Social media generation giving up on alcohol

An EFL and ESL English Lesson

Lesson Collection
A photo of people socialising.

Date: 24th September 2022

Level: B1 Intermediate

Grammar: Phrasal-prepositional verbs

Topics: Food & Drink, Health & Wellbeing, Apps & Social Media

Printables: 10-Page Lesson, Single-Page Lesson

Lesson

Text

Social media generation giving up on alcohol

Young American Nora, age 23, is the daughter of strict Eastern European immigrant parents. They clamped down on their teenage daughter consuming alcohol. When she started college Nora realized that her new circle of friends weren’t that confident with the social pressure. They had a habit of making up for it by drinking alcohol. After a series of nervous attacks Nora gave up on alcohol. This left her unable to fit in socially, so she shied away from her circle. Nora got into yoga and now doesn’t feel like she is missing out on anything.

This generation of graduates like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012, have found plenty of reasons to turn away from alcohol. Therefore drinking is dropping out of fashion. Research in 2018 shows that today’s generation consumes 20% less alcohol than the previous one. Around 50% don’t feel up to going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym. They even owned up to admitting that heavy drinking culture was boring.

These trends are influenced by the rise of social media. The negative consequences of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch up to someone later. It can affect someone’s future employment opportunities. Other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face up to the modern living problems of the last decade. Plus they have had to mentally focus on performing better educationally. Also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle.

Information sources (external links): inews.co.uk, teenvogue.com

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Warm-up activities and vocabulary

Activities:

What are some positive things about the following — trying something new, not drinking alcohol, and being a student.

Take the word generation. Think of as many words beginning with the letters g, e, and n that can describe this word.

Imagine you are going away to study at college, or move to a new city, or even to live in a new country. What five things would you take that you cannot live without.

Vocabulary:

1. Scan the text and find a word or phrase that means:

  • a bad feeling (paragraph 1)(a...)
  • eating or drinking (paragraph 1)(c...)
  • not interesting (paragraph 2)(b...)
  • results (paragraph 3)(c...)
  • chances (paragraph 3)(o...)
Answers
  • anxiety, consuming, boring, consequences, opportunities

2. What does the italicised word below mean — stress, challenge, or situation?

  • weren’t that confident with the social pressure
Answer
  • stress

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Reading comprehension questions

  1. What did Nora’s parents stop her from doing?
  2. Why weren’t Nora’s new friends very confident?
  3. What does Nora now do to relax instead of drinking?
  4. How much less alcohol does this generation drink?
  5. What would young people rather do than go drinking?
  6. What do young people describe British and American drinking culture as?
  7. What is a main factor for less interest in drinking alcohol?
  8. How can drinking culture and social media affect people’s career?
  9. What do Nora’s generation have to face?
  10. What do Nora’s generation have to do to prepare for their future?
  1. It can cause problems.
  2. Do better in school and save money.
  3. 20%.
  4. Go to the gym.
  5. Because of social pressure.
  6. Yoga.
  7. The rise of social media.
  8. Boring.
  9. Drinking alcohol.
  10. Financial problems.
Answers
  • 1I, 2E, 3F, 4C, 5D, 6H, 7G, 8A, 9J, 10B

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Phrases, synonyms, and antonyms match-up

Match the words on the left to their endings to make phrases from the text.

  1. plenty
  2. circle of
  3. consumes
  4. to fit
  5. immigrant
  6. the rise of
  7. started
  8. negative
  9. had a
  10. saving
  1. college
  2. in
  3. parents
  4. 20% less
  5. of reasons
  6. habit of
  7. friends
  8. money
  9. consequences
  10. social media
Answers
  • 1E, 2G, 3D, 4B, 5C, 6J, 7A, 8I, 9F, 10H

Match the words on the left from the text to their synonyms.

  1. realize
  2. influence
  3. unable
  4. habit
  5. opportunity
  1. chance
  2. impossible
  3. affect
  4. pattern
  5. understand
Answers
  • 1E, 2C, 3B, 4D, 5A

Match the words on the left from the text to their antonyms.

  1. series
  2. focus
  3. confident
  1. worried
  2. block
  3. individual
Answers
  • 1C, 2B, 3A

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Grammar pairs cloze: phrasal-prepositional verbs

  1. A. down on / B. down in
  2. A. away from / B. up for
  3. A. out of / B. up on
  4. A. out on / B. up for
  5. A. up for / B. away from
  1. A. in on / B. out of
  2. A. up to / B. away to
  3. A. down to / B. up to
  4. A. on to / B. up to
  5. A. up to / B. away from

Young American Nora, age 23, is the daughter of strict Eastern European immigrant parents. They clamped 1._______________ their teenage daughter consuming alcohol. When she started college Nora realized that her new circle of friends weren’t that confident with the social pressure. They had a habit of making 2._______________ it by drinking alcohol. After a series of nervous attacks Nora gave 3._______________ alcohol. This left her unable to fit in socially, so she shied away from her circle. Nora got into yoga and now doesn’t feel like she is missing 4._______________ anything.

