Unit 2.

The generation gap

VOCABULARY
II. Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words in brackets.
1. _______ differences exist between children and their parents, children and their grandparents, and
between students and their teachers.
A. Generational B. Gender C. Gap D. Bridge
2. Born between 1928 and 1945, this generation is characterized by their _______ viewpoints.
A. modern B. traditional C. cultural D. social
3. There are two main factors leading to generation gaps. They are the circumstances where people
were born and grown up, and the _______ values they believe in.
A. modern B. traditional C. cultural D. social
4. Each generation has its own _______ regarding technological influences and ways of life.
A. character B. personality C. characteristics D. aspects
5. Parents _______ complain that their children after a certain age tend to disrespect them.
A. hardly B. definitely C. certainly D. commonly
6. A generation gap can be used to describe the differences in _______, actions, and tastes shown by
members of younger generations toward the older ones.
A. thoughts B. behaviours C. ways D. characters
7. The top areas of _______ between the young and the old seem to be the use of technology and
taste in music.
A. agree B. argue C. agreement D. disagreement
III. Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words in the box.

character prepare conflict generation

depend digit collaborate
tradition
1. There are ways to bridge the ________ gap in certain situations.
2. ________ , who were born between 1925 and 1945, are characterized as disciplined, patriotic, and
conservative citizens.
3. Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen Xers grew up with technological advancements and political
________ .
4. Generation X is always ________ to live and work in a flexible world with rapid changes.
5. Millennials value the learning environment which is ________ , achievement-oriented, highly
creative, and flexible.
6. Generation Z is the first generation who grew up with the electronic devices as a fact of life;
therefore, they are also called ________ natives.
7. Generation Z is motivated by security and wants ________ .
IV. Circle the best option A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined
word(s).
1. Parents should strictly limit their children's screen time.
A. control B. allow C. rest D. overrun
2. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), born in the aftermath of the World War II when there was a
"boom" in birthrates.
A. population B. decrease C. explosion D. exploration
V. Circle the best option A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined
word(s).
1. A generation gap is commonly perceived to refer to differences between generations that cause
conflict.
A. competition B. dispute C. disagreement D. harmony
2. One of the key benefits of generational diversity is knowledge sharing.
A. advantages B. drawbacks C. conveniences D. interests

GRAMMAR
VI. Underline the correct option to complete the following sentences.
1. With less life experience than older family members, the younger generation should/mustn't
realize that differences between generations can be positive.
2. Children commonly feel upset when they have to/must make their parents understand some
issues on which they have different points of view.
3. Parents have to / should make their children realize that they care about in their children's
interest.
4. Parents shouldn't/mustn't say things like 'when I was your age'.
5. Children shouldn't/mustn't disrespect the elders and their parents.

VII. Circle the best options (A, B, C, or D) to complete the following sentences.
1. There is no stronger bond than that of a kid and his parents; therefore, we _______ understand its
importance and handle it with care.
A. must B. needn't C. have D. shouldn't
2. For some conservative parents, their children _______ be given the space to express themselves
freely.
A. must B. mustn't C. have D. don't have to
3. The parent-child relationship _______ be nurtured very delicately.
A. must B. need C. have to D. should
4. Young and old generations _______ have mutual respect for the views and opinions of each other.
A. must B. mustn't C. should D. shouldn't
5. To reduce the gap between the two generations, both parents and children _______ develop more
understanding and acceptance for each other.
A. must B. mustn't C. have to D. don't have to

