II. READING

TASK 1. Read the passage. Circle the best answer A, B, or C to each of the questions.

Is the generation gap in America no longer a severe problem as it used to be? Dating back to the 1960s when teenagers tended to lash out the values and goals of their parents as well as rebel against the authority figures, the incendiary conflicts between older and younger generations increased sharply. It’s because teenagers' world wasn’t any longer limited in a narrow society that wasn’t mobile, and instead of going to church every weekend, they were exposed to various forms of social media like television and radios. They got access to huge sources of new ideas, which liberated them from old-fashioned and boring lifestyles whereas many older people were conservative and didn’t accept differences disturbing their normal life. Over time, however, the tension between generations has been alleviated due to the improved mutual understanding of baby boomers, Millennials and even Zillennials in many fields of life. According to recent research, the largest generational discrepancies between young and old in the United States are the use of technology and taste in music. Nevertheless, in terms of technological use, many older people gradually learn how to use a laptop or smartphone to surf the Internet from their children and especially their grandchildren due to their recognition of huge technological benefits. Regarding the musical differences, unlike in the past, older generations nowadays appear to give fewer critical remarks on what type of music teens should listen to and begin to accept the variety of music tastes when living under the same roofs.

Why did the older generation refuse to access new things? A. Because they thought those things were tedious.