Проблемы молодежи. Топик The problems of teenagers (5) Проблемы подростков и их решение на английском

What Are the Main Problems the Teens Are Facing Today?

Misevich O.-11a

Speaking about challenges in a teen’s life I’d say first that nowadays young people are facing a lot of problems, which primarily were associated with adult life.

How do you feel about a teen sitting on a bench in the park drinking beer and smoking? Unfortunately, this caricature image has got into our life and the question in fact is why.

I think all that smoking, drugs use and violence among youth are the ways that teens take in trying to escape from their problems. It may sound absurdly, but I believe that the most important thing, which leads young people to stress and depression, is relationships. Naturally I mean all kinds of relationships not only those between boys and girls. We live in the society, not in a desert! Everyone wants people to listen to him/her and to do what he/she wants, and sometimes it’s very hard to contact with the people around.

It’s clear that relations may be of various types: between kids and parents or teachers, between mates or beloveds… And they all bring troubles!

I regret to say that there is no understanding in many families. Parents are not interested in their kids’ lives and let them do anything they want. On the one hand, it’s ok as teenagers are mature enough to make their own decisions. But on the other hand, I think there should be some control in the family, because what kids do can sometimes be not just foolish but totally wrong. They start drinking or taking drugs in trying to express their protest, instead ruining their own lives.

In my opinion, the most important thing for teenagers is school. In fact, school is a model of the real life, the place, where kids learn not only how to square numbers or write correctly, but how to communicate with absolutely different people. At school children have to contact with their mates and teachers and this experience is what they have when entering the grown-up world.

Today such things as discrimination or intolerance at schools are not unusual. Some students find no common themes to discuss with their classmates; not everybody is interested, for example, in fashion news or modern gadgets. So they escape to their own world and often become outsiders. An incapability to contact with people around can lead to a lot of problems such as depression or neurosis and even they end up with suicide, which nowadays becomes, so to say, a normal way to die. Suicides among teenagers often happen as a result of their failures in private affairs. Although there are a lot of books, magazines and films dwelling on the subject, parting with a girl- or boyfriend can be a serious trouble in the young age. Besides, most teens are maximalists and see things in black and white… but - who says we must be wise?! To be a teen means to learn how to live, and it’s impossible to make no mistakes on the way.

Last year I wrote a poem about teens’ problems. It characterizes our life clearly.

Youth

Life is the way that we all have to go,
Life is the mixture of sadness and happiness.
You say, all teens are depressed and alone,
But isn’t youth also the time to be careless?

Tears all the nights, feeling lonely and bad,
Problems with teachers, with friends and with relatives.
Our teen’s life is not only for that!
Don’t paint the World into black, don’t be negative!

Try to be open to parents and friends,
Life will be better and life will be easier.
Youth is the time to have fun, to have rest..
All of your problems are not very serious.

Жизнь - это путь, что все люди проходят
Жизнь - это смесь из улыбок и горя.
Скажешь ты: «В юности все одиноки!»
Но это ль не время побыть беззаботным?

Слезы всю ночь, одиночество, слабость.
Всюду проблемы, родители - в тягость.
Юность годится не только на это,
Хватит раскрашивать мир черным цветом!

Страхами лучше делиться с друзьями,
Жизнь сразу проще, налаженней станет.
Юность - для радости, а не для злости,
Эти проблемы не слишком серьезны.

Lyceum of Innovative Technologies

What Are the Main Problems that Teens are Facing Today?

(English)

Written by Olga Misevich, 11 A

Teacher: Lysova Iraida Ivanovna

Khabarovsk

Problems of Youth

Life used to be fun for "teenagers". They used to have money to spend, and free time to spend it in. They used to wear teenage clothes, and meet in teenage coffee bars and discos. Some of them still do. But for many young people, life is harder now. Jobs are difficult to find. There"s not so much money around. Things are more expensive, and it"s hard to find a place to live.

Teachers say that students work harder than they used to. They are less interested in politics, and more interested in passing exams. They know that good exam results may get them better jobs.

Most young people worry more about money than their parents did twenty years ago. They try to spend less and save more. They want to be able to get homes of their own one day.

For some, the answer to unemployment is to leave home and look for work in one of Britain"s big cities. Every day hundreds of young people arrive in London from other parts of Britain, looking for jobs. Some find work, and stay. Others don"t find it, and go home again, or join the many unemployed in London. There used to be one kind of teenage fashion, one style, one top pop group. Then, the girls all wore mini-skirts and everyone danced to the music of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

But now an eighteen-year-old might be a punk, with green hair and chains round his legs, or a skin head, with short, short hair and right wing politics, or a "rasta", with long uncombed hair and a love for Africa. There"s a lot of different music around too. There"s reggae, the West Indian sound, there"s rock, there"s heavy metal, country and western, and disco. All these kinds of music are played by different groups and listened to by different fans.

