Teens Talking to Teens

Ex. 2 Read and translate the text

1) Tina and Jana, two high school students, are chatting when the phone rings. Jana answers, 'This is Teens Talking to Teens.' All this is happening in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, at the Young People's Support Centre. Young people in the city help at a telephone hotline for teenagers with problems. What's so special about this hotline? Well, the people who answer the phones are fourteen to eighteen-year-olds. They aren't experts but they try to help. Two teenagers work every day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. They don't work at weekends or during holidays.

2) Most teenagers who phone are high school students with problems. 'We have to have a sense of humour because teenagers sometimes think we'll do their homework for them,' says Jana, 'But that's not what the hotline is for. People think teenagers' lives are fun but they often worry about school, problems with parents or even trouble with the police. Teenagers today complain that their parents don't give them enough freedom. But the biggest problem is school. They worry about teachers, marks and exams, and there is a lot of exam pressure. Also, many kids are unhappy about their appearance. We listen and try to help.'

3) 'We're in the media, so everybody knows our phone number,' says Tina, 'even parents. Parents sometimes call us for support when they are having problems with their teenage daughter or son. They don't know what to do. Kids call us because they find it difficult to talk to their mum or dad. Some kids even want to leave home but we ask them to think about it for a day or two. Kids listen to us because we're kids too.'

4) The fifty Slovenian teenagers love their work. 'It's really interesting to talk to other teenagers about their problems. I think all the hotline helpers are good at listening, talking and giving advice and support to people in trouble,' says Jana.

Ex. 3 Read the text `Teens Talking to Teens` again. Tick (\/) true or cross (X) false.

1. The hotline is in a Support Centre in the UK. - … 2. Teenagers work at the hotline in the morning. - … 3. Hotline helpers don't work on Saturdays. - … 4. Today's teenagers want more freedom. - … 5. Teenagers worry about their school exams. - … 6. A lot of kids worry about the way they look. - … 7. Only teenagers call the hotline. - … 8. The hotline helpers are good at their job. - …

Ex. 4 Answer the questions to the text `Teens Talking to Teens`.

1. How old are the teenagers who answer the calls? 2. Why do teenagers call the hotline? 3. Does the hotline help with homework? 4. What is the biggest problem for teenagers? 5. Adults sometimes call the hotline. Who are they? 6. How many hotline helpers are there?