Задание 4 ЕГЭ по английскому языку

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Presenter: Hello, everybody, and welcome to our daily programme 'Five Minutes with a Star'. Today in our studio, we have Amy Jones, a psychologist and a writer whose books are mainly aimed at teenagers and their parents. Hello, Amy.

Amy: Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting me here today.

Presenter: You have published a lot of stories for teenagers. What are the main themes of these stories?

Amy: It's very hard to say. It's anything from friends, first crushes and braces to loneliness and loss. In fact, the themes are remarkably similar to the ones you remember from your own teen years. You see, people are people, and human emotions don't really change from decade to decade.

Presenter: Is life harder today for teens than in previous generations?

Amy: Well, as I have already said, the feelings are basically the same, life has become much more difficult with regard to college admissions. The admission process is more difficult and more intense than in the past. Kids have always worried about getting into college, but admission is not so easy now. Record numbers of kids are applying, and the number of available spots has not increased.

Presenter: Do you think modern parents have unrealistic expectations or put too much pressure on teens?

Amy: Surprisingly, as a psychologist, I haven't seen many reports of that. The teens are not complaining about pressure from their parents or even from their teachers. It seems that most parents are behaving pretty well, but the teens are putting pressure on themselves.

Presenter: How are your books helpful to teens?

Amy: I have lots of stories in which kids, I mean, the main characters, talk about how good they feel about themselves when they make the right decisions and how that improves their self-esteem. I also have lots of stories in which girls and boys realize they are terrific, just the way they are, whether it's in the area of weight, appearance, talent, or any of the other factors by which they measure themselves.

Presenter: Why do you think it's necessary to boost teenagers' self-esteem?

Amy: Self-esteem is so powerful. It frees up kids to make choices that are more about what they want and less about what they think they should do in order to feel better about themselves. If they already feel good about themselves, they are less likely to make bad decisions. Although every teen makes bad decisions, no matter how well we raise them.

Presenter: What do you think is the main mistake parents make in communicating with their teenage kids?

Amy: Teens need perspective instead of getting bogged down in the details of their daily, very busy lives. In my books, teens are described with their ups and downs, academic stress, issues with friends, crushes, family problems, and so on. Advice from parents does not always help, especially when parents say something like 'you will laugh about this one day', or when they relate a similar experience from their times.

Presenter: How can parents help teens lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle then?

Amy: Well, in my opinion, the best advice for teens may come from sharing the experiences of other teens. Because teens believe them. Parents can also help their teens by having reasonable expectations. Don't push them to take on more than they can handle. Also, parents should encourage teens to select activities based on interest and not based on resume value. Teens should pursue activities that they are truly interested in, not just the ones they think will look good.

Presenter: Thank you very much, Amy. It has been very interesting talking to you.

Amy: Thank you.