The generation gap – does it exist?

Track 33

READING

The term generation gap is used to refer to differences in attitudes between younger people and older people. It occurs when they do not understand each other because of their different experiences, opinions, habits and behaviour.

Mark, George and Sheila took part in a panel discussion on How to bridge the generation gap. Here is a part of their discussion. Mark: The point is that our parents complain that we spend more time chatting on the net or partying instead of studying. They find the kind of language we are using nowadays disrespectful. But I’d say that old people are the ones who cause the problem. They generally set the rules and always expect their children to follow the same age-old customs and traditions. On the other hand, the young want to do things their own way and not blindly follow what they are told to do.

George: In order to be objective, I suggest we try to see things from their perspective. On several occasions, my father’s friends said that they didn’t like the way their children lived. They also mentioned that the young didn’t show enough respect for their elders. My aunt told me angrily the other day that the young had no manners at all, because a boy from her neighbourhood didn’t let her go into a shop first.

Mark: Well, there may be some truth in that, but they don’t realize that the world has changed.

Sheila: I wouldn’t say that the generation gap is necessarily caused by one side or the other. You can’t have a gap without misunderstandings on both sides. It is more a reflection of the way that society changes.

George: Yes. I think we can agree that it is not individuals themselves but overall changes in society, from technology to social norms and fashions that inevitably cause the gap. New ideas, beliefs and values affect the way we live and behave. Nowadays we are brought up in a different way: we are better educated and more broad-minded; we have more money to spend and more opportunities to enjoy life.

Sheila: It is true that parents often disapprove of the way we behave and dress, criticize us for getting up late or listening to loud music and complain that we don’t show proper respect. In my

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opinion, parents should not compare the attitude of the youngsters of today with their own attitude when they were young, but allow us to move with the times. As we grow up, we do question their authority, but we also want to hear wise advice. Actually, mutual understanding is very important and it is the responsibility of both the old and the young to bridge the gap. My mother told me that a little give-and-take on either side can work wonders.

George: Yes, it is good advice. Parents should make an effort to be more tolerant and open-minded, whereas the young need to respect their parents’ experience and wisdom.

Glossary

overall – general; on the whole inevitable – sure to happen; (adv. inevitably – unavoidably) broad-minded – tolerant of opinions and behaviour that are unconventional

COMPREHENSION

1 Find evidence in the text that

a. children want to make their own decisions. b. new generations differ from previous ones in many aspects. c. the young are not well-mannered. d. older people disapprove of the way the young behave. e. both parents and children are responsible for the gap.

SPEAKING 

Divide the class into three groups. Each group should prepare a talk that lasts for a few minutes on the following: 1. Parents’ point of view regarding the generation gap. 2. How the young see the problem. 3. Suggestions for bridging the gap.

VOCABULARY

a cb

1 Match the meaning of the highlighted words/phrases to their explanations.

1. shared between two or more people or groups (used before a noun)____________ 2. the way you think and feel about someone or something ____________ 3. willing to consider new ideas ______________ 4. a mirror image ________________ 5. to try ______________ 6. without objection ____________

2 Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words or phrases from Exercise 1 or from the Glossary.

1. We found out that we have a ____________ interest in gardening. 2. At that time we all agreed that some changes were _________________ . 3. My _____________ impression of the show was favourable. 4. An example of a _____________ is what a girl sees in the mirror when she puts on her make-up. 5. Perhaps people have become less ______________over the years and are not ready to try new things. 6. Their aim is to try to change pupils’ ___________towards a new school system.

3 Some words have more than one meaning. Think of ONE word which can be used appropriately in each pair of sentences. The answer to number 1 has been provided. 1. a. I used his comment as an introduction to a new topic for conversation. b. I’m quite sure that our speaker this evening needs no introduction. 2. a. There’s a chance that a similar event will ___________ in the future. b. Nobody thought that it might__________ to him to solve the problem in that way. 3. a. It wasn’t easy, but we all agreed that it was worth the __________. b. I was so tired this morning that it was an__________ to get out of bed. 4. a. There’s been a change in his __________ since his accident. b. I must admit that I don’t understand your __________to money. 5. a. When we entered the room we found a large _________ in the wall. b. There is a widening _________ between the rich and the poor.

USEFUL PHRASES

Match the phrases (1-5) to their explanations (a-e) and use them to complete the sentences below.

1. see eye to eye 2. face to face 3. give and take 4. pick and choose 5. ups and downs a. a person’s good fortune and bad fortune b. talk to someone directly c. to agree about someone or something with someone else d. the practice of compromise e. be selective

1. ‘Marriage is a matter of _____________, but so far I haven’t been able to find anybody who’ll take what I have to give.’ 2. I think we will be able to sort things out if we meet_______________. 3. I have had my share of___________________. 4. You must take what you are given. You cannot ____________. 5. I am really glad that we ________________ about this situation.

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PHRASAL VERBS with BRING

Study the phrasal verbs with BRING and then complete the sentences below, putting the verbs into the correct form.

bring in – to introduce a new law, rule or system bring up – to raise children, look after them bring along – to bring someone or something with you bring back – to think about past events bring down – reduce, make something smaller

1. When you come to my party, will you __________________your friends? 2. I ______________by my parents to know the difference between right and wrong. 3. She was going through some photos which __________________ memories from her childhood. 4. They have managed to __________________ the level of air pollution in this town. 5. The government ___________________ a new law on education.

