Unit 1. Family Life. Lesson 3. Reading

Unit 1: Family Life
Lesson 3: Reading
Sharing housework
1. Look at the picture then answer the questions.
1. What are the people in the picture doing?
2. Do you think they are happy? Why / Why not?
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 individuals and good for all the relationships within the family.
According to psychologists, most people do not realise the 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 housework, they tend to have better relationships with their wives. Women often feel happy when they see 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 and 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. 
*Reading:
a. Doing Housework is Good for Children
b. Husbands Who Share Housework Make Their Wives Happy
c. Sharing Housework Makes the Family Happier
* Choose the best title for the text.
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’s 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 individuals and good for all the relationships within the family.
According to psychologists, most people do not realize the 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 housework, they tend to have better relationships with their wives. Women often feel happy when they see their husbands doing housework because it says “ He cares about me and he does not 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 and 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.
Enormous /ɪˈnɔːməs/ (adj)
Not very large
Very very large
Sociable
/ˈsəʊʃəbl/ (adj)
friendly
unfriendly
Tend
Likely to behave in a particular way
Unlikely to behave in a particular way
tend/ (v) Có khuynh hướng
  * tend to do something
Eg: Women tend to live longer than men.
Vulnerable/ˈvʌlnərəbl/ (adj) = sensitive
( dễ bị tổn thương)
Able to be well protected
Able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt
Critical /ˈkrɪtɪkl/ (adj) phê bình, chỉ trích
Saying that something is good
Saying that something is bad
* critical of somebody/something
Eg: Tom is very lazy so his parents are always critical of him.
* Vocabulary:
- homemaker: /ˈhəʊmmeɪkə(r)/ (n) a person who works at home and takes care of the house and family. (người nội trợ)
- breadwinner: /ˈbredwɪnə(r)/ (n) a person who supports their family with the money they earn. (Người trụ cột gia đình)
- enormous: /ɪˈnɔːməs/ (adj) = extremely large. (to lớn, khổng lồ)
- sociable: /ˈsəʊʃəbl/ (adj) >< unfriendly. (thân thiện, hòa đồng)
- tend:  /tend/ (v) Có khuynh hướng; hay
- vulnerable: /ˈvʌlnərəbl/ (adj) = sensetive ( dễ bị tổn thương)
- divorce: /dɪˈvɔːs/ (n)  the legal ending of a marriage. (ly hôn)
- critical: /ˈkrɪtɪkl/ (adj) (phê bình, chỉ trích)
1. What does “it” in line 11 mean…..?
A. Women feeling happy
B. Women seeing their husbands doing housework
C. The husband doing housework
2. What does “it” in line 14 mean…..?
A. a good example for children
B. everyone working together in the house
C. a positive family atmosphere
c
B
What chore do you prefer?
What is considered a woman’s duty in many cultures ?
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.
Is the breadwinner in charge of making money to support the family?
Yes, he is.
How do children benefit from sharing housework?
They do better at school, become more sociable, and have better relationships with their teachers and friends.
Why do men tend to have better relationships with their wives when they share housework?
Because it shows that they care about their wives and this makes their wives happy.
What may happen to women whose husbands do not contribute to the household chores?
They may fall ill easily or may think about divorce.
How does the family benefit when everyone work together on household chores?
When everyone works together on household chores, it creates a positive atmosphere for the family and sets a good example for the children.
What should parents do if they want to set a good example for the children?
They should find a way to work well together and are not critical of each other.
Is it good or bad for the mother when the rest of the family does not help out?
It is not good / It is bad for her because almost all of the housework is put on her.
Do you have any problems with sharing housework ?
What benefits do you get when sharing housework ?