Test 7

Generation Gap.

This is the generation gap-when you are telling the child not to touch something hot but he will do it
anyway until he burns himself and learns his own lesson. Well my mom was talking of her experience.
My marriage worked also because we both accepted this as a challenge. Everywhere we went we got
vibrations- it is not going to work! We had to make it work. The concepts of religion were far too
different back then. Honestly, it did cause concern to me- my children were not growing up with a so-
called recognized religion.

The generation gap is the constant struggle of the parents to prevent their kids from doing things that
their own experiences and wisdom tell them is going to harm their kids. The kids, on the other hand, try
constantly to prove to the parents that they are equipped to take control of their lives. Neither is wrong
– they are both right in their own premise. The parents blinded by their love for the kids would rather
have their own experiences replace the experiences of their kids. Whereas, the kids are convinced that
their decisions are right and are based on current situations that the parents may not necessarily be
aware of. Their most common statement is “Ma, things are different now”.

The most common mistake we, parents, make is that we do not treat our kids their age – its either they
are too young or we measure them at our own level. Once my daughter was on the phone long enough
while my husband needed the phone line free. His common complaint was the conversation was
senseless. I, in turn asked him what would he suggest a 17 year old to talk on – “current affairs”? My
husband immediately apologized. While on apologies, it is a good idea to do so. By feeling sorry for
something we did wrong does not make us small. We only grow in their esteem and they in turn learn to
apologize when it is required.

It’s not necessarily that the kids do not understand their parents’ love and their concern but they just
think that they are in a different are. Till such time we ourselves become parents and get the same
pedestal we do not realize. For example, I still remember when my husband’s driving skills transcended
from reckless to cautions. When I made a comment about it, he said , “Well I am more matured now”
On the other hand , if you tell a youngster, “ It was close” he would most likely say, “I know what I am
doing!”

Generation gaps can be reduced to some extent by making efforts. I must mention here most efforts
must come from the parents- they have the wisdom. It becomes easier to adjust if the parents
constantly refresh their memories by their own past outrageousness.

I. Tick off the correct variant answers and answer the questions:
1) According to the passage, the generation gap is:
 When you are telling the child not to touch something hot but will do it anyway
 A permanent confrontation between parents and children
 The parents blindness when it concerns their kids
 When kids are convinced that their decisions are right
2) The word “pedestal” means:
 Stair
 A position in which one is greatly admired
 A base
 A bridge
3) What does the author mean by “to grow in someone’s esteem?”
 To be respected and admired
 To be worshiped
 To become wise
  To measure someone at someone’s else level
4) In general, the writer thinks that:
 There are no issues among parents and children
 Parents are more intelligent than kids
 Kids are convinced that their decisions are right
 Generation gaps can be over passed
5) “Outrageousness” means:
 Excessive or bad
 Exclusively
 Mistaken
 Unusual
6) What is a “constant struggle”

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7) Why don’t parents treat their kids their age?

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8) How do we know from the passage that parents are blinded by their love for the kids?

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9) What would the solution to reduce the generation gap be?

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10) Explain why children are considered to live in a different era.

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11) Parents are stubborn

 True
 False

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 II. Outline in writing your opinion on the following subject. Choose from:

 Pocket money- how much do you get- how much do you need? Write about the role of money
in your life, about the importance of managing money correctly. Then write about the everyday
money use, about how to cope with periods of money deficits. In the last paragraph write how
the world crisis affected you and your family
 To choose a profession is not easy. Write about what you want to become. In the first
paragraph write about why you like that profession and why you think you are fit for it. What
education and what skills you need to have in order to be a good specialist in that field. In the
last paragraph write about how much the society needs this profession.

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