SKILLS
READING
I. Read the text and circle the correct answer.
Generation gap is a (1) ________ in values and attitudes between one generation and another, (2)
________ between young people and their parents. These differences stem from older and younger
people not understanding each other (3) ________ their differences in experiences, opinions, habits,
and behavior.
History has always seen some degree of generational differences. For instance, women in the 1920s
shocked their elders by wearing short skirts and bobbed hair. (4) ________ , the term "generation
gap" came into wide use in the United States and Europe during the 1960s. It described the (5)
________ differences between the baby boomers and their parents. During this era, the differences
between the two generations were exaggerated in comparison with previous times. There were
major differences in many things such as music, fashion, drug use, and politics.
(Source: https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry)
1. A. thing B. thought C. bridge D. difference
2. A. definitely B. especially C. generally D. totally
3. A. since B. such as C. because D. because of
4. A. However B. For example C. So D. Although
5. A. digital B. flexible C. cultural D. positive
II. Read the text and circle the best option A, B, C, or D to answer the questions.
Two contrasting members of my family are my brother and my father. I understand both of them
fairly well, but their attempts to understand each other are less successful.
One of the humorous differences between my father and brother is the way they wear their hair.
My brother wears his hair down to his shoulders. My father, on the other hand, always gets his hair
cut when it begins to touch his collar. The length of my brother's hair bothers my father. This
difference in hair-styles symbolizes, for my father, all the contrasting opinions between my brother
and him.
During the fifties, as my father was growing up in the hills of West Virginia, he realized that he
wanted a life that was different from that of his parents, so he decided that he would go to college.
He excelled in mathematics and science and eventually earned a Ph.D. in physics. For my father, a
college education symbolized a way to get ahead and provide a good standard of living for his family.
The environment in which my brother grew up was much different from the conservative era in
which my father was raised. He studied music at an early age and was encouraged to develop his
interest in the field. Although talented in math and science, my brother's true love was music. He was
determined, upon graduating from high school, to make a career in music.
 (Source: https://www.lonestar.edu/myfamily-generationgap.htm)
1. What is the best title for the passage?
A. My Father and My Brother
B. The Generation Gap in My Family
C. Differences in Music Taste
D. Attempts to Understand Family Members
2. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The author's grandparents did not manage to earn a college degree.
B. The author was not successful in understanding his father and brother.
C. The author's father wanted the same life as his parents.
D. The author's father did not manage to earn a college degree.
3. Which one is closest in meaning to the word excelled in the third paragraph?
A. comprehended B. studied C. mastered D. understood
4. What can be inferred about the author's father?
A. He is creative, open-minded and flexible.
B. He is strict and unlucky man.
C. He is responsible and technically minded.
D. He is a careless and broken man.
5. What can be inferred about the author's brother?
A. He is creative, open-minded and flexible.
B. He is strict and unlucky man.
C. He is responsible and technically minded.
D. He is a careless and broken man.
III. Read the text and decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
Digital natives were born into or raised in the digital era with a widespread access to the Internet
and devices like computers and smartphones. Digital natives are seen as people born after the
Internet was developed in the early '80s, which means Gen X, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha all are
considered digital natives.
Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X is also known as the independent generation for being
brought up with little adult supervision. Growing up, Gen X preferred email and phone calls for
communication and they also were the first generation to embrace the Walkman for MTV.
Nowadays, Gen X continues to lean on technology mostly for communication.
Born between 1995 and 2010, Gen Z has little to no memory of a world without smartphones.
Nowadays, Gen Zers are the first to embrace TikTok, relying on YouTube and Netflix equally for
entertainment, and considering video games a form of socialization.
Born from 2010 to the present day - the only digital generation born entirely in the 21 st century -
Gen Alpha is also known as the Glass Generation because they can view their entire world through
glass-fronted devices. And they begin doing that at a young age. Today the oldest Gen Alpha
members are only 11 years old, so much of their technology use is possibly monitored by parents and
teachers or the elders. Access to technology comes with responsibility and for Gen Alpha kids, which
means it's up to their parents to teach that responsibility in them, especially as this digital generation
utilizes technology like tablets and video games for socialization and entertainment.
(Source: https://us.norton.com/blog/how-to/digital-generations)
1. Digital natives were born before 1980.
2. Gen X tends to lean on their parents and on technology for communication.
3. Gen Z generally considers smartphones a fact of their life.
4. Gen Alpha's access to technology depends on their guardians.
5. Tablets and video games are two key tools for Gen Alpha to entertain and communicate.