Teenagers and parents – it’s the same old story – B2 English Reading Test

Teenagers and parents – it’s the same old story …

Many readers have described the ups and downs of living with teenage children.

This week, we hear from Barry Davros, 15.

OK, I’ll admit it. Things haven’t been so easy at home in the last couple of years. I’d like to think I’m old enough and wise enough to know that it’s almost certainly because I’m a teenager now. Teenagers complain to their friends about their parents. And I think we can be pretty certain that the parents do the same about their kids. I argue with mine. We don’t talk as much as we did when I was a kid. It’s not that this is the way I want it – I’d prefer it if we never argued, but found a way to talk about what was bothering us. That would be so much better, not just for me and my mum and dad, but for any teenager and their family. So I’ve been reading a lot – books like The Teenage Brain, and lots of online stuff. And I’m sure that if people understood more about what goes on inside a teenager’s mind, half of the arguments over the dinner table wouldn’t even start in the first place. So I’d like to share what I’ve learnt.

There are so many things that parents have a go at their teenagers for that it’s almost impossible to know where to start. So let’s just pick mornings. Mornings are for sleeping. For as long as you need to, or at least as long as you can. Every teenager knows that. But not parents – they think that we should get up at 7.30, just because they get up at 7.30, ready for another busy day. So who’s right? Well, the science says that an adolescent’s body clock isn’t programmed in the same way, and is on a schedule about three hours behind that of older adults (that means both going to bed and getting up).

Another ‘issue’ that parents make a big deal about is tidiness. Clothes dumped on the bathroom floor, an old plate of food under the bed, house keys lost. OK, I admit, I’ve been guilty of all of these things recently (but at least I owned up!). Sorting stuff like this takes planning, and the way the teenage brain develops means that it’s just not our strong point. Sorry! The brain develops a chemical called myelin, and it’s created over time. Until it’s fully developed in all parts of the brain, it does unfortunately mean that even very bright teens can do really stupid things. So just bear with us guys!

Because as already mentioned, the teenage brain goes through all sorts of changes, sometimes teenagers can get angry. This usually makes parents angry. Which makes us angrier, which … OK, you get the picture. But parents need to understand more about what’s going on inside our heads. Like, there might be a perfectly understandable (to us) reason why we don’t want to do that maths homework this instant. So, listen parents out there, try and understand! Don’t always respond to us by getting angry. Just don’t! Calm down, count to ten and think twice. (line 49)

Communication. That’s a big one. Sure, teens and parents need to hang out together too, not live in separate worlds. But I’m 15, so the topics of conversation I was into when I was 11 don’t work for me now. Same for all kids my age. The sooner parents realise that, the better. It’s not that we stop (line 54) loving them just because we’re in our teens, it’s just that we need more space. To grow up and find out who we are.

Here’s a tip – if there’s something that needs to be discussed, do it on a car journey. Whether it’s the whole family together or just two of you, the fact that you’re in a car means that you’re gazing ahead, rather than staring at each other. For me, it just makes it easier to talk somehow, because I sometimes feel they’re judging me or something if they’re observing me. Try it. It works. And you heard it from me.

1    Why shouldn’t parents be surprised if their teenagers sleep late?

      A   Many teenagers find their busy schedule tiring.

      B   Some teenagers need more hours of sleep than adults.

      C   Teenagers prefer not to see their parents in the mornings.

      D   It’s natural for teenagers to have different sleep patterns from adults.

2    In the third paragraph, the writer admits that teenagers tend not to be very

      A   honest.

      B   organised.

      C   confident.

      D   intelligent.

3    What does the writer mean when he advises parents to ‘count to ten’ in line 49?

      A   don’t react too quickly

      B   repeat what you have said

      C   find ten reasons for the behaviour

      D   don’t tell teenagers things they already know

4    What does ‘that’ refer to in line 54?

      A   Teenagers need to spend time away from their parents.

      B   Teenagers love their parents less than they did as children.

      C   Teenagers want to talk about different things as they mature.

      D   Teenagers need to spend more time talking to their parents.

5    Car journeys are a good opportunity to speak because

      A   the speakers don’t need to look at each other.

      B   the vehicle provides more privacy.

      C   families can travel somewhere nice together.

      D   teenagers cannot avoid their parents when they are in the same car.

6    Why has Barry written this blog post?

      A   to help families get along better

      B   to explain why his parents annoy him

      C   to encourage parents, doctors and teachers to read more about teenagers

      D   to suggest that it is important for teenagers to be responsible