SCAN TEXT 1 PROBLEMS OF YOUTH
DIRECTIONS:
What problems may young people have? Fill in the Word Web.
ACTIVITY B
READING
DIRECTIONS:
Now read.
Problems of Youth
Youth is a very important period in the life of every man. This is the time when a person discovers the world and tries to determine his place in the universe. Young people face lots of problems which are very important for them and do not differ much from those that once their parents had to deal with. At the same time every generation is unique. It differs from the one that preceded it in its experience, ideals and a system of values. The adults always say that the young are not what they were. These words are repeated from generation to generation. To some extent they are true, because every new generation grows up quicker, enjoys more freedom. It is better educated and benefits from the results of the technological progress of the time.
Young people of today do not directly accept the standards of their parents who believe that they are right because they are older. The adults don't want their values to be questioned. The young on the other hand can not accept the values of their "fathers". All these differences create a generation gap when the youth and the adults do not understand each other. As a rule the adults, dissatisfied with their own lives, teach the young how to live. Unfortunately, the adults apply old standards to the new way of life. They can not leave behind their "good old days". This burden is very heavy. They think that the world is going down hill. They gloomily look ahead unable to understand the optimism of their children who want to pave their own way in life. The majority of young people do not want to live in the past. They have their own ideals. They want to make their own mistakes rather than to listen to the warnings of the adults and repeat the mistakes of the older generation. They want to overcome their own difficulties without looking back. However, the life of the young is frequently determined by the adults. And children, in their turn, shock their parents with their dress, language, behaviour. The existence of sub-culture which is specific for every generation is a form of protest of the young people against the values of the adults. Traditionally, young people were looking at their elders for guidance. Today the situation is different. Sometimes young people share information and experience with their parents. Moreover, young people grow up so quickly that they almost do not have time to enjoy their childhood.
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Another problem that young people face today concerns their relationship with their friends. Не/she can be on good terms with the classmates. But at the same time there can be only two or three real friends. It is wonderful if a school friend will remain your friend for the rest of your life. But in this case everything depends on the person.
The problem of love is very important for young people. Today they fall in love when they reach the age of Romeo and Juliet. Romanticism and idealism very often accompany the love of the young. They can love deeply and passionately, they believe that their love will last forever. Unfortunately, their hearts are often broken. Young people are not always ready to have stable relations. In many cases they are too young and inexperienced to begin a family life. They have to continue their education, while family obligations will force them to make money. At the same time without good education it is not that easy to find a good job.
Communication has always been an important part of young people's lives. Today they can choose between traditional and new ways of communication. Traditionally the young meet with their friends, make parties, go to the movies or disco clubs to have fun, relax and acquire new friends. But if the young people do not like noisy clubs and other places of entertainment, they can find friends without leaving their homes - the Internet gives such an opportunity. Although this international Web Wide Web is intended for getting knowledge, only few users employ it in this way. Others use different computer programmes to chat with their friends from all over the globe. They can sit for twenty four hours staring at the monitors. Such young people do not eat, sleep, work or learn properly. And it is a great problem of the present and future.
Moreover, teenagers have psychological problems which can be explained by their psychological instability. This is the reason of their strange and sometimes aggressive behavior. Their aggression can be aimed at their friends, teachers, parents and people around them. If these problems aren’t solved and regulated by experienced specialists, psychologists, teachers it can lead to far more serious problems.
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Drinking and taking drugs have become the most actual problems of the modern society. As for drinking, young people don’t realize the harm it does to their health, they just don’t want it to the privilege of grown-ups, but unlike grown-ups they are not able to drink responsibly. Government surveys on all aspects of drinking have found that about 40 percent of teenagers are attracted by bright and impressive advertisements of alcohol. They really believe that certain drinks will make them look like they’re accepted. So, we can say that the low level of self-appraisal is the main reason of drinking and drug problem.
Nowadays young people are greatly influenced by social problems such as unemployment, disfunctional families and the stress of getting into a new college. They don’t know how to cope with the problems which do not depend on them. They’re badly prepared for their solution mentally, spiritually and even physically. If they fail, they can be driven to despair and won’t find the way out if not helped by their families, school and some other representatives of society. In fact, teenagers have got a lot of work. They’re busy with their studies, household chores; some of them have a paid job. But there’s no time for fun and they want to be entertained at least sometimes. This excessive work leads to an inner conflict which is usually expressed in the form of an open, direct protest against the world of grown-ups. On the other hand, most teens don’t know how to organize their free time for raising their cultural level, enriching their knowledge and improving their physical forms.