When you read the newspapers and watch the news on television, it"s easy to get the idea that British young people are all unemployed, angry and in trouble.

But that"s not true. Three quarters of them do more or less what their parents did. They do their best at school, find some kind of work in the end, and get married in their early twenties. They get on well with their parents, and enjoy family life. They eat fish and chips, watch football on TV, go to the pub, and like reading about pop stars. After all, if they didn"t, they wouldn"t be British, would they?

Проблемы молодежи

Раньше для подростков жизнь была весельем. У них всегда были какие-то деньги и свободное время. Они носили подростковые вещи и встречались в кафе и дискоклубах. Некоторые из них такие до сих пор. Но для большинства молодых людей жизнь сейчас намного тяжелее. Трудно найти работу. Денег не так много, вещи более дорогие, трудно найти себе жилье.

Преподаватели говорят, что студенты работают больше, чем раньше. Они менее интересуются политикой и больше обеспокоены сдачей экзаменов. Они понимают, что лучшие результаты экзаменов помогут найти лучшую работу.

Большая часть молодежи сейчас беспокоится о деньгах сильнее, чем их родители 20 лет назад. Они пытаются тратить меньше и больше экономят. Они хотят когда-нибудь иметь свой дом.

Некоторым, чтобы решить проблему безработицы, приходится уехать на работу в один из крупных городов Британии. Каждый день в Лондон приезжают сотни молодых людей из других городов в поисках работы. Часть из них находят работу и остаются. Остальные же возвращаются домой или присоединяются к числу безработных Лондона. Раньше существовал единый стиль подростковой моды, единая самая лучшая поп группа. Девушки носили мини-юбки и все танцевали под музыку Битлз и Роллинг-Стоунз.

Теперь же, подросток может быть зеленоволосым панком с цепями на ногах или скин-хэдом с очень короткой стрижкой и правыми политическими убеждениями, или же растаманом с длинными нечесаными волосами и любовью к Африке. Существует масса различной музыки. Есть регги, западно-индийский «саунд», рок, хэви-метал, кантри и вестерн, диско. Все эти стили музыки исполняются разными группами и их слушают разные поклонники.

Когда читаешь газеты и смотришь телевизор, очень легко может сложиться впечатление, что в Англии вся молодежь без работы, обозленная и имеет неприятности.

Это не так. Три четверти из них более или менее занимаются тем же, чем занимались их родители. Они пытаются хорошо учиться в школе, найти хорошую работу и жениться после 20 лет. Они ладят с родителями и наслаждаются семейной жизнью. Они едят рыбу и чипсы, смотрят футбол по телевизору, ходят в бар и любят читать о поп-звездах. В конце концов, если бы они этим не занимались, они не были бы англичанами, не так ли?

Questions:

1. What is the difference between the life of today"s teenagers and their parents when they were in their teens?
2. What do teachers say about today"s students?
3. What problems do teens have today? Is it difficult to solve them?
4. What are the trends of today"s youth fashion in clothes, music, ways of life?
5. How does the mass media describe the young generation?
6. What is the author"s attitude to the young people?

Vocabulary:

used to - раньше, бывало (+ infinitive to talk about things that happened regularly in past, but have changed now)
teenager - подросток, юноша
to worry - беспокоить(ся), волновать(ся)
unemployment - безработица
chain - цепь, цепочка
rasta от rastafari - растафари (название секты ямайских негров, происходит от докоронационного титула императора Эфиопии Хайле Селессие I (настоящее имя Тафари Маконнен) «рас Тафари», т. е. «принц Тафари», которого они считают воплощением бога)
do one"s best - сделать все от себя зависящее, проявить максимум энергии
get on well with - ладить (с кем-л.)

It has never been easy to be a teenager. I believe that the teenage period is the most important one in our life. It is the time when we receive our education and try to learn the right from the wrong.

Teenage hormones make young people more sensitive and emotional than usual. They feel quite miserable, hurt and rejected when they split up with their friends. Young boys and girls often suffer from depressions. Moreover, they constantly have serious arguments with their overprotective parents who try to control everything their children do and do not allow everything they want. Strong parents’ pressure to do well in school can also be really annoying for teens.

Teens often face a lot of problems in their relations with parents, teachers and friends. Sometimes they are teased or bullied by their elder brothers or other peers. They also need to be free and independent, so they can feel ashamed while going shopping with their mothers, for example. Some young people get jealous when their friends own a more expensive smart-phone model or a more fashionable piece of clothes.

