考研英语：历年真题阅读要点之1991-Text 2（二）

　　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.

　　ceremony“仪式”;formal recognition“正式认可”;symbolic significance“象征意义”，写作往往会用到;其后and连接两个并列分句;as to“关于”。

　　Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased recognition and social status.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.

　　ones指代ceremonies;be replaced by“为...所取代”;a sequence of一系列;lead to“导致”;social status社会地位;graduation“毕业”，动词形式graduate，常见搭配graduate from，graduate还可以充当名词，表示“毕业生”;while引导让步状语从句，“尽管”，就让步状语从句而言，转折之后的内容才是应该重点关注的;imply“意味着”;certain“某个，某些”，比如a certain university“某高校”，certain domestic brands“某些国内的品牌”，写作涉及过这样的表达。

　　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.

　　It is...that...强调句型;protective“保护的”;restrictive“限制的”;minor“未成年的”，还可以表示“次要的”，反义词major“主要的”;privilege“特权”;grant“授予”;full fare“全价票”。

　　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.

　　as well as在这里相当于and;分号前后语义并列，阅读的时候看懂其一即可;parental permission“父母的许可”。

　　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.

　　obtain，acquire和attain均表示“获得”;legal rights“合法权利，法定权利”;vote“选举，投票”;financial contracts“财务合约”;be entitled to“有权...，有...资格”;run for“竞选”;public office“公职，官职”;majority“成年”;provision“规定，条款”;do强调point to。