Young people and older people do not always agree with each other. They sometimes have different
ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and
teenagers live together in a friendly way.
Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and enjoyment in work. Some teenagers work in the woods or on the farms near the village. Some learn to
make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the
teenagers learn photo-taking or painting. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his
own way to spend his free time.
When people live together, rules are necessary. In this program, the teenagers and the adults make
the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it
and ask, "Why did it happen? What should we do about it?"
One of the teenagers has this to say about the experience, "You stop thinking only about yourself. You
learn how to think about the group."
1. In one special program in New York, young and older people ______.
A. are friendly to each other.
B. teach each other new ways of building houses
C. live together but do not work together
D. spend eight weeks together, working as farmers
2. Living together, ________.
A. the teenagers have to obey the rules the adults make
B. the members don't have to obey the rules
C. the members are not allowed to break the rules they make together
D. the members have no free time except on weekends
3.The last paragraph shows that the teenager thinks his experience in the program is _____.
A. disappointing
B. helpful
C. tiring
D. unpleasant
4. The best title for the passage is _______.
A. Rules of Living Together
B. Different Ideas about Living
C. Teenagers and Adults Together
D. Life in New York State
