Lesson 34 Adolescence 青春期

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音,然后回答以下问题。

What do adolescents respect in parents?

Parents are often upset when their children praise the homes of their friends and regard it as a slur on their own cooking, or cleaning, or furniture, and often are foolish enough to let the adolescents see that they are annoyed. They may even accuse them of disloyalty, or make some spiteful remark about the friends' parents. Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of the adults deeply shocks the

5 adolescents, and makes them resolve that in future they will not talk to their parents about the places or people they visit. Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is so secretive and never tells them anything, but they seldom realize that they have brought this on themselves.

Disillusionment with the parents, however good and adequate they may be both as parents and as individuals, is to some degree inevitable. Most children have such a high ideal of their parents, unless the 10 parents themselves have been unsatisfactory, that it can hardly hope to stand up to a realistic evaluation. Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched if they realized how much belief their children usually have in their character and infallibility, and how much this faith means to a child. If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction, and realized that it was a sign that the child was growing up and developing valuable powers of observation and independent judgment, they would not be so hurt, and 15 therefore would not drive the child into opposition by resenting and resisting it.

The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity, always respects a parent who admits that he is wrong, or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair or unjust. What the child cannot forgive is the parents' refusal to admit these charges if the child knows them to be true.

Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian 20 attitude; in fact they did nothing of the kind, but children were then too cowed to let them know how they really felt. Today we tend to go to the other extreme, but on the whole this is a healthier attitude both for the child and the parent. It is always wiser and safer to face up to reality, however painful it may be at the moment.

Doris Odlum Journey Through Adolescence

New words and expressions 生词和短语

adolescence (title) $/$ ædə'lesəns $/n$ . 青春期 resent (1.15) $/{\mathrm{r}}_{\mathrm{I}}$ ’zent/v. 怨恨

slur (1.1) $/\mathrm{s}$ |3: $/n$ . 诋毁 sincerity (1.16) /sIn’serɪti/ $n$ . 诚挚

adolescent (1.2) ${I}_{n}$ ædə'lesənt/ $n$ . 青少年(12-18岁) victorian (1.19) /vɪk'tɔːriən/ adj. 维多利亚式的

disloyalty (1.3) $/$ dIs’lɔɪəlti/ n. 不忠实 retreat (1.19) $/{\mathrm{r}}_{\mathrm{I}}$ ’triːt/v. 后退 spiteful (1.3) / spartfal/ adj. 恶意的, 怀恨的 unreasoning (1.19) $/\Delta {n}^{\prime }$ riːzənɪŋ/adj. 不凭理智的 disillusionment (1.8) $/$ dasI’luːʒənmənt/ n. 幻灭感 authoritarian (I.19) /ɔː,θɒrɪ'teәriәn/adj. 专制的

evaluation (1.10) $/$ ivælju'eɪʃən $/n$ . 评价 cow (1.20) $/\mathrm/v$ . 吓唬

infallibility (1.12)/m, fælə'bɪlɪti/n. 一贯正确 Unit 5 Lesson 34

An English family at home

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 on the part of, 在 ……一边。

2 they have brought this on themselves, 他们是咎由自取 。

3 stand up to, 经得起。

4 face up to, 正视。

参考译文

当家长听到孩子赞扬自己朋友的家时, 总感到不安, 认为这是孩子在嫌弃自家的饭菜、卫生、或家具、而且愚蠢地让孩子看出自己的烦恼。他们甚至责备孩子不忠,或者讲些小朋友家长的坏话。家长这种有失身份和孩子气的作法使青春期的孩子大为震惊,决心以后不再向父母讲述去过的地方和见过的人。不要很久,家长就会抱怨孩子守口如瓶,什么事也不告诉他们,殊不知这是他们自找的。

不管家长的人品有多么好, 作为父母又多么合格, 孩子们对家长幻想的破灭在某种程度上是不可避免的。 除非父母自身不能令人满意,大多数孩子对父母估价过高,以致这种估价很难指望经受住现实的考验。如果家长意识到孩子们通常是多么相信家长的品行和绝对正确, 意识到孩子们的这种信念会对孩子产生多么大的影响, 那么家长会大为吃惊和深受感动的。如果家长对青少年的这种反应有思想准备, 并且意识到这象征着孩子们正在成熟和正在发展宝贵的观察力、独立判断力,那么他们就不会那样伤心,也就不会由于怨恨和抵触这种反应, 而把孩子推到自己的对立面去。

青少年酷爱真诚,对于能够承认错误或无知、甚至承认自己做得不公平或不公正的父母,他们总是尊敬的。 孩子们所不能原谅的是:父母错了,孩子们也看出来了,可是做父母的还不肯承认。

维多利亚时代的父母认为, 他们可以靠无理的权威气派来维护自己的尊严, 实际上那是根本不行的。孩子们只不过被吓得不敢让父母知道自己的想法罢了。虽然现在我们倾向于走向另一个极端, 但总地来看, 孩子和家长双方态度都比较端正。遇事采取面对现实的态度总是比较明智和稳妥的,尽管会有暂时的痛苦。

Unit 5 Lesson 34

Comprehension 理解

Answer these questions:

1 What sort of behaviour among parents does the author characterize as 'childish'?

2 Why, according to the author, is it inevitable that adolescents should become disillusioned with their parents?

3 How does our attitude towards adolescents differ from that of the Victorians?

Vocabulary 词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: slur (1.1); spiteful remark (1.3); resolve (1.5); disillusionment (1.8); to some degree inevitable (1.9); evaluation (1.10); touched (1.11); infallibility (1.12); resenting (1.15); charges (1.18); retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude (ll.19-20).

