A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience, while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation. In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations, In a traditional culture, elderly people revalued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes in our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes.
In American society, young people often ______.

A:depend on their parents to make a life B:stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education C:seek the best advice from their parents D:have very little in common with their parents

When I was a kid, I never knew what my parents—or anyone else’s—did for a living. As far as 1 could tell, all grownups had mysterious jobs that involved drinking lots of coffee and arguing about Richard Nixon. If they had job-related stress, they kept it private. Now American families are expected to be more intimate. While this has resulted in a lot more hugs, "I love you’s," and attendance at kids’ football games, unfortunately we parents also insist on sharing the frustrations of our work lives.
While we have complained about our jobs or fallen asleep in car-pool lines, our children have been noticing. They are worried about us. A new survey, "Ask the children, "conducted by the Families and Work Institute of New York City, queried more than 1, 000 kids between the ages of 8 and 18 about their parents’ work lives. "If you were granted one wish to change the way your parents’ work affected your life," the survey asked kids, "what would that wish be" Most parents assumed that children would want more time with them, but only 10% did. Instead, the most common wish (among 34%) was that parents would be less stressed and tired by work.
Allison Levin is the mother of three young children and a professional in the growing field of "work/life quality". Levin counsels employees who are overwhelmed by their work and family obligations to carefully review their commitments-not only at the office but at home and in the community too—and start paring them down. "It’s not about getting up earlier in the morning so you can get more done," she says. "It’s about saying no and making choices."
We can start by leaving work, and thoughts of work, behind as soon as we start the trip home. Do something to get yourself in a good mood, like listening to music, rather than returning calls on the cell phone. When you get home, change out of your work clothes, let the answering machine take your calls, and stay away from e-mail. When your kids ask about your day, tell them about something good that happened. (In the survey, 69% of morns said they liked their work, but only 42% of kids thought their mothers really did.)
Parents can also de-stress by cutting back on their children’s activities. If keeping up with your kid’s schedule is killing you, insist that he choose between karate lessons and the theater troupe. Parents should also sneak away from work and family occasionally to have some fun. I keep a basketball in the trunk of my can. I might never be able to fix everything at work or at home, but at least I can work on my jump shot.
We can infer from the second paragraph that nowadays the children______.

A:are very anxious about their parents for their hard work B:are looking forward to being with their parents C:are very considerate about their parents D:are very ambitious to change their parents’ work

According to the text what is the best for both parents and children______

A:They should adjust themselves to sharing the family expenses B:Children should leave their parents when they are grown up C:Adult children should visit their parents from time to time D:Parents should support their adult children when they are in trouble

One of the disadvantages of young adults returning to stay with their parents is that______

A:the young adults tend to be overprotected by their parents B:most parents find it difficult to keep a bigger family going C:there will inevitably be inconveniences in everyday life D:public opinion is against young adults staying with their parents

By saying that "And aging parents,.., find themselves stuck with responsibilities" ( Line 3 - 5, Para. 4), the author means that______

A:Parents have some financial and personal freedom B:Children have not any financial and personal freed6m C:Parents have to continue supporting their children D:Children have responsibilities to support their parents

Passage Three
It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modem ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with crises; that they talk too much about certain problems; and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent-child relationships.
I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainments and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainments or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles irritate their parents, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you are resistant and proud, because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do. If they did approve, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are assuming that you are the underdog: you can’t win but at least you can keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents’ control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.
If you plan to control your life, cooperation can be part of that plan. You can charm others, especially your parents, into doing things the ways you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative, so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do.

The first paragraph is mainly about （）

A:the teenagers' criticism of their parents B:misunderstandings between teenagers and their parents C:the dominance of the parents over their children D:the teenagers' ability to deal with crises

Passage Three
It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modem ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with crises; that they talk too much about certain problems; and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent-child relationships.
I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainments and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainments or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles irritate their parents, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you are resistant and proud, because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do. If they did approve, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are assuming that you are the underdog: you can’t win but at least you can keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents’ control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.
If you plan to control your life, cooperation can be part of that plan. You can charm others, especially your parents, into doing things the ways you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative, so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do.

The first paragraph is mainly about （）

A:the teenagers' criticism of their parents B:misunderstandings between teenagers and their parents C:the dominance of the parents over their children D:the teenagers' ability to deal with crises

? ?It is natural for young people to be critical of their, parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with crisis; that they talk too much about certain problems—and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent-child relationships.
? ?I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
? ?Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles irritate their parents. This gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
? ?Sometimes you are resistant, and proud because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do. If they did approve, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are assuming that you are underdog: you can’t win but at least you can keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents’ control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.
? ?If you plan to control your life, co-operation can be part of that plan. You can charm others, especially your parents, into doing things the way you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative, so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do.

The first paragraph is mainly about ______.

A:the teenagers’ criticism of their parents B:misunderstandings between teenagers and their parents C:the dominance of the parents over their children D:the teenagers’ ability to deal with crisis