I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it
were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching (紧握) at one another’s hands for reassurance.
They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow they all end up huddled (聚在一起) round listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon (蚕茧) into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once wi
th your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come — with the people who respect you for who you are. That is the only kind of popularity that really counts.
小题1: In this passage, the author wants to tell _______.
| A．readers to try to be popular with people around |
| B．teenagers to try to pursue their real selves |
| C．parents to try to control and guide their children |
| D．people to try to understand and respect each other |
小题2:The author disapproves of rebelling teenagers _______.
| A．growing away from their parents | B．turning to their friends for hel p |
| C．walking a new way on their own | D．following the popularity trend |
小题3:The phrase “a larger cocoon” at the end of the second paragraph refers to _______.
| A．the distractive and variable society | B．the popularity wave in the society |
| C．the parental care and love | D．the dazzling music world |
小题4:What does the author think of advertisements?
| A．Convincing. | B．Instructive. | C．Influential. | D．Authoritative. |
小题5:According to the author, what might happen when a teenager stands up against the popularity wave and follows his/her own path?
| A．He/She gains valuable popularity. | B．He/She loses good friends. |
| C．He/She faces all kinds of criticism. | D．He/She falls behind the time. |