Summary 摘要

Drawing your information from lines 1-15 ('Parents ... resisting it.') write a summary of the author's argument that it is inevitable that adolescents should react against their parents. Do not write more than 100 words. Your answer should be in one paragraph.

Composition 作文

A Write a list of ideas in note form which could be used to discuss this subject:

Account for the fact that children seem to grow up more quickly today than they did in the past.

B Drawing on your list of ideas, write a composition of about 400 words.

Key structures 关键句型

A Put the words in parentheses in their correct position in these sentences. In many cases, more than one position is possible. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

1 Parents are upset when their children praise the homes of their friends. (often) (1.1)

2 Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of the adults shocks the adolescents. (deeply) (II.4-5)

3 They realize that they have brought this on themselves. (seldom) (1.7)

4 Parents would be surprised and touched if they realized how much belief their children have in their character and infallibility. (greatly, deeply, usually) (ll.11-12)

B Compare the uses of enough in these two sentences:

1 Parents are ... often foolish enough to let the adolescents see that they are annoyed. (II.1-3)

2 Have you had enough tea, or would you like some more?

Write two sentences using enough in the ways shown above.

Unit 5 Lesson 34

C Note the form of the verbs used after let and make in these two sentences:

1 Parents are often foolish enough to let the adolescents see that they are annoyed. (II.2-3)

2 Such a loss of dignity makes them resolve that in future they will not talk to their parents. (II.4-5) Complete the following sentences:

1 They let us _____

2 We made them _____

3 Will you let him _____

4 Why make me _____

D Supply the correct form of the verbs in parentheses in these sentences. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

1 Parents greatly (surprise) _____ if they realized how much this faith means to a child. (ll.11-12)

2 If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction, and _____ (realize) that it _____ (be) a sign that the child _____ (grow) up and _____ (develop) valuable powers of observation and independent judgment, they not (be) so hurt, and therefore not _____ (drive) the child into opposition by resenting and resisting it. (II.12-15)

E Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying: The thing the child cannot forgive is the parents' refusal to admit these charges.

We can say: What the child cannot forgive is the parents' refusal to admit these charges. (II.17-18)

Write three statements similar in form to the one above beginning with What.

Special difficulties 难点

A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1 enough (I.2) - fairly

The water is warm enough to swim in.

The water is fairly warm.

2 loss (1.4) - lose

Our company made a big loss last year.

Try not to lose your ticket.

3 descent (1.4) - decent

The pilot managed an emergency descent and landed in a field.

Decent citizens have nothing to fear from this legislation.

4 belief (1.11) - loyalty

Try to have more belief in your own ability.

Family loyalty makes it impossible for him to say anything negative about his relations.

5 grow up (1.13) - grow

What do you want to do when you grow up?

Livia grows all her own vegetables.

6 hurt (1.14) - pain

I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.

I banged against the table and hurt my knee. My knee hurts.

I had such a pain in the stomach after eating oysters.

Unit 5 Lesson 34 7 refusal (1.17) - denial A journalist's refusal to identify his source of information has landed him in prison before now. He gave the statement an unqualified denial. The journalist's denial that he had handled stolen documents was not believed at the inquiry.

B Write sentences using the following phrases:

on the part of (1.4); before very long (1.6); to stand up to (1.10); nothing of the kind (1.20); on the whole (1.21); to face up to (1.22); at the moment (11.22-23).

Multiple choice questions 多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1 Adolescents often fail to communicate _____

(a) when parents feel their children are criticising their cooking

(b) because they don't want to talk about the places or people they visit

(c) because they don’t want to annoy their parents

(d) in response to negative behaviour from their parents

2 When adolescents feel disillusion with their parents _____.

(a) they don’t really mean it

(b) they want to hurt them

(c) it's often a sign they're developing into maturity

(d) they are expressing their dissatisfaction with them

3 Adolescents are likely to _____.

(a) show more respect for parents who don't think they're always right

(b) resent and resist parents whatever the parents do

(c) respect their parents’ infallibility

(d) treat their parents unfairly and unjustly

4 In Victorian times, adolescents _____ .

(a) had more respect for their parents than today

(b) always faced up to reality, however painful it might be

(c) were too afraid to show their true feelings

(d) admired the authoritarian attitude of their parents

Structure 句型

5 Parents are often _____ foolish _____ show they are annoyed. (II.1-2)

(a) so ... that (b) so... as to (c) so ... to (d) such ... to

6 They may even make spiteful remarks about the parents of their _____ . (1.3)

(a) friend (b) friends' (c) friend's (d) friends

7 Soon parents will complain that the child never _____ anything to them. (ll.6-7)

(a) says (b) tells (c) talks (d) speaks

Unit 5 Lesson 34

8 _____ parents are unsatisfactory, children won't have high ideals of them. (11.9-10)

(a) Until (b) As long (c) If (d) Though

Vocabulary 词汇

9 Such a loss of dignity makes them _____ that they won't talk to their parents. (ll.4-5)

(a) deny (b) refuse (c) explain (d) decide

10 Disillusionment with parents, however _____ they may be, is inevitable. (II.8-9)

(a) outstanding (b) satisfactory (c) promising (d) enough

11 Most children have such a high ideal, it can hardly stand up to realistic _____ . (II.9-10)

(a) valuation (b) estimate (c) assessment (d) estimation

12 The adolescent always respects a parent who _____ that he is wrong. (1.16)

(a) confesses (b) confides (c) explains (d) excepts 206