This generation of graduates like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012, have found plenty of reasons to turn 5._______________ alcohol. Therefore drinking is dropping 6._______________ fashion. Research in 2018 shows that today’s generation consumes 20% less alcohol than the previous one. Around 50% don’t feel 7._______________ going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym. They even owned 8._______________ admitting that heavy drinking culture was boring.

These trends are influenced by the rise of social media. The negative consequences of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch 9._______________ someone later. It can affect someone’s future employment opportunities. Other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face 10._______________ the modern living problems of the last decade. Plus they have had to mentally focus on performing better educationally. Also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle.

Answers
  1. 1A, 2B, 3B, 4A, 5B, 6B, 7A, 8B, 9B, 10A

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Vocabulary gap-fill cloze

  1. consequences
  2. consumes
  3. influenced
  4. immigrant
  5. admitting
  1. nervous
  2. confident
  3. graduates
  4. mentally
  5. employment

Young American Nora, age 23, is the daughter of strict Eastern European 1._______________ parents. They clamped down on their teenage daughter consuming alcohol. When she started college Nora realized that her new circle of friends weren’t that 2._______________ with the social pressure. They had a habit of making up for it by drinking alcohol. After a series of 3._______________ attacks Nora gave up on alcohol. This left her unable to fit in socially, so she shied away from her circle. Nora got into yoga and now doesn’t feel like she is missing out on anything.

This generation of 4._______________ like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012, have found plenty of reasons to turn away from alcohol. Therefore drinking is dropping out of fashion. Research in 2018 shows that today’s generation 5._______________ 20% less alcohol than the previous one. Around 50% don’t feel up to going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym. They even owned up to 6._______________ that heavy drinking culture was boring.

These trends are 7._______________ by the rise of social media. The negative 8._______________ of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch up to someone later. It can affect someone’s future 9._______________ opportunities. Other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face up to the modern living problems of the last decade. Plus they have had to 10._______________ focus on performing better educationally. Also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle.

Answers
  1. 1D, 2G, 3F, 4H, 5B, 6E, 7C, 8A, 9J, 10I

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Writing cloze

  1. Eastern European m i r g m t i a n parents(imm...)
  2. n o c n u m s i g alcohol(con...)
  3. weren’t that confident with the social s p e r s r u e(pre...)
  4. after a series of nervous t k a t c a s(att...)
  5. t u a d s g r a e like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012(gra...)
  6. today’s a n g e n o e i r t consumes 20% less alcohol(gen...)
  7. d i m g i n t a t that heavy drinking culture was boring(adm...)
  8. c n u l e f i n d e by the rise of social media(inf...)
  9. it can affect someone’s future n p e y e l o m t m(emp...)
  10. had to n a t l m e y l focus on performing better(men...)
Answers
  1. IMMIGRANT
  2. CONSUMING
  3. PRESSURE
  4. ATTACKS
  5. GRADUATES
  6. GENERATION
  7. ADMITTING
  8. INFLUENCED
  9. EMPLOYMENT
  10. MENTALLY

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Fill-in punctuation

The text below is missing its capital letters, commas, full stops, and apostrophes.

young american nora age 23 is the daughter of strict eastern european immigrant parents they clamped down on their teenage daughter consuming alcohol when she started college nora realized that her new circle of friends werent that confident with the social pressure they had a habit of making up for it by drinking alcohol after a series of nervous attacks nora gave up on alcohol this left her unable to fit in socially so she shied away from her circle nora got into yoga and now doesnt feel like she is missing out on anything

this generation of graduates like nora born between 1997 and 2012 have found plenty of reasons to turn away from alcohol therefore drinking is dropping out of fashion research in 2018 shows that todays generation consumes 20% less alcohol than the previous one around 50% dont feel up to going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym they even owned up to admitting that heavy drinking culture was boring

these trends are influenced by the rise of social media the negative consequences of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch up to someone later it can affect someones future employment opportunities other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face up to the modern living problems of the last decade plus they have had to mentally focus on performing better educationally also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle

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Cool-down discussion, game, and keywords

Discussion questions:

  • In what ways can social media apply social pressure in someone’s life?
  • What are the easiest things to give up and the hardest things to give up?
  • Why do younger generations change their attitudes to life compared to older generations?
  • Do immigrants find life harder than natives in your country?
  • What sports, exercises, or activities are best at beating boredom?

CEFR B1 10 keywords revision list:

admit confident consequence consume employment graduate immigrant influence mentally nervous

Beginning with each letter below, think of a word that describes healthy living.

