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In the American TV show Hannah Montana, the main character fights with her father all the time. She
wants to be her own person; she wants to be free. British teenagers often feel the same, it seems.
A recent survey among 2,000 British parents shows that girls and boys experience similar kinds of stress,
with some slight differences.
Girls want to grow up fast, demanding greater freedom. They feel pressure to be thin and sometimes
dangerously experiment with alcohol (酒).
Girls over 14 care more about getting a boyfriend, make-up and going out with friends than with their
schoolwork. They are more likely to complain about pocket money.
Parents found they had their hardest time with boys over the age of 15. Their sons are fighting bad skin
and don't like speaking to them. Like girls over 14, they are also little interested in their studies. Seven out
of 10 parents said their sons become frustrated when they are not understood.
Unsurprisingly, it isn't just British teenagers who have such problems.
In a survey published in the US in August, two out of three high school students said their life was tough
(艰难的). There was a universal worry over body image (形象) and ability to fit in socially.
Plenty of the teenagers feel great pressure to get good grades, with nearly half naming this as their top
worry. The next biggest problem is pressure they face to get into a good college. According to the survey,
66 percent reported saving their money to pay for all or part of college.
"Today's American teens have seen what happened during recent economic challenges, and they are
much more aware of the importance of planning ahead," said Stuart Rubinstein, managing director with TD
Ameritrade, which carried out the survey.
1. What is the article mainly about? [ ]
A. What makes the lives of teenagers so hard.
B. How to deal with teen problems.
C. Stress faced by UK and US teenagers.
D. Peer pressure faced by UK and US teenagers.
2. According to the survey, British boys over 15 often feel great pressure to _____. [ ]
A. grow up fast
B. experiment with alcohol
C. get into a good college
D. be more open and communicative
3. The underlined word "universal" in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to _____. [ ]
A. global
B. common
C. average
D. reasonable
4. How have recent economic challenges affected American teens?[ ]
A. They have become more concerned about their future.
B. They are now more worried about the ability to fit in socially.
C. They are attempting to learn more about money management.
D. They are spending more time developing their practical skills.
