Cross-curricular extension unit 8

Civic and ethical education: Relationships

1 Complete the text with the words in the box.

jealousy loyalty rejection solidarity

Relationships are full of emotions. They can make us very happy, or very sad. In good relationships, you support
your friends, partner or family you show them (1)________________. You might support someone because youre
in the same situation or have the same opinions this is (2)________________. When relationships go wrong, they
can cause negative emotions. If you notice that your boyfriend or girlfriend likes another person, you can
experience (3)________________. When someone doesnt want you any more, this leaves you with a feeling of
(4)________________, which can damage your confidence. But relationships are usually a good thing imagine life
without them! Friends, partners and family help to make our lives complete.

2 Read the messages on the forum and choose the correct words.

Tell us about your relationships: good and bad

JennyP
My parents always help me when Im upset or worried about something. They (1) rely on / support me.
Dan
My sister is really jealous of our little brother and often (2) approves of / mistreats him.
Rich500
Mum says my clothes are too black and my music is too loud. She (3) disapproves of / supports everything
about me!
Vicki
My friends have decided that Im too lazy. I hate it when they (4) influence / judge me!
Tom_Tom
My parents really like my girlfriend. Im glad that they (5) approve of / mistreat her.
HollyG
My best friend is always happy to listen to my problems. I know that I can (6) judge / rely on him a lot.
Charlie
I want to be like my uncle when Im older. Hes a great guy who (7) disapproves of / influences me a lot.

3 Read the descriptions. Then complete the sentences with the adjectives in the box.

competitive overwhelming unconditional unimportant valued

1 Sues children are often naughty and annoying, but those things dont change her feelings for them.
Her love for them is __________________.
2 Julias feelings for her new boyfriend are so strong, theyre almost __________________.
3 My parents dont listen to my opinions. They arent interested in how I feel. When Im with them,
I feel __________________.
4 John always wants to be better than his brothers. Hes very __________________.
5 My boyfriend respects me and enjoys hearing my opinions. This makes me feel __________________.

 PHOTOCOPIABLE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1

4 Read the text on the right. Then match 13 with ac to make sentences.
1 Young children learn about life
2 Teenagers sometimes feel unimportant
3 Relationships between partners are often
emotional
5 Read the text again. Then answer the questions.
1 Why do parents love their children even when
they do terrible things?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
2 Why is there often conflict between teenagers
and their parents?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
3 Why are siblings sometimes jealous of each
other?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
4 When do siblings relationships often start to
improve?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
5 Why does a relationship between partners bring
the greatest happiness and misery?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
6 How do friends make each other feel valued?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
6 Write about the most important relationship in
your life. Use the questions to help you.
1 How do you know this person?
2 How much time do you spend with this person?
3 What are your feelings for each other?
4 How has this person influenced you?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
 PHOTOCOPIABLE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
a because their parents dont always respect their
opinions.
b because they can cause the best and worst feelings.
c from their parents.
The importance of
relationships
Relationships are an important part of our lives.
They support us emotionally and help us to fit into
society. Perhaps the most important kinds of
relationship are those we have with our families, our
partners and our friends.
The first relationship children form is with their
parents. They feed them, protect them and teach
them skills for adult life. Parents usually give their
children unconditional love, even though they arent
perfect and often do things wrong. But as children
grow older, problems begin they feel they can do
things alone, but the parents feel that they are still too
young. Teenagers are often accused of not showing
enough respect. They shout at their parents because
their parents dont let them do what they want.
Teenagers often feel that their thoughts and opinions
arent important enough in the family home.
Theres also the relationship between brothers and
sisters. For some, this may seem unimportant, but it
is sometimes the longest relationship in a persons
life. It can also be one of the closest, because
siblings know more about each other than anyone
else. As young children, this relationship can be
very competitive as they fight for their parents
attention. This can cause a lot of jealousy between
them and they often mistreat each other. But as
they grow older and more independent, their loyalty
and solidarity towards each other generally grows.
The relationship that creates the strongest feelings is
between partners. The happiness a person feels at
the beginning of a new relationship may feel better
than anything else. Of course, theres a negative side
splitting up can cause overwhelming feelings of
rejection. But a long relationship between partners
brings support and friendship over many years.
For teenagers, friendships are very important. They
need friends who approve of their interests and
opinions and who dont judge them. This helps a
teenager to feel valued. When a friendship goes
wrong, it can be upsetting. A friends disapproval
can feel terrible and seriously damage a persons
confidence. But a friends loyalty is precious and
can last for the rest of your life.
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