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

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Interactive exercises

Reading comprehension interactive questions

Select the correct answers from the dropdown menus

Social media generation giving up on alcohol

Young American Nora, age 23, is the daughter of strict Eastern European immigrant parents. They clamped down on their teenage daughter consuming alcohol. When she started college Nora realized that her new circle of friends weren’t that confident with the social pressure. They had a habit of making up for it by drinking alcohol. After a series of nervous attacks Nora gave up on alcohol. This left her unable to fit in socially, so she shied away from her circle. Nora got into yoga and now doesn’t feel like she is missing out on anything.

This generation of graduates like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012, have found plenty of reasons to turn away from alcohol. Therefore drinking is dropping out of fashion. Research in 2018 shows that today’s generation consumes 20% less alcohol than the previous one. Around 50% don’t feel up to going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym. They even owned up to admitting that heavy drinking culture was boring.

These trends are influenced by the rise of social media. The negative consequences of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch up to someone later. It can affect someone’s future employment opportunities. Other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face up to the modern living problems of the last decade. Plus they have had to mentally focus on performing better educationally. Also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle.

What did Nora’s parents stop her from doing?
Why weren’t Nora’s new friends very confident?
What does Nora now do to relax instead of drinking?
How much less alcohol does this generation drink?
What would young people rather do than go drinking?
What do young people describe British and American drinking culture as?
What is a main factor for less interest in drinking alcohol?
How can drinking culture and social media affect people’s career?
What do Nora’s generation have to face?
What do Nora’s generation have to do to prepare for their future?

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Phrases, synonyms, and antonyms interactive match-up

Select the correct matches from the dropdown menus

Phrases
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Synonyms
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Antonyms
16.
17.
18.

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Grammar pairs interactive cloze: phrasal-prepositional verbs

Choose the correct options from the pairs

Young American Nora, age 23, is the daughter of strict Eastern European immigrant parents. They clamped
1.
their teenage daughter consuming alcohol. When she started college Nora realized that her new circle of friends weren’t that confident with the social pressure. They had a habit of making
2.
it by drinking alcohol. After a series of nervous attacks Nora gave
3.
alcohol. This left her unable to fit in socially, so she shied away from her circle. Nora got into yoga and now doesn’t feel like she is missing
4.
anything.
This generation of graduates like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012, have found plenty of reasons to turn
5.
alcohol. Therefore drinking is dropping
6.
fashion. Research in 2018 shows that today’s generation consumes 20% less alcohol than the previous one. Around 50% don’t feel
7.
going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym. They even owned
8.
admitting that heavy drinking culture was boring.
These trends are influenced by the rise of social media. The negative consequences of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch
9.
someone later. It can affect someone’s future employment opportunities. Other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face
10.
the modern living problems of the last decade. Plus they have had to mentally focus on performing better educationally. Also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle.

lesson  |  top

Vocabulary gap-fill interactive cloze

Select the correct answers from the dropdown menus

Young American Nora, age 23, is the daughter of strict Eastern European
1.
parents. They clamped down on their teenage daughter consuming alcohol. When she started college Nora realized that her new circle of friends weren’t that
2.
with the social pressure. They had a habit of making up for it by drinking alcohol. After a series of
3.
attacks Nora gave up on alcohol. This left her unable to fit in socially, so she shied away from her circle. Nora got into yoga and now doesn’t feel like she is missing out on anything.
This generation of
4.
like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012, have found plenty of reasons to turn away from alcohol. Therefore drinking is dropping out of fashion. Research in 2018 shows that today’s generation
5.
20% less alcohol than the previous one. Around 50% don’t feel up to going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym. They even owned up to
6.
that heavy drinking culture was boring.
These trends are
7.
by the rise of social media. The negative
8.
of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch up to someone later. It can affect someone’s future
9.
opportunities. Other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face up to the modern living problems of the last decade. Plus they have had to
10.
focus on performing better educationally. Also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle.

lesson  |  top

Interactive writing cloze

Type the words correctly in the boxes

Young American Nora, age 23, is the daughter of strict Eastern European
1.
parents. They clamped down on their teenage daughter
2.
alcohol. When she started college Nora realized that her new circle of friends weren’t that confident with the social
3.
. They had a habit of making up for it by drinking alcohol. After a series of nervous
4.
Nora gave up on alcohol. This left her unable to fit in socially, so she shied away from her circle. Nora got into yoga and now doesn’t feel like she is missing out on anything.
This generation of
5.
like Nora, born between 1997 and 2012, have found plenty of reasons to turn away from alcohol. Therefore drinking is dropping out of fashion. Research in 2018 shows that today’s
6.
consumes 20% less alcohol than the previous one. Around 50% don’t feel up to going to a bar or pub and would rather go to the gym. They even owned up to
7.
that heavy drinking culture was boring.
These trends are
8.
by the rise of social media. The negative consequences of posting drunken behaviour to a public profile can catch up to someone later. It can affect someone’s future
9.
opportunities. Other reasons for cutting out alcohol are because the younger generation have had to face up to the modern living problems of the last decade. Plus they have had to
10.
focus on performing better educationally. Also they are saving money to afford a modern lifestyle.

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