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 was frequently a relatively short period of time, while in industrial society 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 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 Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased recognition and social status.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 Ceremonies for adolescence have also been replaced by legal definitions of status, roles, rights, privileges and responsibilities.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 pay full fare for train, airplane, theater and movie tickets. Basically, the individual at this age loses childhood privileges without gaining significant adult right. At the age of sixteen the adolescence 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, 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 contacts, and he is entitled to run for public office. No additional basic rights are acquired as a function of age after maturity status has been attained. None of these legal provisions determine at what points adulthood has been reached but they do point to the prolonged period of adolescence.
1. The period of adolescence is much longer in industrial societies because _____.
2. Former social ceremonies that used to mark adolescence have given place to _____.
3. No one can expect to fully enjoy the adulthood privileges until he is _____.
4. Starting from 22 _____.
5. According to this passage, it is TRUE that _____.
问题1选项
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
问题2选项
A.graduations from schools and colleges
B.social recognition
C.socio-economic status
D.certain behavioral changes
问题3选项
A.eleven years old
B.sixteen years old
C.twenty-one years old
D.between twelve and twenty-one years old
问题4选项
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 when he is 21
D.one will enjoy more right granted by society
问题5选项
A.in the late 19th century in the United States the dividing line between adolescence and adult hood no longer existed
B.no one can marry without the permission of his parents until the age of twenty-one
C.one is considered to have reached adulthood when he has a driver’s license
D.one is not free from the restrictions of child labor laws until he can join the army
第1题:C
第2题:A
第3题:C
第4题:C
第5题:A
第1题:
【选项释义】
The period of adolescence is much longer in industrial societies because _____. 工业社会的青春期要长得多，因为_____。
A. the definition of maturity has changed A. 成熟的定义已经改变了
B. the industrialized society is more developed B. 工业化社会更加发达
C. more education is provided and laws against child labor are made C. 提供更多的教育，制定反对童工的法律
D. ceremonies for adolescence have lost their formal recognition and symbolic significance D. 青春期仪式已经失去了它们的正式认可和象征意义
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第一段第二句“在工业社会中，受教育期延长（prolonged education）并制定了反对童工的法律（laws against child labor），因而青春期大大延长（much longer）并可能包括一生中从10岁到20岁的大部分时间”可知，选项C符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、D选项并不是工业社会的青春期要长得多的原因，属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Former social ceremonies that used to mark adolescence have given place to _____. 以前用来标志青春期的社交仪式已经被_____所取代。
A. graduations from schools and colleges A. 从各级学校毕业
B. social recognition B. 社会认同
C. socio-economic status C. 社会经济地位
D. certain behavioral changes D. 一定行为变化
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第二段的一、二、三句“在现代社会，青春期仪式（ceremonies for adolescence）已经失去了（lost）它们的正式认可和象征意义，对于什么是入会仪式（initiation ceremonies）也不再有共识（there no longer is agreement）。社会问题已经被一系列提高认可度和社会地位的步骤所取代（replaced）。例如，小学毕业（grade school graduation）、高中毕业（high school graduation）和大学毕业（college graduation）就构成了这样一个序列……”由此可知，青春期的社交仪式已经被“从各级学校毕业”所取代了，选项A符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项，定位到原文第二段的第三句“例如，小学毕业、高中毕业和大学毕业就构成了这样一个序列，同时每一级均意味着一定的行为变化（certain behavioral changes）和社会的认同度（social recognition）。各级的重要性取决于社会经济学地位（socio-economic status）和个人的教育志向”，由此可知，这些选项均属于等级制度的内容，不符合题干所问，属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
No one can expect to fully enjoy the adulthood privileges until he is _____. 没有人能期望完全享受成年特权，直到他_____。
A. eleven years old A. 十一岁
B. sixteen years old B. 十六岁
C. twenty-one years old C. 二十一岁
D. between twelve and twenty-one years old D. 在十二岁到二十一岁之间
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第二段倒数第四句“21岁时，个人获得作为成年人的全部法律权利（full legal rights）”由此可知，选项C正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、D选项不符合原文，属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Starting from 22 _____. 从22岁起_____？
A. one will obtain more basic rights A. 人们将获得更多的基本权利
B. the older one becomes, the more basic rights he will have B. 年龄越大，拥有的基本权利就越多
C. one won’t get more basic rights than when he is 21 C. 一个人得到的基本权利不会比他21岁时多
D. one will enjoy more right granted by society D. 人们将享有更多社会赋予的权利
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第二段倒数第四句“21岁时，个人获得作为成年人的全部法律权利（full legal rights）”和倒数第二句“当达到成熟的年龄段，不再因年龄而获得任何额外的基本权利（No additional basic rights）”由此可知，选项C符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“人们将获得更多的基本权利”与原文“不再因年龄而获得任何额外的基本权利（No additional basic rights）”不符，属于反向干扰；
B选项“年龄越大，拥有的基本权利就越多”，与原文“不再因年龄而获得任何额外的基本权利（No additional basic rights）”不符，属于反向干扰；
D选项“人们将享有更多社会赋予的权利”，与原文“不再因年龄而获得任何额外的基本权利（No additional basic rights）”不符，属于反向干扰。
第5题:
【选项释义】
According to this passage, it is TRUE that _____. 根据这篇文章，_____是真的。
A. in the late 19th century in the United States the dividing line between adolescence and adult hood no longer existed A. 在19世纪晚期的美国，青春期和成年之间的分界线已经不存在了
B. no one can marry without the permission of his parents until the age of twenty-one B. 在二十一岁之前，没有父母的允许，任何人都不能结婚
C. one is considered to have reached adulthood when he has a driver’s license C. 一个人拿到驾照就被认为是成年了
D. one is not free from the restrictions of child labor laws until he can join the army D. 一个人直到参军才能摆脱童工法的限制
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到最后一段最后一句“这些法律的规定并不能决定在哪一点就算进入成年期了……”由此可知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选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“在二十一岁之前，没有父母的允许，任何人都不能结婚”，与原文第二段倒数五、六句“法律规定，年满18岁的年轻人可以成为一名士兵，但他也可以在没有父母许可的情况下结婚（can marry without parental permission）”不符，属于曲解原文；
C选项“一个人拿到驾照就被认为是成年了”，原文第二段倒数第七、八句“16岁的青少年被授予一定的成人权利（granted certain adult rights）……他现在可以拿到驾照（obtain a driver’s license）……”由此可知，该选项表述与原文不符，属于曲解原文；
D选项“一个人直到参军才能摆脱童工法的限制”，原文第二段倒数第七八句“16岁的青少年被授予一定的成人权利……可以不受童工法的限制工作（work without the restrictions of child labor laws）”以及原文第二段倒数第六句“在18岁时，法律规定了成人的责任和权利。这个年轻人现在可以当兵了（be a soldier）……”由此可知，该选项表述不正确，属于曲解原文。
