The period of adolescence,
i.e. , the person between childhood and adulthood, may be long or short,
depending on social expectations and on society's definition as to what
constitute maturity and adulthood. In primitive societies adolescence is
frequently a relatively short period of time, while in industrial societies with
patterns of prolonged education coupled with laws against child labor, the
period of adolescence is much longer and may include most of the second decade
of one's life. Furthermore, the length of the adolescent period and the
definition of adulthood status may change in a given society as social and
economic conditions change. Examples of this type of change are the
disappearance of the frontier in the latter part of the nineteenth century in
the United States, and more universally, the industrialization of an
agricultural society. In modern society, ceremonies for
adolescence have lost their formal recognition and symbolic significance and
there no longer is agreement as to what constitutes initiation ceremonies.
Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased
recognition and social status. For example, grade school graduation, high school
graduation and college graduation constitute such a sequence, and while each
step implies certain behavioral changes and social recognition, the significance
of each depends on the socio-economic status and the educational ambition of the
individual. Ceremonies for adolescence have also been replaced by legal
definitions of status roles, fights, privileges and responsibilities. It is
during the nine years from the twelfth birthday to the twenty-first that the
protective and restrictive aspects of childhood and minor status are removed and
adult privileges and responsibilities are granted. The twelve-year-old is no
longer considered a child and has to pay full rare for train, airplane, theater
and movie tickets. Basically, the individual at this age loses childhood
privileges without gaining significant adult rights. At the age of sixteen the
adolescent is granted certain adult rights which increases his social status by
providing him with more freedom and choices. He now can obtain a driver's
license; he can leave public schools; and he can work without the restrictions
of child labor laws. At the age of eighteen the law provides adult
responsibilities as well as rights; the young man can now be a soldier, but he
also can marry without parental permission. At the age of twenty-one the
individual obtains his full legal rights as an adult. He now can vote, he can
buy liquor, he can enter into financial contracts, and he is entitled to run for
public office. No additional basic rights are acquired as a function of age
alter majority status has been attained. None of these legal previsions
determine at what point adulthood has been reached but they do point to the
prolonged period of adolescence.
单选题
Former social ceremonies that used to mark adolescence have given place to ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】该题问;以前用于标志青少年时代的社会仪式已被什么取代?本文讲的是有关青少年阶段的界线划分问题。本文的第一段第二句:In primitive societies...while in industrial society...against child labor...讲的是在工业社会,由于教育的延长和反对雇佣童工的法律,青少年阶段延长了。C项显然为正确答案。
单选题
No one can expect to fully enjoy the adulthood privileges until he is ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】该题问:到多少岁才能完全享受成年人的权力?文章的第二段倒数第四句指出:At the age of twenty-one the individual obtains his full legal fights as an adult,很显然C项为正确答案。
单选题
Starting from 22, ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】该题问:从22岁开始,人会发生什么事?从文章第二段倒数第二句No additional basic rights are acquired as a function of age after majority status has been attained可知,一个人到了21岁后不再因年龄的增长而享受更多的权利,这与C项是一致的。A、B、D三项都有“以后有更多权利”意思,与原文不符,可排除。
单选题
According to the passage, it is true that ______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】该题问:根据本文所讲,下列哪一项正确?文章的第一段的第三、四句Furthermore,the length of the adolescent period...Examples of this type of change are the disappearance...in the United States...讲的是:随着社会和经济情况的变化,青春期的时间长短和成年人的地位在特定社会中可能发生变化。在]9世纪下半叶的美国,这种变化的许多例子说明这种界线(成人与青少年界线)的消失。这与A项一致。B、C两项与原文不符,D项文中未提及,B、C、D均可排除。