Linkers in an Essay

Complete the gaps in this essay by means of the linkers provided. There is more than one possibility in some gaps.

Another reason / As a consequence / As a result / as a result / as a result / Because / caused by / Consequently / even / For all these reasons / However / however / In contrast / in order to / On the other hand / Otherwise / result(s) in / so much...that / so...that / The main cause / therefore

            Two 12-year-old girls are standing outside a mini-mart. They are wearing matching tube tops and short skirts like Britney Spears clones. One holds a cigarette, like an adult, where everyone can see her.   She looks around to make sure other girls are noticing her.  When asked why she dresses the way she does, she says that she likes it. 1___________ ,  it seems that the reason for her behavior is more complex.   More specifically, it has more to do with her ambiguous role as a pre-teen in society.  A young girl's wanna-be look is 2____________ personal insecurity and peer pressure.

            3____________ for mimicking teen-idols is personal insecurity.   Pre-teens are in between child and adult stages. They are no longer children and, 4____________ , the ways they behaved in the past are no longer appropriate. 5____________,  they are not yet adults; 6____________, they do not know the ways of the adult world. This conflict can 7____________ feelings of insecurity. 8____________, when they were younger, they could whine and cry to get attention from their parents and other children. 9____________, that kind of behavior would be "uncool" around their teenage peers. Often 10___________ , the preteen does not know how to act his or her age. 11____________ preteens do no know what to do, they often turn to copy-cat behavior as a way to fit in and be more secure.

            A second cause is that preteens feel they need to be popular 12____________ be more secure within their own age group. 13____________, they turn toward models of popularity - teen idols - and start dressing like them. Unfortunately, many of their idols dress and behave in ways that are not age-appropriate. Teens need better role models than Hollywood currently has to offer.  14____________, they interpret "dressing up" as wearing provocative, sexy clothing, rather than clothing that makes them look good and feel comfortable and secure. 15____________ of their need to be popular, young girls start dressing and acting as if they were much older than they really are.

            16____________ for young girls mimicking teen idols is peer pressure. They often see the adults closest to them, their parents and teachers, as "uncool", 17____________ as enemies. 18____________, they turn to peers who pressure each other to look, act, and dress exactly alike. This peer group can exert 19____________ pressure ____________ often preteens do things as a group that they would not normally do. One of these things is spending ridiculous amounts of money on idol clothing-lines.  That's right!  Young Hollywood celebrities are making money off  their twelve-year old "peers" who give in to peer pressure.  The peer pressure here is 20____________ great ____________ most normal girls will succumb. 21____________, we can see that personal insecurity, desire to be popular and peer pressure can cause a young girl to look like a little "tart" standing outside of a mini-mart.

KEY

1 However / 2 caused by 
3 The main cause / 4 as a result / 5 On the other hand / 6 therefore / 7 result in /

8 In contrast / 9 However / 10 as a result / 11 Because
12 in order to / 13 Consequently / 14 Otherwise / 15 As a result/consequence
16 Another reason / 17 even / 18 As a consequence/result / 19 so much...that / 20 so...that / 21 For all these reasons