Use of English. 3.1. Find in the text the English equivalents:

Teenagers: What Problems?

Itravel quite а lot for my work and often meet young people. Recently I was in Belarus and talking to children and young people in schools and pedagogical insti­tutes and one question that always comes up is: "Are teenagers a problem in your country?"

Actually there are two questions. The sec­ond one is: "Do teenagers have problems in your country?"both these questions set me thinking why the two words “teenagers” and “problems” are so closely connected. Why, for instance, should teenagers have more problems than middle-aged people or babies? And why do they have the prerogative on having problems? Let's see if we can find answers and the best way to do that is to ask questions.

1.What is a teenager?

Officially, of course, a teenager is anyone aged from thirteen to nineteen inclusive but most people would probably think first of the younger age group and exclude 18 and 19-year-olds. After all, once you reach eighteen you can vote, get married without your parents permission and join the army, so it seems logi­cal that you are considered as an adult rather than a child. At the other end of the scale, chil­dren are growing up and developing more quickly and these days 11 and 12-year-olds would like to include themselves in the teenager' group. In actual fact they have their own group title now — 'Pre-teens' or some­times 'Between-agers'.

Without thinking about actual ages, perhaps we really mean by 'teenagers' people who are in the stage of their life when they are developing from children into adults.

2. Are teenagers a problem?

Parents and grandparents always seem to have the premise that teenagers are a special category when we define the human race. According to 'the older genera­tion' teenagers are lazy, they wear ridiculous clothes and are extremely rude to their betters and elders; they find it impossible to be polite, helpful, constructive, caring or hard-working. What's more, they spend all their time listening to awful music ("It isn't music, it's just a col­lection of horrendous noises!") and gawping at unsuitable films. And all they ever think about is parties, drugs and sex. Well, that's how the story goes! But is it anywhere near the truth?

Actually, it seems to me to be quite the opposite of the truth. Teenagers spend a lot of time thinking about their work (studies), their families and friends and their hobbies. Sure, there are certain preoccupations such as clothes, money, how to behave in a certain sit­uation, their bodies.

But isn't it the same for most people? So what about the myth that all teenagers are rude, selfish, lazy and greedy? As far as I'm concerned, it's nonsense. The vast majority of young people I meet are polite, friendly, open, interested and hard-working.

3. Do teenagers have problems?

Teenagers are human, so of course they have problems. And the problems aren't very differ­ent from anyone else's.

What's going to happen at work/school tomorrow?

Why does Dad like my sister better than me?

Am I too fat / skinny / tall / short etc.?

Does my boyfriend / girlfriend really like me?

How can I afford to buy ................ ?

Am I stupid?

There isn't anyone alive in the world who hasn't posed these questions. We usually do it when we turn out the light and lie down in bed at night and the answers aren't very satis­factory!

It's true, of course, that sometimes teenagers have special problems. It is a difficult time because it is a period of transformation. It isn't quite as bad as a chrysalis changing into a but­terfly. It isn't easy to grow up and the physical and emotional changes are often confusing and worrying. But it's my impression that most young people cope rather well.

4.1.Try to understand the text with the help of the following words and expressions:

betters and elders = older people who are (or should be!) wiser

caring - заботливый

what's more - более того

horrendous = terrible, extremely bad

to gawp at = to look at something in a foolish way, esp. with the mouth open

drugs -наркотики

preoccupations = things that you think about more than anything else

to behave - вести себя

rude [ru:d]- грубый

selfish - эгоистичный

greedy - жадный

as far as I'm concerned = in my opinion

nonsense - чепуха, ерунда

skinny - тощий

to afford - позволять себе, иметь возможность

to pose - ставить (вопрос)

chrysalis - куколка (насекомых)

impression - впечатление

to cope - справляться

to come up - возникать (о вопросе, проблеме и т.п.)

set me thinking = made me begin to think about it

prerogative - прерогатива, исключительное право

inclusive - включительно

to exclude - исключать

to vote - голосовать

permission - разрешение

at the other end of the scale - с другой стороны

in actual fact – в действительности

premise - предпосылка, данное, логическая посылка

to define - определять, давать точное определение

ridiculous - нелепый, смешной