Crosstalk: Teenage Years

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Preparation

I. Reading

Disco with Dad… Why not?

It’s generally understood that most teenagers wouldn’t be seen dead socializing with their parents, so how come to the latest idea of a fun night out involves whole families going clubbing together? And yes, actually enjoying themselves and getting on well with each other… So instead of parents dropping their kids outside a club, they are all in together. And apart from the fact that there’s no alcohol and no smoking, these clubs are just the same as any other.

The Groove Club in Manchester is one of the most recent ones to open and provides the perfect environment for parents and teenagers to let their hair down with one another. The music appeals to everyone, there’s a great atmosphere, and if you’re 15 or over you can go with or without your parents. A regular customer is 16-year-old Dan Cooper, who goes on Friday nights with his dad Martin, 40. Dan doesn’t see much of Martin since his parents divorced three years ago so he looks forward to these evenings together.

‘It was pretty weird to start with,’ says Dan, ‘and my friends thought I was mad to want to go clubbing with my dad. But once we’d been a couple of times, it felt just as natural as going to a football match or whatever. Two of my friends have ever asked if they can come along with us, just because I keep going about how brilliant it is. The best thing about it is that me and my dad really have something in common now and we can relate to each other.’

From Natural English

1. Find equivalents in the text that mean:

1. (para 1) would never do something because it is too embarrassing

________________________________________________________

2. (para 2) relax completely/have a good time

_________________________________________________________

3. (para 3) talk about something for a long time

_________________________________________________________

2. Which of the following is not true according to the text?

A. It’s a terrible idea; teenagers need separate interests from their parents.

B. It is good for close relationships with your parents.

C. It gives you a chance to see your parents, which is good.

D. It’s a great idea to go clubbing with your parents.

Key:

1. 1. wouldn’t be seen dead; 2. let their hair down with one another; 3. keep going about

2. A

II. Listening

Listen to this dialogue and fill in the missing information.

S1: I know you are going to continue your education. Do you have a scholarship or money grant?

S2: I wish I had. But I don’t.

S1: How are you going to manage?

S2: There are different possibilities to solve money problems. As for me, I think that summer employment is quite appropriate. I can take any hard work for three months if it means another year of school.

S1: If you aren’t lucky, summer working can be pretty bad and uncomfortable.

S2: Obviously, the discomfort of the job is not enough to sway me from my goal – making money for my education.

S1: Don’t you think that it’s better to have a good rest during summer vacation times and then find a part time job or even a regular evening job?

S2: Maybe. But it is not easy to find a well paid part-time job and organize classes in blocks of time.

S1: I know you are going to continue your education. Do you have a (1)___________ or money grant?

S2: I wish I had. But I don’t.

S1: How are you going to (2)________?

S2: There are different possibilities to solve money problems. As for me, I think that summer (3)_________ is quite appropriate. I can take any hard work for three months if it means another year of school.

S1: If you aren’t lucky, summer working can be pretty bad and (4)__________.

S2: Obviously, the discomfort of the job is not enough to sway me from my (5)_____ – making money for my education.

S1: Don’t you think that it’s better to have a good rest during summer vacation times and then find a part time job or even a (6)______________ evening job?

S2: Maybe. But it is not easy to find a well paid part-time job and organize classes in (7)________ of time.

Key: 1. scholarship; 2. manage; 3. employment; 4. uncomfortable; 5. goal; 6. regular; 7. blocks

III. Use of English

1. Complete these sentences so that the meaning is similar to the first sentence.

0. My parents say I can’t decorate my body with exotic designs: tattoos and body piercing.

My parents forbid me to decorate my body with exotic designs: tattoos and body piercing.

1. At thirteen, according to the law, you can work only two hours a day on school days.

At thirteen the law allows ______________________________.

2. A lot of teenagers complain that their parents grumble about what they wear and what kind of music they listen to.

Teenagers don’t want ___________________________________.

3. My parents said: “You can invite your friends on Saturday.”

My parents permitted ___________________________________.

4. The law says that at fourteen you are fully responsible for your criminal actions.

At fourteen the law makes _________________________________.

5. Tom is fifteen. He knows that he can’t work full-time.

Tom knows that at fifteen the law doesn’t let _____________________.

6. Charlie’s parents think he should take part in an exchange programme.

Charlie’s parents want _________________________________.

7. I can’t persuade my mother that it is safe to stay out late.

My mother doesn’t let _________________________________.

Key:

1. At thirteen the law allows you to work only two hours a day on school days.

2. Teenagers don’t want their parents to grumble about what they wear and what kind of music they listen.

3. My parents permitted me to invite my friends on Saturday.

4. At fourteen the law makes you fully responsible for your criminal actions.

5. Tom knows that at fifteen the law doesn’t let you work full-time.

6. Charlie’s parents want him to take part in an exchange programme.

7. My mother doesn’t let me stay out late.

TEST

I. Reading

HACKERS

The first computer hackers were members of MIT’s Tech Model Railroad Club, who in the 1950s and ‘60s discovered the fun they could have experimenting with the school’s computer, which was available at night. Soon, because of the countless hours they devoted to programming, straggly, sleepless students at universities across the country knew more about using computers than did the companies that made them. They developed a counterculture based on a sharing of information and a scorn for authority.

