Parentsandkidstodaydressalike,listentothesamemusic,andarefriends.Isthisagoodthing?Sometimes,whenMr.Ballmerandhis16-year-olddaughter,Elizabeth,listentorockmusictogetherandtalkaboutinterestsbothenjoy,suchas
Parentsandkidstodaydressalike,listentothesamemusic,andarefriends.Isthisagoodthing?Sometimes,whenMr.Ballmerandhis16-year-olddaughter,Elizabeth,listentorockmusictogetherandtalkaboutinterestsbothenjoy,suchaspopculture,heremembershismoredistantrelationshipwithhisparentswhenhewasateenager.
“Iwouldneverhavesaidtomymom,‘Hey,thenewWeezeralbumisreallygreat.Howdoyoulikeit?’”saysBallmer.“Therewasjustacompletegapintaste.”
Musicwasnottheonlygulf.Fromclothingandhairstylestoactivitiesandexpectations,earliergenerationsofparentsandchildrenoftenappearedtomoveinseparateorbits.
Today,thegenerationgaphasnotdisappeared,butitisgettingnarrowinmanyfamilies.Conversationsonsubjectssuchassexanddrugswouldnothavetakenplaceagenerationago.Nowtheyarecomfortableandcommon.Andparent—childactivities,fromshoppingtosports,involveafeelingoftrustandfriendshipthatcancontinueint0adulthood.
Nowondergreetingcardstodaycarrythemessage,“Tomymother,mybestfriend.”
Butfamilyexpertswarnthatthenewequalitycanalsoresultinlessrespectforparents.“There’sstillalotofstrictnessandauthorityonthepartofparentsoutthere,butthereisachangehappening,”saysKerrie,apsychologyprofessoratLebanonValleyCollege.“Inthemiddleofthatchange,thereisalotofconfusionamongparents.”
Familyresearchersofferavarietyofreasonsfortheseevolvingrolesandattitudes.Theyseethe1960sasaturningpoint.Greatculturalchangesledtomoreopencommunicationandamoredemocraticprocessthatencourageseveryonetohaveasay.
“Myparentswereonthe‘before’sideofthatchange,buttoday’sparents,the40-year-olds,wereonthe ‘after’side,”explainsMr.Ballmer.“It’snotsomethingeasilyaccomplishedbyparentsthesedays,becauselifeismoredifficulttounderstandordealwith,butsharinginterestsdoesmakeitmorefuntobeaparentnow.”
41.TheunderlinedwordgulfinPara.3mostprobablymeans_________.
A.interest
B.distance
C.difference
D.separation
42.Whichofthefollowingshowsthatthegenerationgapisdisappearing?
A.Parentshelptheirchildrendevelopinterestsinmoreact
