CURRICULUM EXTRA • Unit 5

Citizenship: Adolescence
1 Complete the teenagers’ sentences with the
words in the box.
depressed easy-going embarrassed
loyal moody paranoid proud resentful
2 Look at the pictures of things younger teenagers
can’t do. The number in each picture shows the
legal age for that activity in the UK. Label the
pictures with the words in the box. Then write the
legal age for your country.

buy a lottery ticket  get a full-time job

One minute I feel happy, the next, I feel sad. Am I get a moped licence  get married
a typical 1 teenager?  Zoe, 15 give blood  have driving lessons
leave home  vote

16 18
Nothing makes me happy, I haven’t got any
energy and I don’t want to do anything. I
feel really 2  .  Maria, 14

1 2
When I passed all my exams, I felt really
3
of myself.  Zac, 17
16 770
73
17
moped
licence

I think everybody is saying nasty things

about me. Am I being 4 ? 
3 4
Lucy, 15

16 18
I don’t worry or get angry about things very
often. I’m quite 5  .  Sara, 15

5 6
My friends are always there for me. They’re
very 6  .  Mark, 16
16 LOTTERY16
LOTTERY

When I make a mistake in front of my

classmates, I feel really 7 . 
Joe, 14 7 8

I sometimes feel 8
towards my parents because they treat me
like a child.  David, 16

Which sentences have you said (or thought) in

the last month? Tick (✔) the speech bubbles.

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 CURRICULUM EXTRA • Unit 5

3 Read the text. Match the headings 1–3 with the 4 Find six nouns in the text that mean ‘young
parts of the text, A, B and C. people’.
1 Teenagers have responsibilities but  ,   ,
adults treat them like children.   ,   ,
2 You’ll have to wait until you’re older for  , 
your independence. But it isn’t easy. 
3 Your parents’ opinions are less 5 Match 1–6 with a–f to make sentences about
important now.  the text.
1 Alice is depressed
Teen issues 2 Many teenagers are sensible and mature
A  Read Alice’s problem. 3 Some sixteen-year-olds live adult lives but
‘I’ve just had an argument with my parents 4 Teenagers need to spend time with
because I’m not allowed to go out with my their friends
friends. I ask myself, what am I: a child or a 5 Some teenagers feel their friends’
young adult? Have they forgotten how old I opinions are
am? Why do they make me so depressed?’ 6 Alice is embarrassed because
Does this sound familiar? At the age of sixteen, a she has to tell her friends that she can’t go out.
you’re not a little kid any more. Next year b more important than those of their parents.
you’ll have driving lessons and when you’re c but some older people don’t believe this.
eighteen you’ll be able to vote, give blood or d because they think and feel the same way.
change your name. But many older people
e others aren’t allowed to do what they want.
think adolescents are out of control. They must
f because her parents treat her like a child.
realize that not all teenagers are stupid!
It doesn’t make sense: At sixteen you 6 Answer the questions.
can leave school, get a full-time job and 1 What do you argue about with your parents?
get married. Some sixteen-year-olds are
Do your friends have similar arguments?
responsible for their own children. But other

teenagers aren’t allowed to go out because

they have school the next day. Is it any

surprise that teenagers are moody?

B  As a teenager, your social life is important. 2 What do you like / don’t you like about being a
Your life is more than just school and teenager?
homework. You need to be with friends – teens
who think and feel like you. You’re probably
very proud of your friends. They’re loyal people
and you look after each other. Their opinions
affect who you are. Their decisions influence
your decisions: where to live when you’re 7 Write your opinion about the questions.
older, what to study, what career to follow. Of
1 What do you think about the laws which affect
course, your parents have opinions about your
future, but they’re much older and the world teenagers in your country?
has changed since they were young. 2 Which laws do you agree or disagree with?
3 Do you think life is easier or more difficult for
C  But for now, you must listen to them. teenagers in your country than for teenagers in
And Alice? She has to phone her friends and
Britain?
explain that she can’t meet them. She feels
embarrassed, but her friends are easy-going –
they’ll understand. Alice feels resentful
towards her parents, but she isn’t alone.
A lot of teenagers feel this way, too.

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