The expression, "everybody's doing it," is very much at the center of the concept of peer pressure. It is a social influence applied on an individual in order to get that person to act or believe in a(n) ___ way as a larger group. This influence can be negative or positive, and can exist in both large and small groups.
People are social creatures by nature, and so it is hardly ___that some part of their self-respect comes from the approval of others. This instinct explains why the approval of peers, and the fear of ____, is such a powerful force in many people's lives. This instinct drives people to dress one way at home and another way at work, or to answer a simple “fine" when a stranger asks "how are you?" even if it is not necessarily true. There is a(n) _____aspect to this: it helps society to function efficiently, and encourages a general level of self-discipline that ___day-to-day interaction between people.
For certain individuals, seeking social acceptance is so important that it becomes a(n) ___: in order to satisfy the desire, they may go so far as to ___their sense of right and wrong. Teens and young adults may feel forced to use drugs, or join gangs that ____criminal behavior. Mature adults may sometimes feel ___ to cover up illegal activity at the company where they work, or end up in debt because they are unable to hold back the desire to buy a house or car that they can't afford in an effort to ___ the peers.
However, peer pressure is not always negative. A student whose friends are good at ___may be urged to work harder and get good grades. Players on a sports team may feel driven to play harder in order to help the team win. This type of ___can also get a friend off drugs, or to help an adult take up a good habit or drop a bad one.
Although peer pressure is sometimes quite obvious, it can also be so ___that a person may not even notice that it is affecting his or her behavior. For this reason, when making important decisions, simply going with a(n) ___is risky. Instead, people should seriously consider why they feel drawn to taking a particular action, and whether the real ____ is simply that everyone else is doing the same thing.
1.A.traditional | B.similar | C.peculiar | D.opposite |
2.A.understandable | B.believable | C.acceptable | D.surprising |
3.A.disapproval | B.failure | C.absence | D.independence |
4.A.uncertain | B.practical | C.impossible | D.vague |
5.A.promotes | B.prevents | C.simplifies | D.increases |
6.A.challenge | B.inspiration | C.promise | D.addiction |
7.A.recognize | B.abandon | C.decrease | D.define |
8.A.avoid | B.encourage | C.decline | D.punish |
9.A.pressured | B.respected | C.delighted | D.regretted |
10.A.catch sight of | B.stay away from | C.make fun of | D.keep up with |
11.A.competitions | B.interaction | C.academics | D.adaptation |
12.A.knowledge | B.interest | C.assistance | D.influence |
13.A.abstract | B.ridiculous | C.subtle | D.reasonable |
14.A.consciousness | B.motivation | C.instinct | D.encouragement |
15.A.motivation | B.danger | C.support | D.achievement |