Unit Ten Youth Aspirations

Part I aspiration: a strong desire for high achievemen

t syndrome: a set of medical symptoms which re

present a physical or mental disorder ballet: A classical dance form characterized by

grace and precision of movement and by elaborate formal gestures, steps, and poses

gymnastics: a sport that involves exercises intended to display strength and balance and agility

prodigy: a child who shows a great ability at a young age; eg. a child prodigy on piano

well-round: (esp. of a person’s experience)full of different types of activity; complete and varied

well-grounded: fully instructed or trained

Pre-listening questions

When you are in your teens, how did you spend your free time?

Here is a report on how American average teenagers spend their free time

Key

dropping about 16% extracurricular activities (ballet,

gymnastics, football) casual emphasis and stress expert/prodigies parents saying “enough is enough”/ cutting

back/ pulling children out of all their activities

B

Read the following difficult sentences and listen

Part II British Youth heyday: the time of greatest power, influence, success, or

popularity advent: the arrival or coming of (an important event,

period, invention, etc.) flower power: an counterculture of young people in the US

during the 1960s and 70s teenyboppers: a young person between the ages of about

9 and 14, esp. a girl, who is very interested in popular music and the bands who play it, the latest fashions, etc.

hooliganism: willful wanton and malicious destruction of the property of others

portray: to describe according to one’s opinion extraction: family origin in a stated place option: one of a number of courses of action that

are possible and may be chosen executive: a person or group having

administrative or managerial authority in an organization

VAT(value-added tax): (in Britain and many other European countries) a tax added to the price of an article, and paid by the buyer to the seller, who then pays it to the government

embark: to start

What are young people most worried about? What do adult people think of the young? What kind of young people will succeed in the future? Think about these questions before listening to the first part of the passage about British youth. Find the differences between your answer and what you’ve heard

B

Now listen to the second part of the passage. Finish the following diagram with key words.

Key

birth fashions, magazines, music and style heyday bands/the Rolling Stones, and the mini-

skirt flower power, hippies new romantics, dance music

C

Listen to the whole passage. Briefly answer the following questions.

Key

Dancing, clubs, music, fashion and fun Fights, troubles, hooliganism, drugs and

anarchy Not accepted/gradually accept now/more

people coming/different culture backgrounds

Help raise finance Help raise finance Set up their own businesses Over 5,500 About 3,700

Part III Young people & citizen service

pledge: (esp. in newspapers) to make a solemn promise of

spark: a small bit of burning material thrown out by a fire or by the striking together of two hard objects; a vital, animating, or activating factor

address: to direct (a spoken or written message) to the attention of

immunization: the fact or process of becoming immune, as against a disease

scout: a member of an association for training girls in character and self-help

transcript: a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)

You are going to hear a speech delivered by the former American President Bill Clinton on young people and citizen service. While listening, take notes and complete the following outline.

Key

I. What we must every American’s life II. National service What its members do Support 77 III. Commitments the national

government

A food recovery summit New Mentoring Alliance The Girl Scouts of America IV. Commitment to community A. Creative ways curriculum B. The National Service Scholars Communities and private service organizat

ions V. the spirit of the Service Summit

B

Now listen to the speech again and answer the following questions. This time pay more attention to the important supporting details.

Key

1. Cleaning the environment At-risk children Keep streets safe Child immunization 2. 50,000 new AmeriCorps scholarships

organizations the chance to serve

Credit Course work Transcript A condition of graduation 4. 1,600 high school students / up to

$1,000

Part IV Listen and Relax