5th box -Flashcards

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1. lesson27

A Course for Parents A course entitled "The Responsibilities of Parenthood" sounds as if it should be offered to students who are immediate candidates for parenthood. Not according to Dr. Lee Salk, who feels that teaching children about parenthood should precede the adolescent years. Dr. Salk, of the New York Hospital, teaches a volunteer coeducational class of junior high school youngsters what it means to be a parent. He does not lecture or present radical views. Rather, he conducts spontaneous discussions by encouraging students to imagine that they are parents and asking them such questions as "What would you do if you found your child smoking?" or "How would you prepare your child for the first day of school?" The lessons skim over such topics as the need to vaccinate children against diseases or to teach them not to be untidy or to use utensils properly. The class is more concerned with preparing students emotionally to become better parents some day and with making children sensitive to the responsibilities of parenthood. The class members often express temperate and mature views. One girl said she would not approve of having a nurse bring up her child. Another felt that money earned through baby-sitting or other jobs should be shared with parents. When asked how his students rate, Dr. Salk retained a hopeful outlook. "They are ready for this information," he declared. "I think they'll be honest parents."
Don't look over My Shoulder! The kibitzer is a person who volunteers useless information, especially in card games, causing the players to be prejudiced against him. The name comes from a Yiddish word which originally referred to a certain bird whose shrill cry scared the animals away upon the approach of the hunters. Though the kibitzer may think he is being jolly or witty, his advice often hinders more than it helps. We may scowl at him or lecture him for his abuse of our friendship, but he still continues to mumble his unwelcome remarks. The serious player may even wish he could make the kibitzer mute by sticking a wad of cotton in his mouth. The kibitzer, however, may not realize that he is causing torment or distress to his colleagues. Thus we may have to resign ourselves to his annoying habit if we wish to retain him as a friend.
Problems We Face Despite wars, disease, and natural disasters, our world is experiencing a population explosion (boom) that threatens to change or disrupt life as we have known it. Vast numbers of people must be fed and housed, and in the process a whole rash of problems has descended upon the human race. First has been the pollution of the air and the contamination of the water supply. Second has been the rapid exhaustion of fuels, minerals, and other natural resources. The response to this situation has ranged from utter disbelief to exaggerated concern. Since scientists themselves disagree on the severity of the problem, our feeble knowledge is surely unable to suggest the correct course of action. But we cannot stand still because there is too much at stake. We are, therefore, compelled to unite in our efforts to insure that human life on this planet does not cease. We must learn to be thrifty, even miserly, with the gifts of nature that we have formerly taken for granted. If our past reveals a reckless squandering of our natural possessions, we must now find an intelligent guide to their use so that we may remain monarchs of a world that has peace and plenty.
The Challenge* of the Small Car The auto makers in Detroit barely survived* the tragedy of 1956. That was the year the consumer became aware* of the Volkswagen, and the auto market was forever altered.* Once Americans got a glance at this low-priced, nimble, small car that one could manipulate so easily, they frequently* refused those horrid Detroit monsters with eight cylinders and ten miles to each gallon of gasoline. Many pedestrians, previously uninterested in owning a car, began to purchase small foreign cars.Conservative as well as reckless drivers found the price within their budget and became customers. Volkswagen owners would rave about their economical cars, telling everyone how little gas they used and how infrequently* they needed to be lubricated. Volkswagen, once one of the most popular* small cars sold in America, has now fallen behind the autos of the ingenious Japanese manufacturers.

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