Task 1. Read the passage and choose the correct answers.

(Đọc đoạn văn sau và chọn đáp án đúng.)

The changing roles of the modern father

Fathers used to act as the ‘breadwinner’ of their family, and as the teacher of moral and religious values. Today, however, those roles are gradually changing.

Changes in economic roles

More and more women are going out to work and earn money. This increases the budget of the family. Apart from that, there are various social welfare programmes which financially assist mothers in supporting their children. Both these changes have greatly impacted the role of fathers because they make paternal financial support less essential for many families. 

Changes in caregiving roles

With the burden of financial support reduced, and with a changing concept of a father's role, modern fathers tend to be more involved in children's caregiving.They are now spending more time and energy on their children.

Psychological research across families from all ethnic backgrounds suggests that the influence of a father's love and attention is as great as that of a mother's. Fatherly love helps children develop a sense of their place in the world, which helps their social and emotional development. Moreover, children who receive more love from their fathers are less likely to have behavioural problems.

This trend is still increasing and its effects will become clearer and clearer in the future espec a!fy in traditionally male-dominated societies.

Task 2. Read the passage and answer the questions.

(Đọc đoạn văn và trả lời câu hỏi.)

NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKS 

Parks have long been thought of as vast city-owned, tree-covered areas which are put aside for people to relax in. They are expectec to be large enough for activities like cycling, running, public gatherings, and various outdoor games. However, many modern and densely-populated cities have little land for such traditional parks.

Instead of complaining about the lacks of such parks in their city, a group of concerned residents of Creek County in California have become more creative in building new neighbourhood and community parks. These parks maybe often be smaller in size, but they can still bring to a community most of the benefits of a much larger green space, providing balance amid busy and populous areas. These volunteers have been successful in turning some abandoned public locations on the areas into green and relaxing spaces. The project has been greeted with lots of local enthusiasm, and has involved almost every resident in the area: cleaning up the area, planting trees and flowers, putting in benchesm and creating outdoor activities for chidren. Volunteers also help maintain the parks.

This plan has attracted interes from different parts of the city. Now there are more than ten other similar projects operating throughout the city.