Reading test. TEENAGERS HELPING TEENAGERS

2 Read the text and choose the correct answer.

TEENAGERS HELPING TEENAGERS

Some people thought it could never work. Teenagers need help from adults, right? Not from other teenagers. Well, plenty of people will tell you that talking to someone who is experiencing the same things as you are, feeling the same things that you’re feeling works very well indeed. The success of TeenPhone proves it!

TeenPhone is a confidential telephone helpline for teenage callers. It took its first phone call in 1980 after a group of mental health professionals realised, through their work with teenagers, that when teenagers have problems, they usually turn first to people of their own age for advice. Many teens think their parents don’t understand what’s happening in their lives. They are also frightened that their friends might laugh at them or think they are stupid. TeenPhone provides a safe, confidential place to talk about things with another teenager who can understand and will listen, but not judge.

This listening can make a huge difference – sometimes a life-saving one. Each year nearly 20,000 young people call the TeenPhone hotline and over 50,000 more attend the meetings they set up around the country. Teenagers know they can trust TeenPhone, and they do.

The phone line is open every day from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm and is free to call. If you have a problem or just want to talk with another teen who understands, then it’s the right place for you! You can email and even text TeenPhone and they will text or mail you right back. The TeenPhone website also offers message boards, resources and information.

The TeenPhone volunteers who answer the calls, emails and texts are specially trained teenagers. They won’t judge you or give advice – their job is to listen to your feelings and help you to clarify your worries, talk about the possible things you can do to make things better, and help you make positive decisions.

TeenPhone’s adult staff carefully choose about a hundred teenagers a year for hotline training. They complete a sixty-hour training program which practises specialised listening and communication techniques. To qualify, they must live in the UK and be at least 14 years old. Volunteers are unpaid for the work they do but get expenses for travel.

If you want to check out their website, it has details of how to contact them and more information about volunteering. See their advert under this article for the address.

1 The text says that some teenagers

2 According to the text, which sentence is true?

3 The text says that teenagers

4. How many teenagers use the services every year?

5. If you want to contact TeenPhone,

6 The text says that the teenagers who volunteer for TeenPhone

7 If you want to volunteer for TeenPhone, you

8. Where do you think this text comes from?