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 Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased recognition and social status.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 Ceremonies for adolescence have also been replaced by legal definitions of status roles, rights, privileges and responsibilities.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 axe 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 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 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 ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】根据第一段第2句while in industrial societies with patterns of prolonged education coupled with laws against child labor,the period of adolescence is much longer…,在工业化社会,由于延长了的教育以及一些反对童工的法律,青年期比过去长得多。所以C项为正确选项。
单选题
Former social ceremonies that used to mark adolescence have given place to ______.
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】根据文中第二段倒数第4句At the age of twenty-one the individual obtains his full legal rights as an adult.很明显可知此题正确选项为C。
单选题
Starting from 22, ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】根据第二段倒数第4句At the age of twenty-one the individual obtains his full legal rights as an adult.当一个人到了21岁时就获得全部的作为成人的权利了。所以可推断,当一个人到了22岁就不能获得更多的基本权利了。因此C项正确。
单选题
According to the passage, it is true that ______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】根据文章倒数第2行None of these legal provisions determine at what point adulthood has been reached…可以知道这些法律的规定并不能决定在哪一点就算进成年期了,因而已经没有一条很明确的区分青年期与成年期的标准线。所以A项正确。