There are young people who join teenage groups or gangs in order to express their individuality, to increase their self-esteem and to feel accepted and secure. However some subcultures are quite aggressive and opposed to the normal standards in our society. In many gangs teens start using drugs or alcoholic drinks and committing crimes.

One of the main problems among teenage girls is their worry about the body image. They compare themselves with other beautiful and fit girls in their class or even some celebrities and they strongly wish to look like them. This unhealthy self-esteem leads to serious eating disorders and such illnesses as anorexia and bulimia. Girls refuse to eat food in order to change their body shape and to become skinny and then gradually they can’t eat at all.

Most teenagers don’t know how to cope with their problems because they don’t feel like sharing their emotions and discussing them with their parents or friends. Young people are usually afraid of disapproval and misunderstanding. In this case it may be useful to consult a professional psychologist who can offer some good advice and probably give a helping hand.

Перевод

Быть подростком никогда не было легко. Полагаю, что подростковый период является наиболее важным в нашей жизни. Это время, когда мы получаем образование и пытаемся отличить плохое от хорошего.

Подростковые гормоны делают молодежь более чувствительной и эмоциональной, чем обычно. Они чувствуют себя довольно несчастными, обиженными и отвергнутыми, если расстаются с друзьями. Молодые парни и девушки часто страдают от депрессий. Более того, у них постоянно происходят серьезные ссоры с чрезмерно опекающими родителями, пытающимися контролировать все, чем занимаются их дети и не позволяющими делать, что им хочется. Сильное родительское давление на успехи в школе также очень раздражает подростков.

Подростки часто сталкиваются со множеством проблем в отношениях с родителями, учителями и друзьями. Иногда их дразнят или травят старшие братья или другие сверстники. Им также необходимо быть свободными и независимыми, поэтому им становится стыдно выходить за покупками вместе с матерью, к примеру. Некоторые молодые люди ревностно относятся к друзьям, имеющим более дорогую модель смартфона или более модную одежду.

Существует молодежь, вступающая в подростковые группы или банды для того, чтобы выразить свою индивидуальность, повысить самооценку и почувствовать себя признанным и защищенным. Однако некоторые неформальные группы довольно агрессивны и противопоставляют себя нормам нашего общества. Во многих группировках подростки начинают принимать наркотики или алкогольные напитки и совершают преступления.

Одной из основных проблем среди девушек-подростков является их беспокойство по поводу своей внешности. Они сравнивают себя с другими красивыми и стройными девушками в классе или даже со знаменитостями и очень хотят стать похожими на них. Эта нездоровая самооценка приводит к серьезным нарушениям в питании и таким заболеваниям, как анорексия и булимия. Девушки отказываются принимать пищу для того, что изменить свои формы и стать худыми и затем, постепенно, они вообще не могут есть.

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Teachers say that students work harder than they used to. They are less interested in politics, and more interested in passing exams. They know that good exam results may get them better jobs.

Most young people worry more about money than their parents did twenty years ago. They try to spend less and save more. They want to be able to get homes of their own one day.

When you read the newspapers and watch the news on television, it"s easy to get the idea that British young people are all unemployed, angry and in trouble.

Перевод текста: Problems of Youth - Проблемы молодежи

Использованная литература:
1. 100 тем английского устного (Каверина В., Бойко В., Жидких Н.) 2002
2. Английский язык для школьников и поступающих в ВУЗы. Устный экзамен. Топики. Тексты для чтения. Экзаменационные вопросы. (Цветкова И. В., Клепальченко И.А., Мыльцева Н.А.)
3. English, 120 Topics. Английский язык, 120 разговорных тем. (Сергеев С.П.)

Текст и задания по теме «Проблемы молодежи»

