26.

  1. Because the majority of high school students drink alcohol.
  2. Because parents nowadays cannot control their children.
  3. Because it causes traffic accidents and deaths.
  4. Because it is harmful to the health of the children.

(Click to show or hide the key.)

27.

  1. The young people themselves.
  2. Parents.
  3. School authorities.
  4. The permissive society.

(Click to show or hide the key.)

28.

  1. To teach their children to drink moderately.
  2. To hold stem attitudes and use severe methods.
  3. To strive to have some strict rules enforced.
  4. To give less pocket-money to their children.

(Click to show or hide the key.)

29.

  1. An authorized person.
  2. A place where drinking of alcohol at parties is supervised.
  3. A community where drinking is supervised.
  4. A place where parties with alcohol are forbidden.

(Click to show or hide the key.)

30.

  1. Drinking should be supervised in every community.
  2. No alcohol should be sold to teenagers.
  3. Children should be taught not to drink too much from early childhood.
  4. Children should only go to "safe homes".

(Click to show or hide the key.)

Today American parents are finding themselves in a dilemma about how to deal with teenage drinking, a serious social problem.

A recent survey has revealed that 92% of high school seniors have tried alcohol at least once and two-thirds take a drink once a month. Alcohol has resulted in a lot of teenage car crashes, as well as suicides and murders. Parents are wondering why they can't keep their children from drinking. Now many are beginning to conclude that it is not just the kids but the parents who should be held responsible for their permissive behaviours.

Some parents find that stem attitudes and methods are impractical and ineffective. They try to teach their children to drink responsibly and moderately. Many parents believe that supervised drinking is a safe solution.

However, an increasing number of parents fear that this will endanger their children's safety. Therefore, hardliners are striving to form a united front to lay down common rules to be strictly enforced. And the most popular method in some communities is what they call "safe homes", where unsupervised parties with alcohol are forbidden.

The hardliners think that this way their children will learn self-control.

But experts and educators fear such attitudes might invite outright rebellion from the children. Both sides agree that teenage drinking can be dealt with if no excessive drinking behaviours are established early and supported by school authorities.