Practice SVIP

a. Sarah: Not every night, but we try to eat together on weekends. It's nice.

b. Emily: I agree. My family always eats dinner together.

c. Emily: Do you have dinner with your family every night?

a. Jessica: Me too. I have to wash the dishes and clean my room.

b. William: My parents expect me to help around the house.

c. William: It's a good thing, though. It helps me learn responsibility.

a. David: My sister never helps with chores.

b. David: I have to do all the work myself.

c. Ashley: That's not fair! My brother is the same.

a. John: They are. They said it's a new adventure.

b. Megan: That's a big change. Are your parents supportive?

c. John: I'm worried about moving to a new school.

a. Robert: We have ten so far, but we need more.

b. Robert: We are making a family tree for a school project.

c. Hannah: That sounds like a big job! How many names do you have?

a. Daniel: My mom says I can't have my phone at the dinner table.

b. Daniel: But sometimes I get important messages from friends.

c. Matthew: My family has that rule, too. It's to talk to each other.

a. Rachel: My little brother always comes into my room without knocking.

b. Olivia: Oh, that's annoying! Do you have a lock on your door?

c. Rachel: No, but I wish I did. I need some privacy.

a. Joseph: What did you do there? Did you play soccer?

b. Andrew: No, we just talked and walked. It was a good time.

c. Andrew: My dad and I went to the park this weekend.

a. Chris: That's a long time! Don't you want your own space?

b. Emma: I have to share my bedroom with my sister until I'm 16.

c. Emma: Yes, but my parents say it's good for us to learn to share.

a. Natalie: It makes me feel like I can talk about anything.

b. Thomas: It's good to have that trust.

c. Thomas: That's so important! My parents are the same.

d. Natalie: My parents always listen to me when I talk.

e. Natalie: Yes, it makes our relationship strong.

a. Victoria: I had to pull out weeds. It was so hot outside.

b. Victoria: Me too, but he gave me some money for helping.

c. Victoria: My dad asked me to help him in the garden.

d. Grace: I hate doing yard work.

e. Grace: Really? What did you have to do?

a. Chloe: Oh, that's not too bad. My chore is taking out the trash.

b. Chloe: Yeah, but the dishes are important too.

c. Ryan: I wish I had that chore. It's much faster.

d. Ryan: I guess so. My mom says everyone must help.

e. Ryan: I have to do the dishes every night after dinner.

a. Nicholas: Yes, we always do. We can't stay mad for long.

b. Nicholas: I argued with my brother this morning.

c. Brandon: That's annoying. Did you make up?

d. Nicholas: He took my favorite jacket without asking.

e. Brandon: Oh no! What was the fight about?

a. Julia: My dad and I sometimes disagree about my friends.

b. Kayla: How do you handle that?

c. Kayla: Really? What does he say?

d. Julia: He thinks some of them are a bad influence.

e. Julia: We talk about it calmly, and I try to understand his worries.

a. Kevin: I know. It's like they're watching me all the time.

b. Eric: I only tell them a little bit. It feels like they don't trust me.

c. Eric: My parents always want to know what I'm doing on my phone.

d. Eric: I just wish I had more privacy.

e. Kevin: Oh, that's annoying. Do you tell them?

a. Grace: That's a smart idea. It's good to have a goal.

b. Chloe: Yes, it gives me something to work toward.

c. Chloe: I don't know yet. I'm just focusing on my grades right now.

d. Chloe: My parents want me to go to a good university.

e. Grace: That's a big goal. Which one are you thinking about?

a. Rachel: Sometimes! The best part is just talking with him.

b. Andrew: That's a great way to bond with your dad.

c. Andrew: Really? Do you catch anything?

d. Rachel: Yeah, it's my favorite time of the year.

e. Rachel: My dad and I go fishing every summer.

a. John: My dad works a lot, so my mom takes care of the house.

b. David: He has a very important role in the family.

c. John: I wish my dad was home more, but he works hard for us.

d. John: Yes, he provides for us.

e. David: My mom and dad both work, so we all help out.

Fill in the blanks to complete the conversation.

A. So, in what ways do you two support each other?

B. It sounds like you two have a very interesting relationship.

C. That's a perfect balance for a good relationship with a sibling.

D. My sister helps me with my chores so I have more time to study.

E. What kinds of things do you compete about?

Hien: My brother and I are always competing about everything.

Thuong: Really? That sounds tiring.

Hien: Everything! Like who gets the best grade on a test, or who can run the fastest to the corner store.

Thuong: Wow, that's intense. My sister and I never compete like that. We always support each other instead.

Hien: Oh, I see. My brother and I are not always competing, though. Sometimes we support each other too.

Thuong: That's nice to hear.

Hien: Well, he is really good at math, so he helps me with my homework when I don't understand something.

Thuong: That's a good way to help.

Hien: See? That's what I mean. He also helped me fix my bicycle last weekend when the chain fell off.

Thuong: It's great to have a brother who can do that. It shows he cares about you.

Hien: He does. But then, right after we fixed the bike, he wanted to race me all the way home!

Thuong: Haha! I knew it!

Hien: Yeah, it's a good mix. A little bit of competition and a lot of support.

Thuong:

Hien: I think so, too. It makes life more fun and a little bit challenging!

Fill in the blanks to complete the conversation.

A. I usually just keep my feelings to myself and don't tell anyone what's going on.

B. Maybe you can try telling them one small thing at a time, to see how they react.

C. She was very understanding.

D. My family doesn't really talk about feelings very much.

E. It can really help you feel less alone when you're going through a tough time.

F. Never about how I'm actually feeling.

Binh: I told my mom I was feeling really sad today because of something that happened at school.

Toan: Oh, what did she say? Was she worried?

Binh: She gave me a big hug and we sat down to talk about it for a long time. It made me feel so much better.

Toan: That's really nice. My parents just tell me to be strong.

Binh: Oh, that must be hard. It's so important to be able to share your feelings, even when they are difficult.

Toan: I know.

Binh: That sounds very difficult. Do you ever talk to your brother about things? He's a bit older, right?

Toan: Sometimes, but only about small things, like movies or video games.

Binh: It's good that you have someone to talk to at all, but it's still important for you to be able to express yourself.

Toan: I agree. I just wish I could be more open with my parents and not be so afraid of their reaction.

Binh: It might get easier.

Toan: Maybe I will. It's a bit scary to think about, but I really want to try to be more open.

Binh: You should.

Toan: Thanks, Binh. It's good to have a friend who understands.

Binh: Of course. That's what friends are for.