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EF p 9 Mediation Bank p 254 Ex h. Talk on Strengthening Family Relationships. Sample Answer. Cloze Test

Task:

You volunteer for a family welfare charity. The charity asks you to give a talk using the information in the infographic. Analyse the findings and highlight the suggestions you consider most effective, explaining why they would be valuable.

Write your talk

Infographics:

Infographic 1 (Student A):

HOW TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY

A recent survey showed how 500 parents spend their time

. The results are below:

WEEKDAYS

7 HRS (Phone/Devices)
0.5 HRS (Cleaning/Chores)
7.5 HRS (Laptop/Work/Study)
1.25 HRS (Car/Commute)
6.5 HRS (Sleeping)
0.25 HRS (Family)
1 HR (Eating)

WEEKENDS

Total time spent with children:

THREE HOURS

FAMILIES THAT PLAY TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER

Ditch technology and make space for quality family time

Choose adventurous activities that provide challenge and engagement for everyone while offering an outlet for pent-up emotions and stress.
Prioritize shared mealtimes as opportunities for meaningful conversation and connection. Establish an atmosphere of mutual, non-judgemental support and encourage children to share their problems.
Strengthen your bond with younger children by carving out time for reading together. As well as being educational, fiction acts as a springboard for navigating difficult topics while fostering emotional intelligence and compassion.
Replace video games with board games that encourage collaboration and physical participation. Anticipate distractions and moments of potential conflict by banning smartphones during family time.

____________________________________________________________

Infographic 2 (Student B):

HOW TO KEEP A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SIBLINGS

Researchers believe sibling relationships fall into three different categories:

LOYALTY

Sticking together through thick and thin, showing support.

SOLIDARITY

Having a mutual cause and a shared background binding them together.

RIVALRY

Being competitive at different stages of life.

__________________________________________

A recent poll revealed that most adult siblings still argue about certain topics.

WORK & EDUCATION: 15%
HOME OWNERSHIP: 20%
BEING A PARENT'S FAVOURITE: 25%
COOKING AND CLEANING: 20%

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER

How to stay close to your siblings

Staying in touch regularly demonstrates your interest and availability, but don't limit yourself to digital communication. Personalize your relationships by making calls and organizing get-togethers.
Practise active listening, even when criticism feels uncomfortable – acknowledging grievances openly can defuse long-standing tensions.
Exercise self-control and employ tact and emotional intelligence by avoiding difficult subjects, staying away from contentious issues which you know will cause a rift.
Remember important dates, such as birthdays, especially those of your nieces and nephews. Show your siblings and their families they are at the forefront of your mind.
Dismiss preconceived notions about your siblings. Acknowledge they have changed and get to know them as adults by taking a trip together and spending time forging new memories.

Sample answer:

Infographic 1 (Student A):

Today, I’d like to talk about spending quality (1)_________ with your family. My intention is to analyse and present the results of a recent survey that showed how 500 parents spend their time and (2)___________ consider the advice presented by an infographic relating to finding more opportunities for quality family experiences.

The results of the survey showed that parents spend seven hours a day using a screen and only a quarter of an hour doing family activities. Furthermore, (3)____________ having more free time at the weekend, families typically only spend three hours doing activities together.

(4)___________ to some experts, the way to encourage quality family time is to reject technology for certain periods of time and embrace screen-free activities with the general rule of not allowing phones during specific stretches of family time. (5)_____________ these activities, it’s (6)____________ that to allay general feelings of frustration among family members, it’s important to take part in challenging activities that encourage positive involvement and allow for free expression. (7)______________, to encourage communication and help the development of emotional intelligence, (8)__________________ among young children, parents might spend time doing educational pursuits (9)_____________ as reading.

(10)______________, we can conclude that one of the major reasons why parents currently spend so little time interacting with their children is technology, (11)______________ by setting technology aside, the situation can be rectified and be of benefit to everyone in the family.

Infographic 2 (Student B):

In this presentation, I’ll be examining how to maintain a good relationship with your siblings. The focus of this talk is to consider the different categories that sibling relationships fall (12)__________, to analyse and present the results of a recent poll that showed the most common disagreements (13)_____________ siblings, and to consider the advice presented by an infographic relating to improving sibling relationships.

Research suggests that there are three categories of sibling relationship: those based on loyalty, those based on solidarity, and those based on rivalry. In (14)_____________, a poll shows that the majority of adult siblings still have disputes about the same issues they had when they were children and the most common of these is who was the favourite son or daughter.

Prominent voices in the field suggest that there are ways to counteract this situation and encourage an improvement in sibling relationships. Listening to each other without judgement is an essential way to get (15)________________ disagreements of the past. In the same way, controversial topics which are (16)_____________ to create friction among siblings are best avoided completely. In (17)_______________, becoming more involved in each other’s lives, forgetting old grudges, and embracing each other as adults who have moved on from childhood issues are important ways to retain good relationships.

All in (18)__________, we can conclude that although maintaining sibling relationships can be challenging, issues can be worked on and there are steps that can be (19)__________ to improve situations.

KEY

1. time

2. to

3. despite

4. According

5. Regarding

allay: /əˈleɪ/ (allay something) to make something, especially a feeling, less strong. Calm. E.g. to allay fears/concern/suspicion.

6. thought

7. Similarly

8. particularly

pursuit: /pəˈsjuːt/[countable, usually plural] something that you give your time and energy to and that you do as a hobby. Activity, hobby, pastime.
E.g.
Rock climbing is Jon's favourite pursuit.
outdoor/leisure/artistic pursuits

9. such

10. Overall /ˌəʊvərˈɔːl/ generally; when you consider everything

E.g.

Overall, this is a very useful book.
I think overall we're doing a good job.
Students were satisfied overall with what they had achieved.

11. but

What is the meaning of: "but by setting technology aside, the situation can be rectified and be of benefit to everyone in the family."

This sentence sums up the main point of Student A's concluding paragraph. Here is a breakdown of what it means in simple terms:

"by setting technology aside" – If families temporarily put away their electronic devices (phones, tablets, TVs, computers).
"the situation can be rectified" – The problem (that family members barely interact with one another) can be fixed or corrected.
"and be of benefit to everyone in the family" – Fixing this problem will bring positive results, happier relationships, and better well-being for all family members.

In Plain English

"If family members put away their screens, the lack of quality time together can be fixed, which will ultimately make the whole family happier and closer."

12. into

fall into: (fall into something) to be able to be divided into something. E.g. My talk falls naturally into three parts.

13. among

14. fact

15. over

get over something to deal with or gain control of something

synonym overcome

E.g.

She can't get over her shyness. I think the problem can be got over without too much difficulty.

16. known

17. addition

18. all

19. taken