Question

It seems that the great desire among the young is to be popular. The desire to be popular can force you into looking and acting like everyone else. You can lose yourself in a sea of identical hairstyles and thinking styles.

I was forced to think about popularity not too long ago in a talk I had with my daughter. Margy had to change schools when my busy work schedule made it necessary for me to move houses. I suppose that, for a girl in her teens, entering a new school is like spending a season alone in the tropical jungles. At least that’s how Margy found it at first. However, as the school year drew to a close, one student after another came to her. I told Margy that I would have been more concerned if she had been an instant social success in her new school. Nobody can please everyone. If you try to do so, you will find values as lasting as soap bubbles blown into the air.

Some teenagers claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow they all end up listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in a certain way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon into a larger cocoon.

I know that it has become harder for a young person to stand up against the popularity wave. Our way of life makes a young nonconformist stand out like a Martian. These days there’s a great barrier for the young person who wants to find his or her own path. But the barrier is worth climbing over. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. Well, go to it. Be yourself. Popularity will come with the people who respect you for who you are. That’s the only kind of popularity that really counts.

1.Why was the author worried about his daughter’s popularity in her new school?

A.She might find no true friends.

B.She would ignore her academic performance.

C.She had no idea of her own.

D.She might betray her true self.

2.What does the author think of most teenagers?

A.They’re afraid of getting lost in life.

B.They have difficulty understanding each other.

C.They lack the courage to be truly different.

D.They find it hard to gain popularity as expected.

3.What is the probable meaning of the underlined word "nonconformist" in Paragraph 4?

A.Someone who cares about others’ opinion.

B.Someone who desires popularity greatly.

C.Someone who behaves in his own way.

D.Someone who wants to please others.

4.What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A.To persuade readers to pursue valuable popularity.

B.To tell parents how to guide their children.

C.To criticize the present values and beliefs.

D.To suggest a good way to be popular.

Answer 1