A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders．Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience(服从), while children complained(抱怨)that their parents did not understand them at all．What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time．Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric(结构)of our society．
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life．In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation(职业)．In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents．
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do．Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them．Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other．
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations．In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight．The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities．
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature(特点)of American life for some time to come．Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes．
小题1:The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______．
A．the generation gap suddenly appeared
B．the generation gap is a feature of modern social life
C．people can reduce the generation gap
D．many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap小题2:The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means _______．
A．on all sides
B．near
C．in every direction
D．in existence（存在）小题3:Which cause of the generation gap is not mentioned in the passage?
A．Young people like to choose their own life styles．
B．American society is changing very fast．
C．Parents place high hopes on their children．
D．Modern education makes them think differently．小题4:In American society, young people often _______．
A．depend on their parents to make a life
B．stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education
C．seek the best advice from their parents
D．have very little in common with their parents小题5:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A．Parents should be strict with their children．
B．The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom．
C．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation．
D．The generation gap does not exist in American society．