你也许听说过 “九五后” 这个称谓。在西方很多国家，人们把出生于九十年代中叶后，2010年前的年轻人统称为 “Z世代”。有人认为，出生于互联网时代的他们对科技产物有着天生的敏锐感。你了解这代人吗？你同意这种用年龄归类的方式吗？《随身英语》探讨 “Z世代” 的特征，并介绍和 “年轻人” 有关的英语词汇。

Vocabulary: youth 词汇: 年轻人

When were you born? If it was in the late nineties or early noughties, then you've been classified as being part of Generation Z. But what does that mean and is it necessary to group people according to their date of birth?

People have always been defined by their generation. We had the baby boomers of the 1960s, followed by Generation X and then Generation Y, often referred to as millennials, and the'new kids on the block' are Generation Z – aged between 16 and 22. It's easy to classify these young people as all being the same, sharing the same attitudes towards life – but is that fair?

A survey by the BBC's youth radio channel, Radio One, found that people from Generation Z, informally called 'Z-ers', may be viewed by others as shallow digital natives, incapable of real-world friendships. But they actually view themselves as hardworking, entrepreneurial and about to change the world for the better. It's an ambitious aim.

The previous generation, born between the mid-1980s and late 1990s - the millennials - were also thought to have these characteristics. But according to Hiral Patel, an analyst from Barclays, many people view this new generation as "mini-millennials" She told the BBC that Z-ers are different "they have their own set of values and preferences which consumer brands need to cater for. Our research found that Gen Z are tech-innate, hyper-informed consumers, and extremely savvy."

It's true to say that technology is playing an important part in the lives of Generation Z, particularly in the area of social media. In fact they have not known life without it and using it to communicate, share ideas and campaign is second nature – it is their norm. It means they have more of a say on what we eat, drink and buy than any generation before them. These young people certainly need to be listened to by retailers and businesses – they are the people with time on their hands and money.

But being a Z-er comes with pressure. One young person told the BBC survey "many people in Generation Z have mental health issues because they're unsure what the future will bring." The future always brings uncertainties but maybe there is pressure for this generation to be the most successful ever. If you're one of them, how do you feel about your future?

词汇表

noughties 2000后至2010年
generation 世代
baby boomer （二战后至六十年代间）婴儿潮一代出生的人
millennial 二十一世纪初期成年的千禧一代
new kids on the block 初来乍到的人
real-world 现实世界中的
entrepreneurial 富有企业家精神的
ambitious 雄心勃勃的
cater for 迎合
tech-innate 天生谙熟科技产物的
hyper-informed 消息非常灵通的
savvy 精通…的
second nature 习惯、习性
norm 常规、常态
time on their hands 有大把的时间
pressure 压力
mental health issue 心理健康问题

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Which generation came before Generation X?

2. What have Generation Z never lived without?

3. True or false? Generation Z feel they are unable to make real-life friendships.

4. According to the article, what can the pressures Generation Z experience lead to?

5. Why should retailers and businesses listen to what the people of Generation Z are saying?

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. Our university canteen has to ______ all kinds of dietary requirements.

cater at cater with cater for catering for

2. My friend is very computer ______ and he's managed to easily fix my laptop.

norm pressure savvy tech-innate

3. As you've got ______, maybe you could help me with the housework?

handy time time on your hands time with your hands hands on time

4. As far as pop music is concerned, the ______ were a time of innovation.

noughties generation baby boomers real world

5. My sister is great at singing and dancing so taking part in the musical was ______ for her.

norm pressure second nature real world

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Which generation came before Generation X?
The baby boomer generation.

2. What have Generation Z never lived without?
Generation Z have never lived without social media.

3. True or false? Generation Z feel they are unable to make real-life friendships.
False. Other people have viewed Generation Z as incapable of real-world friendships but the people from this generation would necessarily agree.

4. According to the article, what can the pressures Generation Z experience lead to?
The pressures can contribute to the development of mental health issues.

5. Why should retailers and businesses listen to what the people of Generation Z are saying?
Not only are they used to commenting on social media, they are the people with spare time and money.

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. Our university canteen has to cater for all kinds of dietary requirements.

2. My friend is very computer savvy and he's managed to easily fix my laptop.

3. As you've got time on your hands, maybe you could help me with the housework?!

4. As far as pop music is concerned, the noughties were a time of innovation.

5. My sister is great at singing and dancing so taking part in the musical was second nature for her.