56 B2+ | 8. Klasse | READING | Politics and public institutions Read the four blogs in which teenagers talk about politics in their countries. Choose the correct texts (A–D) for each statement (1–7). You can use a text more than once. Write your answers in the boxes provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. 8 As you skim the texts and questions, identify the verbs and/or adjectives that show beliefs, attitude, opinion or feelings, and underline them. As you read the texts, look for paraphrases of the words you’ve underlined in the questions – remember that the writer may use several words in the text to say the same thing as one word in the question. Remember also that a word in the question may appear in the wrong text – the text that isn’t the answer – so don’t fall into the trap of just matching words in questions and texts (word-spotting). Top tips The voice of youth! Political blogs for teenagers by teenagers A – Lily Politics in the UK has been a two-horse race for years – it’s usually the two main political parties that are going head-to-head in the elections, with either the Conservative Party or the Labour Party going into power. These days, election campaigns have become increasingly brutal, with parliamentary candidates stopping at nothing to smear their opponents’ efforts. Prior to the elections, there are televised public debates between the leaders of the main parties, and these have also descended into chaos. The fact of the matter is, and I know I speak for many in my age group in the UK when I say this, that politicians in this country are out of touch with normal folk. The average person on the street doesn’t feel they have a voice in the Houses of Parliament, and that’s despite living in a representative democracy. A recent study has shown that more than 50% of young people aged 18–24 believe that UK democracy does not serve them well and that the elected governments ought to be held accountable for their failure to deliver what’s pledged in their election manifesto. B – Max A national poll of America’s 18 to 29-year-olds recently released shows that despite the state of US politics, hope for America among young people is rising dramatically, especially among people of colour. Young Americans these days are a lot more likely to be politically engaged than they were a decade ago, and they are overwhelmingly in favour of the job their current President is doing, support progressive policies regarding immigration and basic health insurance, and have faith in their fellow Americans. There is a distinct leaning to the left and younger voters tend to favour democratic electoral candidates. Having said that, more than half of Democrat and Republican supporters feel that politics has become too partisan with voters giving little thought to party ideology, and that politicians running for office are purely driven by short-term interests. 3 Dinah’s parents had infantilised her for so long that she didn’t have any idea how to look after herself when she left home. a treated someone as sick b treated someone as an elderly person c treated someone as a child Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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