Онлайн-урок №5 "Family relationships. Friendship, loving relationship. Article"

Our family is neither large nor small. I have a mother, a father and a sister. We all live together. We are an average family.
  My father Jack is 45 years old. He is a tall and well-built man with short black hair and grey eyes. He works as a manager at a big plant. He likes his work and spends most of his time there. My father is a quiet man, while my mother is energetic and talkative.
  My mother’s name is Emily. She is a teacher of music and plays the piano very well. My mother always has a lot of work to do about the house and at school. She is out-going, cheerful and encouraging.
  My sister’s name is Jessica. She takes after our mother. She has blue eyes and fair hair. She is a very good-looking girl. Jess is three years younger than me. She does well at school and gets only good and excellent marks. Literature is her favourite subject and she wants to become a teacher, as well as I do.
  Our family is very united. We like spending time together. Our parents don’t always agree with what we say, but they listen to our opinion.
All of us like to spend our weekends in the country. We often go to the village where our grandparents live. They are aged pensioners now, but prefer to live in the country. My great-grandmother is still alive. She lives in my grandmother’s family and is always glad to see us. Her health is poor and she asks us to come and see her more often. I also have many other relatives: uncles, aunts, cousins. We are happy when we are together.

 Everyone needs friends, and you probably have always had at least one. A friend is defined as a person you know well and regard with affection, trust, and respect. As you get older, some of your friendships will start to change, and some may grow deeper. You might also begin to know many more people, although not all of them will be your close friends. 

  Chances are that you will also start to spend more time with your friends, and maybe talk on the phone more. Changes in relationships are natural but not always easy. Making and keeping friends can be particularly tough if you are shy or unsure of yourself. The best way to make new friends is to be involved in activities at school and in the community where there are other people of your age.
  Another way to make friends is to be friendly and helpful to other people. Talk to people, get to know them, and find out if you have something in common with them.Peer pressure can play a major role in friendships. If someone is vulnerable to peer pressure, the relationship is not balanced. Remember that you have the right and duty to stand up for what you believe is right. Express yourself with your friends. You have freedom to say "no" if you disagree. If you are scared of losing a friendship by standing up for what you believe is right, then you are in an unstable friendship. True friends listen to and respect each other's opinions. 
  Standing up for yourself may cause tension in a friendship, but it is OK as long as you have the skills to handle the situation. Remember to communicate your ideas while respecting your friend's opinion. By mutually supporting each other, whether or not you agree, your friendship will be more stable.

  Below are tips for keeping friends.
1. Be supportive.
2. Be encouraging.
3. Do not tease or belittle.
4. Cooperate.
5. Compromise.
6. Be considerate.
7. Talk openly about disagreements.
8. Apologize when you hurt them.