Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Could you tell me about your job?
- Do you want to be famous? Why or why not?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- seek /seek/
- express /ik-SPRES/
- psychologist /sahy-KOL-uh-jist/
- anxiety /ang-ZAHY-i-tee/
- cope /kohp/
[verb] – to try to find or get something, especially something that is not a physical object
We seek to improve relations between our two countries.
[verb] – to show a feeling, opinion, or fact
Words can’t express what I felt then.
[noun] – someone who studies the human mind and human emotions and behavior, and how different situations have an effect on people
He is now a consultant psychologist with a major London hospital.
[noun] – an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future
He relieved me from anxiety.
[verb] – to deal successfully with a difficult situation
He found he could no longer cope with his demanding job.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Children of successful parents aren’t the only ones hiding behind their parents’ shadows. The experience is widespread, and the repercussions last well into adulthood.
When Ryan decided to pursue a teaching degree, he anticipated receiving his father’s displeasure. The American special education administrator from Maryland, age 25, wanted to make children’s lives better. He was persuaded to seek a profession in medicine by his successful father, a physician. Ryan’s father wanted his children to take advantage of the opportunities in the US that he had worked so hard to make attainable for them. Ryan had long thought that he would follow in his father’s footsteps. But when he started studying physics in college, he realized medicine wasn’t the right fit for him. It was challenging to break the news to his father. For instance, the children of certain well-known parents have expressed regret at having to spend their young years with them.
According to Alex Leff, a psychologist and relationship expert in New York City who works with many children of the famous or socially prominent, children who grow up in their parents’ shadows may have a variety of issues as adults. She’s observed that many of her clients turn to perfectionism, anxiety, and success as a way to cope with a pervasive sense of unhappiness in their lives.
When Ryan decided to pursue a teaching degree, he anticipated receiving his father’s displeasure. The American special education administrator from Maryland, age 25, wanted to make children’s lives better. He was persuaded to seek a profession in medicine by his successful father, a physician. Ryan’s father wanted his children to take advantage of the opportunities in the US that he had worked so hard to make attainable for them. Ryan had long thought that he would follow in his father’s footsteps. But when he started studying physics in college, he realized medicine wasn’t the right fit for him. It was challenging to break the news to his father. For instance, the children of certain well-known parents have expressed regret at having to spend their young years with them.
According to Alex Leff, a psychologist and relationship expert in New York City who works with many children of the famous or socially prominent, children who grow up in their parents’ shadows may have a variety of issues as adults. She’s observed that many of her clients turn to perfectionism, anxiety, and success as a way to cope with a pervasive sense of unhappiness in their lives.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Who anticipated his father’s displeasure?
- What does Ryan do?
- What did Ryan’s father want?
- What did Ryan realize when he started studying physics?
- According to Alex Leff, how did many of her clients cope with a pervasive sense of unhappiness in their lives?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Could you tell me about your parents’ jobs?
- Did you ever wish to follow your parents before? Why or why not?
- Would you like your children to follow in your footsteps? Why or why not?
- Do you agree that children who grow up in their parents’ shadows may experience a range of problems as adults?
- What do you think of parents who want their children to be like them?