WORD FORMATION

Negative prefixes 1 Find words in the text which are made negative by using one of these prefixes: DIS, IM, UN or IN. 2 Make these verbs and adjectives negative by adding one of the negative prefixes and put them in the right columns.

organized; fair; approve; mature; honest; tolerable; forgettable; accurate; grateful; appear; probable; certain; believable; real; experienced; capable; correct; reliable; respect

dis- un- im- in-

unsuitable intolerant

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3 Complete the sentences with a word from the box in the correct form.

1. Many people _________________ of the government’s actions. 2. It was a memorable night and an ________________ experience. 3. He behaves in a childish way because he is _______________. 4. She’s completely _____________ of telling a lie. 5. Don’t you think you’re being a little ______________to her? She is not the only one to blame. 6. This watch is really ________________. It’s always ten minutes fast.

SPEAKING 

1 Discuss the following questions. 1. Do the young today get their knowledge mostly from the Internet? Do they read anything other than light-hearted magazines, as older people claim? 2. Have the younger generations always revolted against traditional rules? 3. Do your parents tell you what is acceptable to wear, how long you should be allowed to watch TV, or how much time you should spend surfing the net? 2 Work in small groups. Decide at what age you think young people should… • make their own decisions • be financially independent • stay out until the early hours of the morning • leave home

GRAMMAR

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT STATEMENTS

Reporting someone else’s statement in your own words is called indirect speech.

1 Look at the following sentences:

Mark: ‘Our parents complain that we spend more time chatting than studying.’ Mark says that their parents complain that they spend more time chatting than studying. My father’s friend: ‘I don’t like the way my children live.’ My father’s friend complains that he doesn’t like the way his children live.

2 Compare the direct and indirect statements above. What differences do you notice? 3 Underline the words that have been changed. 4 Follow these rules when you report statements:

a. We report statements with the verbs say and tell, but verbs such as mention or complain are also used. b. The use of that to join the reporting verb and the reported statement is optional. c. Pronouns and possessive adjectives often need to be changed, (e.g. the pronoun I might change to he/she).

Note: The verb tense remains the same in reported speech when the introductory verb is in the present, future or present perfect tense, e.g. ‘I’m ready.’  She says that she is ready.

PRACTICE

1 Report the following statements. 1. ‘I think we can agree on a solution.’ George says ________________________________. 2. ‘I have already written ten emails.’ Mary is complaining _____________________________. 3. ‘I often travelled abroad on business last spring.’ Cameron mentions ___________________. 4. ‘I have decided to turn my hobby into a job.’ She says ______________________________. 5. ‘I don’t approve of the way he dresses.’ Susan says ________________________________.

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2. Group work

Student A asks Student B what he/she usually does at the weekend and Student C reports what student B has said. Example:

A: ‘What do you usually do on Saturday mornings?’ B: ‘I play football with my friends.’ C: B says (that) he plays football with his friends.

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT QUESTIONS Reporting questions

1. We report questions with verbs such as ask, want to know or wonder. 2. In a reported question, the subject comes before the verb, as in a statement, and there is no question mark. 3. When reporting WH- questions, we use the same question word (when, what, why, how or which) to join the reporting verb and the reported question. 4. When reporting Yes/No questions, we use if or whether to join the reporting verb and the reported question.

Examples:

Direct speech

Tom asks, ‘Dad, have you bought any new books lately?’ Lora wants to know, ‘Where did you find the letter?’ Indirect speech

Tom asks his dad if he has bought any new books lately. Lora wants to know where I found the letter.

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1 Read part of a radio talk show interview with Dr Ross Miller, a sociologist.Say which questions are in direct and which are in indirect speech. Q: I wonder if the phenomenon of the generation gap is restricted only to our generation. A: No, of course not. This is not something new. It isn’t restricted to certain parts of the world, nor to certain times in human history, nor to certain cultures. This gap’s nothing but a conflict of thoughts between people. Q: Does it mean that the gap is natural for every age group? A: Yes, it does. It’s natural that every age group has its own social codes and a different approach to clothes, new technology, and the way they behave or form relationships with others. Q: The question is why older people can’t adapt to these changes. What’s your opinion? A: I don’t think they can adapt because they hold fast to tradition and old customs.

2 Report these questions. Begin with: My friend wants to know… 1. ‘How much did you pay for your sunglasses?’ 2. ‘Where does the lecture take place?’ 3. ‘Do you think that the generation gap is a big issue?’ 4. ‘When will your boss come back?’ 5. ‘Have you been abroad recently?’ 6. ‘Can you explain this problem to me?’

LISTENING

Track 34 The generation gap

1 Listen to the text and decide whether statements 1-6 are true (T) or false (F). If false, correct them.

1. The term generation gap was particularly used in the West in the 1970s. 2. The differences were mostly found in the choice of music. 3. Rock musicians wore ‘Make Love not War’ badges. 4. The punk generation protested against unemployment. 5. Their music was sad and quiet. 6. New generations choose clothes and music to suit their taste.

2 Match the adjectives (1-5) with the nouns (a-e) to make collocations found in the text.

1. the latest 2. cultural 3. previous 4. enormous 5. great a. effect b. changes c. times d. influence e. fashion

3 Use the collocations from Exercise 2 to complete the sentences.

1. ________________in the 1960s deepened the generation gap. 2. Music had an _______________ on people’s lives. 3. The differences between the two generations increased in comparison to ____________. 4. Their unusual haircuts immediately became ______________. 5. That event had a ______________ on his brother’s life and work.

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