YOUTH PROBLEMS
The most common problems of young people are:
the problem of misunderstanding (in a family)
problems with friends (girlfriends, boyfriends)
the problem of communication
the problem of choosing the future profession
the problem of pocket money
problems with parents (the generation gap)
emotional problems
financial problems
first love
to get a good education
punishment
frequent changes of mood
to have a good job
self-criticism
Youth is a beautiful time. The faces of young people, the young souls and young love - everything is beautiful. We can describe all the amazing attractions of this only period in life, which is usually remembered during all lifetime, but many youngsters say that their life is followed by numerous troubles. Really, there is no life without problems, but we can"t make little account of youth problems.
Unfortunately, most of the problems are connected with family relations.Moms and dads say that teenage rebels just growing up normal. To my mind, each new generation of kids receives negative reviews because of two entwined social dynamics: surliness and rebellion in youth; fear and loathing by parents, whose youth has passed them by. It"s called the generation gap, which pits the impertinence of youth against the attitudes of people over 30, who forget what a pain in the butt they were as kids.
If you look at history, youth has always looked bad from the adult perspective. Sometimes it"s because they don"t remember all the stupid, dangerous things they did as kids. Adults always tend to glorify their own past. It explains the reason why they often look down their noses at the next generations. Basically, what these critical adults are saying is, "why can"t these kids be like us." It is amazing, but every generation goes through this.
I"m deeply convinced that if some parents are ready to write off the next generation, they should remember how they behaved as young teenagers and recognize rebellion as a sign of growing up.But we should admit, there are some dangerous temptations of the youth and only parents can preserve their children from such social evil as alcohol, smoking and even early sex and killing oneself by using drugs.
For example, the former Soviet Union admitted that it had over 200,000 drug addicts. Because of this the government opened several special hospitals for these addicts. There"s a big anti-drugs campaign in the country"s schools too. Usually drugs come from several places including Western Europe and Afghanistan. Also, some addicts use glue or steal medical drugs from hospitals.
This problem is closely connected with gang-violence. As well as gangs of punks, rockers and hippies, there are ultra conservative gangs, too. They want to stop "the dangerous" influence of teenage culture in our country. But actually they follow the ideas of nationalism and even fascism.
One more acute problem for many young people is smoking. Millions of teenagers know it"s bad for them, but they still do it. I think it is rather easy to withstand the influence of those who smoke. We should be simply strong enough to say "no".
Many people offer their way out. Some of them say that teenagers should not be let to the discos because of the danger of drugs; others say that young people should be given more money and more freedom, because everything that is forbidden astonishes.
But in my opinion, one thing is clear: after decades of silence in the Soviet Union we face a lot of urgent problem, which should be solved as soon as it is possible.
Generation Gap
Sometimes our parents don’t understand us. They don’t understand some problems and things which are very important in teens’ life; for example, the lifestyles of young people, piercing, tattoos, drugs, sex, relationship with friends and teachers. So sometimes teens can’t tell them about their private life. Some parents don’t want to understand modern views, ideals and system of values.
Elderly people usually compare their childhood and youth with the present, and regard old times as better, always talking about “the good old days”. The young people, on the other hand, tend to think their times as the best. Teens look at the world with fresh eyes. Everything is new, interesting to them. Sometimes they cannot solve their everyday problems. But they want to cope with them by themselves. So adults shouldn’t prevent them from making their own mistakes.
People are said to become wiser with age. Sometimes it is true and sometimes it is not. I think that you can meet a wise man among the old as often as among the young. It is false that when old age wisdom has come, useless illusions have disappeared. Sometimes when we talk to adults, a monologue is a preferred form of expressing your ideas in such talks. That’s why some teens don’t like to talk to adults. I think that it’s in people’s nature to give advice. It seems to people that giving advice they can help somebody or put somebody on the right track. But if a person takes their advice and fails, he can blame an adult all of his life.
Our parents have their own ideas and views that their children don’t share and understand. They think that their children won’t find their place in life. They often say that now teens are very difficult to socialize with and dumpy. But children should settle all problems peacefully because they are their parents. They brought them up with loving care. And if children come to their parents for advice and help, they will do their best and help children to cope with problems and difficulties.
Questions on the topic «Problems with Parents and Friends»
What are the most common problems of young people?
Do you share the opinion that problems can make people stronger?
How do you choose your friends? What makes people friends?
Do you spend much time with your friends? How do you spend your time together?
Do you have much in common with your friends?
What do you usually talk about?
What jobs, books, outfit, hobbies are popular among the teenagers?
What is better: to have one close friend or a lot of friends? Why?
Do you know about his (her) problems?
Do you get on with your classmates?
Is it possible to solve your problems by yourself?
Do your parents help you to solve your problems?
Can you help your friends to solve their problems?
What is the best way to solve the problems?
Do you think youth organisations can help?
List of words on the topic «Problems with Parents, Teachers and Friends»
a rule - правило
strict - строгий
necessary - необходимый
to need in - нуждаться в
be responsible for - отвечать за что-то
private life - личная жизнь
own business - личное дело
attitude to - отношение к
to interfere - вмешиваться
a permission - разрешение
I am allowed (to allow) - Мне разрешают
to influence - влиять
to copy with problems (= overcome problems)– справляться с проблемами (преодалевать)
to quarrel with - ссориться с
to argue - спорить с
to contradict - возражать
to answer back - огрызаться
to agree/ disagree with - (не) соглашаться с
to be on good terms with (= get on well with) - быть в хороших отношениях
reason / cause - причина
to follow my parents’ advice - следовать совету родителей
to consult my parents/ friends - советоваться с родителями
to insist on – настаивать на
to face the same problem - сталкиваться с той же проблемой
to treat as a child - обращаться как с ребенком
to respect - уважать
have much in common - иметь много общего
to trust- доверять
to betray – предавать
to envy – завидовать

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