Hacking began to seem more sinister in 1988, when Robert T. Morris, a 23-year-old computer science graduate student at Cornell, created a “virus” – a destructive computer program – that spread through network and erased vital information in military and academic computers. Nonetheless, while hackers have occasionally been harmful, more often they’ve been the pioneers of computer age.

True or false according to the text?

1. The school’s computer was only available at night.

2. The companies that made computers knew less about using them than did some students at universities.

3. Hackers have sometimes been injurious.

4. They despise authority.

5. They’ve always been the pioneers of computer age.

1	2	3	4	5

Key: 1. F; 2. T; 3. T; 4. T; 5. F

II. Listening

You will hear a radio discussion about a new phenomenon generated by modern technologies – flash mobbing.

FLASH MOB is:

A large group of people who gather in a usually predetermined location, perform some brief action, and then quickly dispense. (n., v., adj.)

– flash mobber (n.)

– flash mobbing (pp.)

spawn порождать

like-minded одинаково мыслящий

1. Listen and number these words in the order you hear them.

predetermined ___ edge____ gaggle_____ departing____ spawned____ script_____ gatherings_____

P – presenter; S1, S2, S3 – guests.

P: The Internet has spawned a gaggle of new verbs – googling, surfing and flaming are words most of us are used to hearing in everyday conversations. Now we can add flash mobbing to that list. What does it mean? Here in the studio with me three young people to discuss this phenomenon.

S1: A flash mob is a new harmless passion of our century. Flash mobs are sudden gatherings of people at predetermined location at a predetermined time. People in flash mobs usually perform according to a written script, then disperse quickly.

P: Is there any sense in it?

S1: Flash mobs can be done for many purposes, but most groups stick to just having fun.

S2: A few words about the history of this phenomenon…The first flash mob strike was held in New York in the summer of 2003. New Yorkers put forwarded e-mails to coordinate flash mobs.

P: So, flash mobs are not-so-random crowds that appear in places for a brief period of time….

S2: Yes, appear and then quickly disperse at a given time, all members departing in different directions.

S3: Flash mobbing is the leaderless gathering and moving of like-minded people who are organized using technologies such as cell phones, e-mail and the web.

P: So, is mobbing a performance act or the cutting edge of a new social movement? Is just a reflection of today’s information society, of the new generation morality….

2. Listen again. Complete the sentences with a word or a phrase.

1. A Flash mob is a new ______ ______ of our century.

2. People in flash mobs usually perform according to a written script, then ___________ quickly.

3. Flash mobs can be done for many _________, but most groups stick to just having fun.

4. Like-minded people are __________ using technologies such as cell phones, e-mail and the web.

5. So, is mobbing a performance act or the __________ of a new social movement?

Key:

1. 1. spawned; 2. gaggle; 3. gatherings; 4. predetermined; 5. script; 6. departing; 7. edge

2. 1. harmless passion; 2. disperse; 3. purposes; 4. organized; 5. cutting edge

III. Use of English

Read these short dialogues and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.

1. – Look, I know that Chelsea is a part of London (1)_______ a lot of artists live. I know the football club ‘Chelsea’. I know Chelsea bun and Chelsea Flower Show. But I have no idea, (2)______ a Chelsea girl is?

– Chelseas are female skinheads. (3)_____ name derives from the typical female skinhead haircut.

2. – What kind of music do you like now?

– Beautiful music. Music that (4)_______ include elements of extreme happiness, as well as sadness, beauty and anger is not worth listening.

3. – Would you (5)_____ to go to a rock concert?

– I don’t really want to go there. Besides, my mother won’t (6)_____ me.

– Why?

– She says a rock concert is an “action of more danger” (7)______ they write on the tickets.

4. – What’s your parents’ attitude to your favourite band?

– They like old and modern Russian rock. When they listened to my favourite cassette they could only say that I (8)_______ made a mistake, that I (9)________ think about their texts and understand that they are senseless.

– And you?

– Of course, my reaction was emotional. But now I understand they (10)________ absolutely right.

5. – What does the word “graffiti” mean?

– Don’t you know? Graffiti (11)________ inscriptions or drawings scrawled on walls, sidewalks, or the like. They are supposed to (12)______ the signs of possible presence of a street gang.

6. – What’s your attitude to hackers?

– I don’t understand (13)______ there is a lot of talk about them. They are very clever gifted teens; they deeply understand (14)_____ computers work. They can do things with computers (15)_____ seem “magical”.

– But they sometimes “break down” computers, invent new computer viruses and do a lot of (16)______.

– Yes, that’s a problem to use their talent for something good… for peaceful goals.

Key: 1. where; 2. what; 3. The; 4. doesn’t; 5. like; 6. allow/let; 7. as; 8. had; 9. should; 10. were; 11. means; 12. be; 13. why; 14. how; 15. that; 16. harm