It may sound folksy, but it’s backed by a ton of child development research.
Complete the gaps in the article extract with these prepositions or adverbs:
out of at aboutx2 in
from upx2 to along
Warren Buffett is (rightfully) best known as one of the best investors to have ever lived. But he has not done too badly as a parent either. (…)
In a recent interview with CNBC Buffett spoke 1. ………. his own youthful indiscretions and how his father handled them. Back then he often behaved like “a jerk,” he confessed. But his father, a stockbroker and Republican congressman, wasn’t too bothered.
“My dad was always very forgiving 2. ……… my misbehavior,” Buffett explained. “He’d just say, ‘I know you can do better.’” This quiet approach was “very powerful stuff,” Buffett continued, because he knew his father was right, both about his shortcomings and his potential 3. ……… improve.
The Buffett family patriarch sounds like a cool and collected parent. But young Warren Buffett drew a deeper lesson 4. ……….. his father’s quiet confidence that his son would eventually figure 5. ……… how to do the right thing.
“If you want to have good children, be a good parent,” Buffett advised, summing 6. …… his own parenting approach. “You don’t give them lectures 7. …….. doing bad things when you’re doing the bad things, and they’re actually just acting like teenagers.”
If kids don’t witness hypocrisy 8. …….. their parents, this thinking goes, chances are excellent they’ll grow 9. …….. to adopt their parents’ values without too much hectoring and yelling.
If you want to have good children, be a good parent,” is incredibly simple advice. It would be easy enough to dismiss this sentence as a tautology 10. …….. the lines of “If you want to win 11. ……… tennis, become a good tennis player.” But science suggests Buffett’s advice isn’t just the bland interview filler it might first appear to be.
In order to read the whole article, go to: https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/warren-buffetts-boiled-down-his-parenting-advice-to-1-simple-sentence-science-agrees
Key: 1. about; 2. of; 3. to; 4. from; 5. out; 6. up; 7. about; 8. in; 9. up; 10. along; 11. at
Glossary
- folksy – simple, down-to-earth, and traditional in a warm, homespun way
- standup (citizens) – honest, responsible, and morally upright; law-abiding and trustworthy (members of socjety)
- indiscretions – mistakes
- to hector – to talk to someone in a bullying, bossy, or aggressively lecturing way
- tautology – a redundant statement in which the same idea is repeated using different words, adding no new meaning
- knuckleheaded – (informal) stupid, thoughtless, or foolish, especially due to poor judgment
- non-brat – someone who is not spoiled, entitled, or badly behaved
- to fret – to worry, be anxious, or dwell nervously on something, often unnecessarily.
- to go about – to continue living or doing things in your normal, routine way
Practice makes perfect
Read the article and choose the correct answer:
1. According to the text, parenting is NOT instinctual because:
a) parents do not care about their children
b) people have different beliefs and reactions
c) children behave differently today
d) instincts disappear in adulthood
2. Which of the following is mentioned as an instinctive behavior?
a) teaching discipline
b) choosing a college
c) responding to a crying baby
d) setting rules
3. Research from Ohio State University suggests that children:
a) ignore adults’ behavior
b) focus only on what adults say
c) learn mainly through observation
d) remember rules better than actions
4. What is considered the most effective parenting technique according to the article?
a) Modeling the behavior you want to see
b) Explaining rules clearly
c) Punishing bad behavior
d) Giving children lectures
5. Which factor does NOT influence a parent’s parenting style, according to the text?
a) Personality and experiences
b) Individual circumstances and priorities
c) Innate instincts in all situations
d) Observing other parents
6. What is the first rule of effective parenting mentioned in the article?
a) Always reward good behavior
b) Teach life lessons directly
c) Let children make all their own decisions
d) Remember that children are always observing your actions
Key: 1b); 2c); 3c); 4a); 5c); 6d)
Discuss
- Do you agree that children primarily learn values by observing rather than being instructed?
- Is Buffett’s parenting advice universal, or does it depend on culture, socioeconomic status, or personality?
- Do you think this approach would work equally well with all children, including very difficult or rebellious ones?
- Can being too empathetic as a parent ever be harmful? Where should the limits be?
- Can you think of examples from your own life where adults’ behavior influenced you more than their words?
- Do you believe parenting skills are instinctive, learned, or a mix of both? Why?
- Can someone be a good parent without having had good parents themselves?
Watch and Revise!
Warren Buffett’s Secret to Raising Great Kids
https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/sotHbYp8pXisw6S
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