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Hello, ХХХ!Thank you for your letter. I know how busy you are at university and Iappreciate your writing to me such a long letter.

I can understandthe problems you are having with your sister. I got the impression that she isnot an ideal person to share a flat with, but none of us is.

I live withmy family. I have a father, a mother, and a younger brother. There are four ofus living in a two-bedroom flat. I often wish I lived alone and didn’t have tolive with them. My brother and I sleep in one room, our parents sleep in theother. My brother is quite a noisy sleeper – he snores loudly and it can’t behelped. My parents are unhappily married and they often have awful rows. Theythrow things on the floor and shout at each other.

There canbe many reasons for our conflicts. My brother and I go to school; our parentswork from morning till evening. We all get tired by the evening. We have to spendour days dealing with people, and not all of those people are nice. Naturally,we become irritated and even frustrated. Most family conflicts come frommisunderstanding: it is not always clear who is supposed to do what at home. Mymother keeps reminding us that she is not a housemaid, my father is alwaystired, and my brother is quite useless for anything other than playing computergames.

I can giveyou a piece of advice: be patient. Our problems are temporary ones. They mayseem serious, but they aren’t really. Try talking to the people you live with,they may be brought round to your point of view. Try listening to what theyhave to say, there may be something in it. Try finding some common ground, itmay be a basis for a possible compromise.

Avoidquarrels, never be rude to your people and don’t answer back. Your relativesdon’t really mean to insult you; they are just tired and frustrated. Everyonewill be sorry in the morning.

                                                                 I look forward to hearing from you soon,yours XXXXX