I

A. Read the text below:

The Teens World Being sixteen
I often think about what my future will be like. At my current age of 16, I have just received a new
level of responsibility and independence. It is not only the drivers license, but the new expectation
to drive my sisters car. Not just the abundant amount the homework a high-school receives, but
preparing for the whole college process. I am now at the time of my life where everything I do will
affect my future. Although I do not believe that going to an elite college dictates my success in
life, I will strive to attend a highly selective university, such as Penn, because of my interest in
business, or Brown or Harvard, since my parents attended these schools. My parents are very
open to my going to any type of school that I am comfortable with.
Although I have set high goals for myself, I am fully aware of the competitiveness that exists
regarding the college selection process. I was fortunate enough to watch my brother go through
the college process. I saw that no matter how good your marks are, how high your test scores
are, or how many extracurricular activities you have, you are never good enough for a particular
school. High school today is a very competitive place.
Pressure from family, teachers and friends can be overwhelming at times. Pressure to pick certain
colleges, make certain grades, wear particular clothes and hang out with certain people. Everyone
around me pressures me one way or another. Our systems puts far too much of an emphasis on
grades, rather than the learning process. I disagree with the philosophy of grades. In addition to
grades, many students work as hard as they can to build up their rsum. This is a far-too-
common practice known as rsum building. Students inflate their resums in order to better
appeal to colleges. These are all the wrong reasons to join extracurricular.
I choose to participate in everything from math team to soccer for the life experiences I gain,
rather than the impact it has on my college process. High school should be about the people you
meet, and the memories you create.
It is quite a challenge being a student athlete at this age. I am confident that the experiences I
gained in high school will help me to be successful in life.
Sally Webster, http://www.time.com/
A.1.Now answer these questions:
1) Why will Sally do her best to go to a top university, despite thinking that it wont influence her
success in the future?
Sally will do her best to go to a top university because of her interest in business.
2) What types of pressures do teens suffer? From whom?
They suffer pressure from family, teachers and friends to pick certain colleges, make certain
grades, wear particular clothes and hang out with certain people
3) Sally criticizes the American educational system. Why?
Sally criticizes the American educational system because it emphasises grades rather than the
learning process.
4) Why do students do rsum building?
Students do rsum building to be accepted by the universities more easily.
A.2.Explain the meaning of the following sentence:
going to an elite college dictates my success in life.
This sentence means that if you attend a top university you will succeed in your future life more
easily.
A.3.Find in the 1st paragraph of the text words with the same meaning of:
1) Present current
2) University college
3) Try hard strive
4) Go to attend
II
B.1.Identify the verb tenses and the reasons for their usage.
1) going to an elite college dictates my success in lifePresent simple this is a fact ,
something which is usually accepted without questioning
2) I have just received a new level of responsibility and independence Present perfect This is
something which has recently happened; just expresses that idea.
3) since my parents attended these schools Past simple this is something which happened in
the past; something which is done and finished; her parents dont attend that university anymore.
4) Although I have set high goals for myself Present perfect Something which happened in the
past but there is no time mentioned; we dont know when.
B.2.Rewrite these sentences. Follow the cues which are given:
1. I am confident that the experiences I gained in high school will help me to be successful in
life, Sally said.
Sally said that she was confident that the experiences she had gained in high school would help
her to be successful in life.
2. Why do you inflate your rsum? she asked.
She asked him why he inflated his rsum.
3. Sally is going to Penn University. She will be successful in the
business area.
But if she didnt go to Penn University, she wouldnt be successful in
the business area.
III

Write about 120-150 words on one of the following topics:

1. What do you think of volunteer work? Have you ever been involved in any kind of volunteer
service? Do you regard it as useful? Can it teach you skills which you may use in the future? Make
your point.
2. What sort of problems do young people face growing up in the 21st century?