Read the text. For each question choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

While most parents are perfectly happy when their teenage

children do well at school and earn a little extra money at

weekends, Mr and Mrs Thomson have one more reason to be

proud of their daughter, Ellen. A model student, now aged 18, she

has been running her own beauty shop for the last eighteen

months.

‘I used to think I’d have the same career as my parents,’ says Ellen

whose mum and dad are both lawyers. ‘Two years ago I did

a make-up and beauty course during the summer, mainly for fun,

and because some of my school friends went on it, too. But after

the first class, I got really interested. Even before the course was

over, I asked my parents to help me turn a small part of our

basement into a make-up studio so that I could practise my new

skills.’

At the beginning, Ellen did the work for free. ‘I spent all my free

time learning more about make-up and hairdressing and practised

on my friends before parties. They had to bring their own

cosmetics.’ This changed a few months later when her friends’

mothers heard about Ellen’s new skills and started coming to her

mini-studio. ‘I was so happy I told them I could do the job for free,

but they paid me anyway.’

Now, just two months before she finishes school, Ellen says it has

been difficult to work and study at the same time. ‘I’ve been

determined to keep doing well at school even though I know my

parents would understand if my grades were a little lower. It’s

been really hard but so far my schoolwork hasn’t got worse at all.’

Ellen also admits that for the last few weeks she has been

spending less time in her studio to revise for the final exams.

‘Although I’m absolutely convinced that I’ll go on running the

beauty shop, I also want to keep my options open for the future,

so I’ll do my best to get good exam results. In a longer term

perspective, I might try to get a place at the Academy of Art


University in San Francisco where I could train to become

a professional make-up artist and work for the film industry.’




The writer suggests that Ellen’s parents

are not satisfied with her schoolwork.

do not like her business.

would like her to become a lawyer.

are happy about their daughter’s success.




Ellen started the make-up and beauty course because

she wanted to have a good time with her friends.

she was very interested in make-up

she had planned to run a beauty studio.

her parents advised her to do so.





When Ellen started her business, she

made small but regular profits

sold cosmetics to her friends.

did not earn any money from it.

worked for both teenagers and adults.




What does Ellen say about her schoolwork?

She hasn’t got enough time to prepare for exams.

She has worked hard to make good progress.

She has accepted the fact that her grades are worse.

She has been afraid to disappoint her parents.



The main idea of the article is to show

the beginnings of a small business run by a teenager.

a conflict between a teenager and her parents.

the problems involved in running a small business.

how difficult it is for teenagers to work and study.