ACTIVITY C
VOCABULARY STUDY
PART I
DIRECTIONS:
Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right.
| 1. aggression | a) the successful action of solving a problem |
| 2. behavior | b) an ideal accepted by some individual or group |
| 3. solution | c) a difference between the views of young people and their parents |
| 4. subculture | d) violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked |
| 5. problem | e) the state of not having a job |
| 6. obligation | f) a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved |
| 7. generation gap | g) a social group within a national culture that has distinctive patterns of behavior and beliefs |
| 8. value | h) a state in which all hope is lost or absent |
| 9. teenager | i) manner of acting or controlling yourself |
| 10. unemployment | j) the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force |
| 11. despair | k) a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity |
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PART II
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the words with the help of the preposition of:
| a system | today |
| young people | self-appraisal |
| technological progress | the adults |
| standards | protest |
| warnings | values |
| a form | communication |
| new ways | our parents |
| a low level | the time |
ACTIVITY D
READING COMPREHENSION
PART I
DIRECTIONS:
Choose the best alternative according to the text:
1. Youth is the time when a person tries … his place in the universe.
a. to state
b. to determine
c. to realize
2. Every new generation ... from the results of the technological progress of the time.
a. enjoys
b. contributes
c. benefits
3. The young can not … the values of their "fathers".
a. accept
b. apply
c. take
4. Sometimes young people … information and experience with their parents.
a. divide
b. share
c. discuss
5. Romanticism and idealism very often … the love of the young.
a. influence
b. accompany
c. ruin
6. The aggression of teenagers can be … their friends.
a. aimed at
b. used by
c. shown to
7. As for drinking, young people don’t realize the … it does to their health.
a. damage
b. thing
c. harm
PART II
DIRECTIONS:
Find out whether the statement is true or false according to the text:
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1. The problems of modern young people do not differ much from those that once their parents had to deal with.
2. The adults always say that the young are not what they were.
3. Today romanticism and idealism don’t accompany the love of the young.
4. The reason of teenagers’ strange and aggressive behavior is their financial instability.
5. The low level of self-appraisal is the main reason of drinking and drug problem.
PART III
DIRECTIONS:
Answer the questions:
1. Why is youth a very important period in the life of every man?
2. What creates a generation gap?
3. Why do adults always teach the young how to live?
4. What form of teenagers’ protest against the values of elder generation is mentioned in the text?
5. What difficulties may young people have in relationship with their friends?
6. How can psychological problems of young people be explained?
7. What social problems are young people influenced by nowadays?
ACTIVITY E
ORGANIZING YOUR THOUGHTS
PART I
DIRECTIONS:
Working in groups discuss possible answers:
1. Why do people have conflicts in their families?
2. How can family conflicts be resolved?
3. Is it possible to solve the problem of generation gap?
PART II
DIRECTIONS:
Role play the following situation. Divide into 5 groups. We have family therapists, mothers, fathers, daughters and younger brothers.
| A daughter – Jane is sure that she has got a lot of problems with the members of her family (use 1-2 problems on the blackboard). She complains about them to the family therapist. | A younger brother – Jane’s problems seem strange to him. She looks so funny! |
| Jane’s mother - Jane’s attitude to the family worries her. She loves Jane and cares about her. Jane has everything what every girl should have in her life. | A family therapist – Brainstorms questions to each member of the family to clear up the situation. At the end he must summarize and analyze the situation in a short report. |
| Jane’s father – he is sure that girls of her age have to obey some rules in order not to get into troubles. He is just worried about her future. |
ACTIVITY F
WRITE AND SPEAK
PART I
DIRECTIONS:
Express your opinion on the problem of generation gap. Use the information given below:
GENERATION GAP
1. What is it?
The generation gap is…
The generation gap means…
| 2. What are the reasons? The main reasons are… … is/are one of the reasons for the generation gap.
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3. How does it reveal?
often/ sometimes
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4. What should be done? should/ must It is necessary to
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5. What kind of relations must be in the family?
Family relations must be/will be
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6. What shouldn’t be done?
shouldn’t/ mustn’t
It is important not to
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PART II
DIRECTIONS:
Comment on:
1. What attracts young people to join subcultures?
2. Which subcultures are popular in your home place?
ACTIVITY G
SELF-WORK
PART I
DIRECTIONS:
Study the following topical vocabulary:
| to evolve | образовываться |
| to grab | хватать |
| desperate | отчаянный, безнадёжный |
| tortured | измученный |
| tattered | разорванный |
| to emerge | появляться |
| dreariness | мрачность |
| to stir up | подстрекать, будоражить |
| a heated controversy | пылкий спор |
| to encapsulate | воплощать |
| to favor | отдавать предпочтение |
| to comprise | включать в себя |
| to revel | упиваться, наслаждаться |
| irrespective of | независимо от |
| tight | тесный, в облипку |
| a peer | сверстник |
| to brood over | размышлять |
| to reflect | отражать |
PART II
DIRECTIONS: Now read.
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