Vocabulary

to confront – сталкиваться

drug-addiction – наркомания

free – бесплатно

connections – связи (знакомства)

inaccessible – недоступный

discourage – мешать, препятствовать

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

1. What main youth problems does the author mention?

2. Are these problems universal?

3. Which of them are typical only of Russia?

20. Youth subculture

Subculture is a system of norms, values, habits and traditions which are characteristic of a certain group of people.

The first subcultures appeared at the beginning of the 20-th century.

The largest subculture was hippies. It began in 1960 in the USA. It started as a protest against the Vietnam War. Hippies were for peace and their motto was: “Make love, not war”. Their idea was to be close to nature and to stop environment pollution. They protested against it actively organizing meetings and demonstrations. Many hippies moved to live in the countryside and even in the forests where they constructed the wooden houses. They also invented their own style in clothing – both men and women wore long hair (never cut it) and preferred loose clothes. They usually wore jeans on their hips and that was how they got their name.

But this is not the only subculture. There are some others, too. For example, punks, skinheads, Goths, emo. These subcultures appeared not very long ago. Punks are people wearing leather jackets, arranging their hair in a queer way and piercing their body with different adornments. They listen to rock and punk rock music.

Emo is the youngest subculture. Those young girls and boys who belong to this group wear clothes of pink and black colors, cry permanently and sometimes commit suicides.

Many subcultures such as hippies have died out but every year new ones appear.

In any case subcultures are for those groups of young people who consider rest and entertainment and not hard labor to be the goal of their lives.

Vocabulary

motto – девиз

environment pollution – загрязнение окружающей среды

queer – странный, причудливый

adornments – украшения

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

1. What subculture was the largest?

2. What was hippies’ way of living?

3. Can you name other youth subcultures? How are they characterized?

21. Historical importance of education

Education is a vital concern throughout Britain because a highly developed nation depends upon educated professionals and a skilled workforce. The literacy rate in Britain is one of the highest in the world.

Britain’s first education act in 1870 was inspired by the pioneering example of mass compulsory education in Germany and provided for state-financed primary education. The 1902 act also established scholarships for secondary education. An education act passed in 1944 and administered by the newly created Ministry of Education established free and compulsory secondary education up to age 15; it was increased to the age of 16 in 1973.

The most famous schools in Britain are private boarding schools, such as Eton College, Harrow School, Rugby School, and Winchester School. These famous private schools, founded during the Middle Ages, are theoretically open to the public, but in reality are attended by those who can afford the fees.

Britain has more than 90 universities. British universities can be divided into several categories. The foremost universities are the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, both founded in the Middle Ages. Another type of university is the so-called redbrick variety – old and solid schools built in the 19^th century when bricks were the standard building material. The large number of ultramodern universities founded in the last half of the 20th century is often called cement block and plate-glass universities.