考研英語：歷年真題閱讀要點之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“儀式”;formal recognition“正式認可”;symbolic significance“象征意義”，寫作往往會用到;其后and連接兩個并列分句;as to“關于”。

　　Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased recognition and social status.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“為...所取代”;a sequence of一系列;lead to“導致”;social status社會地位;graduation“畢業(yè)”，動詞形式graduate，常見搭配graduate from，graduate還可以充當名詞，表示“畢業(yè)生”;while引導讓步狀語從句，“盡管”，就讓步狀語從句而言，轉折之后的內容才是應該重點關注的;imply“意味著”;certain“某個，某些”，比如a certain university“某高校”，certain domestic brands“某些國內的品牌”，寫作涉及過這樣的表達。

　　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...強調句型;protective“保護的”;restrictive“限制的”;minor“未成年的”，還可以表示“次要的”，反義詞major“主要的”;privilege“特權”;grant“授予”;full fare“全價票”。

　　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在這里相當于and;分號前后語義并列，閱讀的時候看懂其一即可;parental permission“父母的許可”。

　　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“獲得”;legal rights“合法權利，法定權利”;vote“選舉，投票”;financial contracts“財務合約”;be entitled to“有權...，有...資格”;run for“競選”;public office“公職，官職”;majority“成年”;provision“規(guī)定，條款”;do強調point to。