单选题
Passage 3

The period of adolescence, i.e, the period between childhood and adulthood, maybe 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 pattems 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 of 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 Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased recognition and social status.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 social-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 Ceremonies for adolescence have also been replaced by legal definitions of status roles, rights, privileges and responsibilities.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 increase 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, 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______
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] 根据文章第一段第二句“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.”可知,在原始社会里,青春期相对比较短,而在工业社会里,教 育时间延长再加上法律对童工的限制,青春期长了很多,可以包括十岁到二十岁的时间段。 据此判断,答案是C。
单选题 Former social ceremonies that used to mark adolescence have given place to______
A. social recognition
B. certain behavioral changes
C. social-economic status
D. graduations from schools and colleges
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第二段第二句“Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased recognition and social status.”可知,社会化的仪式被一系列逐步获得社会认 同和社会地位的步骤所取代。据此判断,答案是A。
单选题 Starting from 22 years old ______
A. one will obtain more basic rights
B. the older one becomes, the more basic rights he will have
C. one won't get more basic rights than what he has
D. one will enjoy more rights granted by society
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章倒数第二句“No additional basic rights are acquired as a function of age after majority status has been attained.”可知,获取成人地位以后,不会由于年龄而再增加任何 基本权利了。据此判断,答案是C。
单选题 According to the passage, it is true that______
A. one is considered to have reached adulthood when he has a driver's license
B. one is not free from the restrictions of child labor laws until he can join the army
C. in modem society a dividing line between adolescence and adulthood no longer exists
D. disappearance of the frontier in the nineteenth century prolonged the adolescence period
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章内容可知,在现代社会,青少年到成人的转变是由一系列的步骤完成 的,法律对公民权利与义务的规定也有一个渐进的过程,因此,青少年和成人之间已经不存 在明显的界限了。据此判断,答案是C。