HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

1) Try to characterize human relations in your family, at school, between friends and generation.
 In my family, there are very friendly and positive relationships among the members. Arguments are
very rare and if there is some tension, we can usually discuss everything and solve problems together.
 My sister gets along very well with both of the brothers and although she is not always happy with the
father`s decisions, her mood quickly recovers.
 The person who everybody likes no matter what is the grandma. Although she is 87 years old, she is
quite active and participates in the family life a lot.
 Despite many of the family members living or working far away from each other, everybody is very
happy to see each other at various family gatherings such as birthdays and anniversaries.
 My family and I get on / along quite well / well.
 I like my family.
 My parents are more like friends to me, I can tell them (almost) anything / share secrets with them.
 I have a good relationships with my family members, because we
- Care about each other
- Listen to each other
- Give each other a hand
- Share secrets
- Devote time to each other
- Argue calmly
 I have a good relationship with my sister because she lends me her clothes and helps me with my
homework.
 I get on well with my grandparents but not with my parents because they are overly strict.
 I don’t get on well with my family.
 I have a difficult relationship with my family.
 My parents are a bit hard on me, they’re always criticising my choice of friends / telling me how
disappointed they are with me.
 My parents have (quite) high expectations of me, and the pressure is sometimes unbearable.
 My parents pretty much ignore me, so I can get away with almost anything
 My siblings and I are very close.
 I don’t get on / along very well with my brother because we share a room and we don’t have anything
in common.
 I (don’t) get along very well with my brother / sister because we (don’t) have a lot in common.
 My older brother / sister picks on me / used to pick on me quite a bit.
 I get along with my siblings much better now that we are all adults.
 I get along with my brother / sister very well, we often spend time together.
 We have a normal relationship.
 I argue a lot with my parents.
 I don’t see my extended family, like my grandparents / cousins / aunts / uncles very much

 With friends, we share the same interests, hobbies, we have common opinions and values. We trust
each other, talk to when we have a problem and need some advice. We support each other and share
our secrets, feelings and very personal information. We know about our plans, about our history and
we like each other even with some faults we have.
 True friends stand by you whether you are feeling content or miserable. In good times we enjoy each
other’s company while watching a movie or having a coffee in a café.
 In bad times a friend is the one who you can call in the middle of the night and gives you a shoulder
to cry on.
 With friends we share unforgettable moments on exciting trips, and express true happiness fro
succeeding at important exams or tests.

 There is usually a generation gap between generations which concerns relations between younger and
older people.
 Older and younger people do not understand each other because of their different experiences,
opinions, habits and behaviour.
 Conflicts between younger and older generation occur mainly because of school, housework and
appearance, fashion, free time, friends, lifestyle, money or lack of responsibility.

2) What do you think the most important qualities of a partner are? What are the common
reasons for divorce?
 In my opinion, the most important qualities of a partner are maturity, openness, sense of humour,
honesty, kindness, loyalty and empathy.
 There are many reasons why people get divorced. For example:
1. Conflicts, arguing in the relationship
2. Extramarital affairs
3. Lack of physical intimacy
4. Communication problems between partners
5. Domestic violence, verbal or physical
6. Realization that one of the partners has different values / morals
7. Alcohol or drug addiction
8. Financial problems
9. Marrying too young
10. Lack of shared interests

3) Who is a good friend? Why do come friendships end?

 It is difficult to define the qualities of a good friend, because it is a personal thing and it means
something different for everyone.
 In my opinion, a good friend should have similar hobbies, interests and attitudes towards life as I do.
 A good friend should be a good listener, be able to give advice without judging me,
 He or she should be willing, helpful, open, fun, caring, sincere, tolerant, loyal, intelligent,
understanding, trust me, be responsible, reliable, always on my side, share interests, keep secrets.
 A good friend is somebody who is fun, helpful, intelligent, kind, understanding.
 Real friends are people who you can ask for advice or help, you can depend on and you can stay
friends with even if you have a fight / an argument.

 Sadly, or fortunately, some friendships end as time passes by. This might have several reasons.

 Firstly, when people get separated either by work, study or moving houses, and their physical
presence is no longer possible, it may happen that slowly, the ties of friendship get untied and despite
modern technologies such as skype, facebook and others, this kind of friendship so to say fades away.

 Secondly, some strong arguments might occur between friends and if they remain unresolved, they
can easily terminate a relationship.

 Finally, people change as time goes by and natural, when we change, our preferences change too and
that’s why people used to like no longer match our needs.
 However, I think this is quite natural and healthy.

4) Why is the family important in terms of human relationships?

 People are social beings, this means we need relationships to fulfil this need. We need people around
us and without good relationships, people usually suffer from depressions, the feel unhappy and
unwanted.
 Without people such as family and friends, our life is low in quality and meaningless.
 Families are the basic social units in which informal relationships are formed. These relationships last
forever beginning from early childhood.
 Human relationships define the way in which we behave and speak towards people around us.
 Besides other roles, one of the most important is for parents to raise their children in accordance with
socially accepted norms and patterns of behaviour.
 Children observe how their parents talk, behave to their relatives, friends and colleagues. Then, they
behave accordingly in their adulthood.

5) How would you solve some social problems (handicapped people, homelessness, addicts)? What
negative things in society worry you?
 Today society is facing a wide variety of problems ranging from unemployment, discrimination,
disease, climate change, pollution, food security and safety to migration, refugees and ageing
population.
 There is a wide range of reasons why people become homeless. The most frequent examples are
alcoholism, drug addiction and gambling. Likewise, unemployment can lead to difficulties in keeping
up with living expenses.
 Another factor leading to homelessness is serious mental illness.
 Homeless people should be given a chance to live a decent life. Firstly, the government should set up
homeless shelters in towns and cities in order to make sure that no one spends the night on the streets.
 Secondly, homeless shelters should be supported by government funding to provide homeless people
with free food, clothing and shelter.
 Thirdly, street outreach teams should help the homeless to find safe accommodation and a warm bed
for the night.
 Next, alcohol and drug abuse programmes should give the homeless an opportunity to participate and
find treatment for their addiction.

6) Can you describe a typical celebration in your family?

7) Who influenced your values and how? How can parents raise their children tolerant, respectful
and emphatic?