READING 3

THE GENERATION GAP

The world is undergoing a rapid change. That is, views, opinions, fashion, and even traditions are changing rapidly. The old cannot adapt themselves to these changes easily. They always talk about good old days, and grumble about the young, which leads to a generation gap. Parents always mention the problems of the young. If there is one, then, we can say that it is the old who create it. Everyone is of the opinion that the young are, after all, human beings-people just like their parents. There is only one difference between an old man and a young man: the young man has got a bright future before, him and the old one has got a lot of experience behind him.

VOCABULARY

DEFINITIONS

To undergo: To go through, to experience

Rapid: Quick, fast.

To adapt: To make suitable for

To grumble: To complain

Generation gap: Failure of the younger and older generations to understand each other

To mention: To talk about

To be of the opinion: To agree

After all: In spite of everything

EXERCISES

Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the words defined above

1.  Everything depends on how the country ________________ itself to using information technology.

2.  The government, after a period of ________________ decline in manufacturing and a sharp rise in unemployment, appears to have conquered many of the major difficulties.

3.  I don't________________ about my pension; I could do with more, but I don't.

4.  Allowing for the ________________, we found we had a surprising amount in common.

5.  You should not get angry with him because he contradicted you in front of your friends, ________________  he is only a child.

READING COMPREHENSION

1.  It is maintained that the old ……………. 

A.  are the only ones who get accustomed to the change.

B.  like the change more than anything else.

C.  have always been open to the change

D.  can't keep up with the rapid change .

E.  don't like the traditions.

2.  The writer claims that it is the old who.

A.  create the problem of the generation gap

B.  try to adapt themselves to the changes

C.  want the young to be free in their lives

D.  never talk about their past experiences

E.  are in the harmony with the young.

3.  The old differ from the young in that …………….

A.  the latter are not as experienced as the former

B.  the former do not know what to expect from life

C.  the old are better in understanding the young

D.  the young are worse in adapting themselves to changes

E.  they are both living in the same world.

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