单选题
The period of adolescence, i. e. , the period
between childhood and adulthood, may be long or short, depending on social
expectations and on society's definition as to what constitutes 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 Social ones have been replaced by a sequence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for adolescence have also been replaced by legal definitions of status roles,
rights 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 fare 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 they 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 after majority status has been attained. None of these legal
provisions determine at what point adulthood has been reached but they do point
to the prolonged period of adolescence.
单选题
The period of adolescence is much longer in industrial societies
because ______.
A. the definition of maturity has changed
B. the industrialized society is more developed
C. more education is provided and laws against child labor are made
D. ceremonies for adolescence have lost their formal recognition and
symbolic significance
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 第一段第二句中“．．．while in industrial societies。．．one's life”意为：而在工业社会中，受教育期延长并制定了反对童工的法律，因而青春期大大延长并可能包括一生中10～20岁的大部分时间。
单选题
Former social ceremonies that used to mark adolescence have given place
to ______.