blended families single-parent families families of same-sex parents childless couples a something that makes things easier b the person in a family who earns the money the family needs c something that provides strength and support d the type of life you have e people with special skills and qualifications, often working in management positions in companies f the money you spend on food, rent, clothes, etc. g an area like a room, flat or house h the systems and services, such as public transport or power supplies, that a country needs to work effectively 1 backbone 2 professionals 3 infrastructure 4 breadwinner 5 living space 6 convenience 7 lifestyle 8 living costs Now listen to Beryl Stephenson talking about how family structures might change in the future. Take notes to answer the questions below. 1 Why will the young professionals not buy the flats they live in? 2 What kind of services will they expect in addition to their flats? 3 What are the advantages of two single-parent families living together? 4 What is the biggest challenge for urban family units consisting of multiple generations? 5 Where does the last type of new family mentioned live? 6 How will the changing family structures influence society? Which of the four types of new families would you like to be part of? Give three reasons. Paired activity: You are taking part in an international discussion forum on different forms of living together. Discuss with a partner which one might be most accepted by young people your age and agree on two or three. b 04 SPEAKING 13 14 Strategies box Remember to observe the context : It’s not about which form of living together you like or dislike, but which form might be most accepted by young people your age . You have taken part in the international discussion forum on different forms of living together and decide to share your ideas in a blog. In your blog post you should: describe one of the family forms you discussed point out possible advantages of living in it speculate how people will feel about it in the future Write around 250 words. Give your blog post a title. See Writing coach, Blog post , p. 180. WRITING 15 Strategies box To speculate means to form ideas and theories about something , or to consider possible answers to a question, especially when you don’t have enough information about it to be certain. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv