1Parents bewildered by their teen alien can take comfort from one sign that Junior may be from the same species as they are: High-school status ladders look just as they did when Corvettes were the hot cars of choice.2A new study of social systems at eighteen high schools in various states reveals some familiar patterns, reports sociologist Murray Milner, Jr.3Still tops in popularity: male athletes and attractive girls.4Just beneath them stand well- dressed “preppies” who try to act indifferent to school and snag the “right” party invitations.5“Nerds” cluster near the bottom.6Their sin?7Open preoccupation with academic success.8But they're not lowest.9The “dorks,” Milner says, “were hopelessly inept” about clothes and social events.10They often had low grades and poor athletic ability, too.11Kids typically date only within their status level, which is set in stone by the first year and seldom can be upgraded.12Downgrading is a danger, though.13A girl dating a star athlete who later got injured and couldn't play found his status—and hers—suddenly declining.14And being seen talking to classmates “beneath” one's status can pull students down very fast.15“High school is a very scary place,” Milner says.16It often is, agrees San Diego psychiatrist Martin Greenberg.17To take the pressure off at home, consider cutting teens some slack on minor disputes, he advises.18“Try to be flexible because a lot of them are having a hard time.19No matter how it looks,” he says, “they’re desperate for love.”From the beginning of the passage, we can conclude that a generation ago_______

A. teens became popular for very different reasons than they do today.
B. social status was not very important in high schools.
C. good-looking girls and athletic boys were the most popular kids.
D. only “dorks” drove Corvettes.