31-й—40-й тесты, английский язык. ЕГЭ, на базе материалов ФИПИ - стр. 12
6. Cheaper to buy
7. Rebels no more
8. Shopping frenzy
A. Youth sub-culture isn’t what it used to be. In the 1960s, youths who were protesting against their parents or society dressed a certain way to show their anger, or to feel like they belonged to something. Nowadays, parents are more accepting of their children, and society is more accepting of different people. There is less of a need to act out, so there are fewer sub-cultures as a result.
B. There are still a few youth sub-cultures these days. One phenomenon is haul girls – teenage girls who shop till they drop, then come home with a big «haul», usually several bags of clothes. Then they make a video of what they bought, and not just any old video, either. They put great effort into it, with editing and a storyline. It’s their way of showing off what they love to do.
C. In the old days, it took quite a lot of cash to get the look you desired. If you wanted to be Goth, going out and buying black boots, black clothes and black jewellery would cost a considerable amount. It’s all become more affordable now, so you can belong to one youth sub-culture one week and another the next, more or less.
D. There are fewer differences between youth sub-cultures than there used to be. In the old days, a hippie looked like a hippie. A punk looked like a punk, and nothing else. But it seems that the youth of today sometimes combines looks. One example is seapunk, which is punk but much more colourful and with a bit of hip-hop added. At least it’s still very creative!
E. A youth sub-culture is defined by many things. It’s the need to stand out, or the need to protest, or the need to belong. These days, kids are quite worried about their future. University has become very expensive, and the job market isn’t as strong as it used to be. How can anyone focus on creating a unique style when they’re facing such deep financial concerns?
F. Sometimes a youth sub-culture can come out of nowhere. Take Molly Soda, for example. Molly Soda is a teenage girl who posted some short films on YouTube that quickly became highly popular. Her style of dress, with her blue hair and nose piercing, is now copied by thousands of girls who find it cool. They’re called Molly Soda girls, from a youth sub-culture born overnight!
G. It is true that youth sub-cultures are like trends. They are born, they gain popularity, and then soon enough, everyone’s joined in. At that point, they are finished. This timeline used to be much longer than it is today. Now, with social media, trends spread much faster, which means they die a death much faster, too. A sub-culture is lucky if it lasts a whole year these days!