M: There was an article about a New York journalist who left her son in Central New York so that he had to make 1________________ back at the age of nine.
W: Brilliant!
M: Brilliant?
W: Yes!
M: Oh come on, you must be 2_____________.
W: I'm 3______________ serious.
M: He could have got lost, attacked, 4________________, ...
W: That's absolutely 5__________ and as parents we have to 6_____________ against all this
7_______________, cotton 8__________ rubbish. Being allowed to do a lot when I was a kid taught me to protect myself and learn to be 9_________.
M: I agree with you 10____________ but I 11_______ you can 't expect a nine year old to grow up in
the course of two hours.
W: 12____________ you don't think that he should never learn?
M: Of course not but not at the age of nine!
W: Right, well that goes against my 13____________ because I 14___________ think it's more responsible as a parent to show them by 15____________ them in at the 16_______________.
M: So you think abandoning your child is the right thing to do?
W: She didn't abandon him. He lives in New York.
M:It's one of the most dangerous cities in the world!
W: There are far worse places in the world. It's all 17_____________.
M: Looking at the 18____________ and the crime 19________________ in New York it 's 20__________ and a nine year old wouldn't have 21_____________ how to deal with all of that.
W: She didn't leave him at two o'clock in the morning so you have to take it with a 22___________ a bit.
M: Not all crime happens at two o'clock in the morning.
W: Well surely you don't think then that it's terribly dangerous to leave a child in a city they know in the middle of the morning.
M: I do at the age of nine.
W: He's probably a nine year old that's really got a lot 23____________ . The whole point is to take the child as an individual.
M: I understand the, wanting the 24________________, I just think we're in a hurry to 25___________ our kids to grow up too soon.
W: If everybody feels like that we're never going to get anybody that 26_______________ themselves.
M: Oh that's ridiculous! We're talking about a nine year old!
W: Well that's absolutely right.
KEY
1. his own way
2. joking
3. absolutely
4. mugged
mug somebody to attack somebody violently in order to steal their money, especially in a public place. E.g. She had been mugged in the street in broad daylight.
5. right
6. take a stand
stand (on something) an attitude towards something or an opinion that you make clear to people. E.g. to take a firm stand on something. He was criticized for his tough stand on immigration.
take a stand (against someone or something) to take a position in opposition to someone or something; to oppose or resist someone or something. E.g. The
treasurer was forced to take a stand against the board because of its
wasteful spending. The treasurer took a stand, and others agreed.
7. mollycoddling
7. mollycoddling
mollycoddle somebody /ˈmɒlikɒdl/ to protect somebody too much and make their life too comfortable and safe. E.g. She was mollycoddled as a child.
8. wool
cotton wool: 1. a soft mass of white material that is used for cleaning the skin or a wound. E.g. cotton wool balls. 2. a state of pampered comfort and protection. E.g. Don't wrap them in cotton wool as they grow up. Cotton-wool kids (also bubble-wrapped kids).
9. streetwise
streetwise: /ˈstriːtwaɪz/ having the knowledge and experience that is needed to deal with the difficulties and dangers of life in a big city. E.g. Kids seem much more streetwise these days.
10. up to a point
11. mean
12. Surely
Surely: /ˈʃʊəli/ / ˈʃɔːli/ used with a negative to show that something surprises you and you do not want to believe it. E.g. Surely you don't think I was responsible for this? ‘They're getting married.’ ‘ Surely not! ’They won't go, surely?
13. better judgement
judgement (of/about/on something) an opinion that you form about something after thinking about it carefully; the act of making this opinion known to others. E.g. Against my better judgement, I gave him the job. I lent him the money against my better judgement. I did it against my better judgement(= although I thought it was perhaps the wrong thing to do. If you do something against your better judgement, you do it although you think it is wrong. Not the best decision you believe you could make).
14. actually
15. chucking
Chuck: to throw something carelessly or without much thought. E.g. chuck something (+ adverb/ preposition) He chucked the paper in a drawer. Chuck somebody something Chuck me the newspaper, would you?
16. deep end
be thrown in at the deep end (also jump in at the deep end) (informal) to start or be made to start a new and difficult activity that you are not prepared for. E.g. Junior hospital doctors are thrown in at the deep end in their first jobs.
17. relative
18. muggings
mugging: the crime of attacking somebody violently, or threatening to do so, in order to steal their money, especially in a public place. E.g. Mugging is on the increase. There have been several muggings here recently.
19. rate
rate: a measurement of the number of times something happens or exists during a particular period. Sp. tasa, índice. E.g. Local businesses are closing at a/ the rate of three a year. A high/ low/ rising rate of unemployment. The annual crime/ divorce rate. His pulse rate dropped suddenly. A high success/ failure rate.
20. horrendous
horrendous /hɒˈrendəs/
21. a clue
not have a clue (informal)1 to know nothing about something or about how to do something. E.g. I don't have a clue where she lives. 2 (disapproving) to be very stupid. E.g. Don't ask him to do it—he doesn't have a clue!
22. pinch of salt
take something with a pinch of salt to be careful about believing that something is completely true. E.g. If I were you, I'd take everything he says with a pinch of salt.
23. going on
go on (usually be going on) to happen. What's going on here? He has got a lot going on.
24. empowerment
empower somebody (to do something) to give somebody more control over their own life or the situation they are in. E.g. The movement actively empowered women and gave them confidence in themselves.
empowerment: e.g. the empowerment of the individual.
25. push
push: to persuade or encourage somebody to do something that they may not want to do. E.g. push somebody (into something/ into doing something) My teacher pushed me into entering the competition. Push somebody to do something No one pushed you to take the job, did they?
26. stands up for
stand up for somebody/ something: to support or defend somebody/ something. E.g. Always stand up for your friends. You must stand up for your rights. She had learnt to stand up for herself.
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