2007年6月23日英语六级考试题卷及答案

            Questions 57 to 61 art based on the following passage.

            The use of deferential (敬重的) language is symbolic of the Confucian
            ideal of the woman, which dominates conservative gender norms in
            Japan. This ideal presents a woman who withdraws quietly to the
            background, subordinating her life and needs to those of her famiK
            and its male head. She is a dutiful daughter, wife, and mother,
            master of the domestic arts. The typical refined Japa­nese woman
            excels in modesty and delicacy: she "treads softly (谨言慎行) in the
            world," elevating feminine beauty and grace to an an form.

            Nowadays, it is commonly observed that young women are not
            conforming to the feminine linguistic (语言的) ideal. They are using
            fewer of the very deferential "women's" forms, and even using the
            few strong forms that are known as "men's." This, of course,
            attracts considerable atten­tion and has led to an outcry in the
            Japanese media against the defeminization of women's language.
            Indeed, we didn't hear about "men's language" until people began to
            respond to girls* appropria­tion of forms normally reserved for boys
            and men. There is considerable sentiment about the "cor­ruption" of
            w'omen's language—wrhich of course is viewed as part of the loss of
            feminine ideals and morality—and this sentiment is crystallized by
            nationwide opinion polls that are regularly carried out bv the media.

            Yoshiko Matsumoto has argued that young women probably never used as
            many of the highly deferebtial forms as older woman.This highly
            polite style id no doubt something that young woman have been
            expected to "grow into"—after all, it is a sign not simply of
            femininity, but of maturity and refinement, and its use could be
            taken to indicate a change in the nature of one's social rela­tions
            as well. One might well imagine little girls using exceeding!;
            polite forms when playine house or imitating older women—in a
            fashion analogous to little girls' use of a high-pitched voice to do
            "teacher talk" or "mother talk" in role play.

            The fact that young Japanese women are using less deferential
            language is a sure sign of change— of social change and of
            linguistic change. But it is most certainly not a sign of the
            "masculiniza-tion" of girls. In some instances, it may be a sign
            that girls are making the same claim to author!:? as boys and men.
            but that is very different from saying that they are trying to be
            "•masculine." Kalsue Reynolds has argued that girls nowadays arc
            using more assertive language strateg c order to be able to compete
            with boys in schools and out. Social change also brings not simplj.
            different positions for women and girls, but different relations to
            life stages, and adolcscer.: girls are participating in neM
            Subculture! forms. Thus what may. to an older speaker, seem like
            "maseliJ^ line" speech ma seem to an adolescent tike "liberated" or "hip" speech.

            57. The first paragraph describes in detail .
            A» the standards set for contemporary Japanese women
            B) the Confucian influence on gender norms in Japan
            C) the stereotyped roic of women in Japanese families
            D) the norms for traditional Japanese women to follow
            本题答案: B

            58. What change has been observed in today's young Japanese women?
            A) They pay less attention to their linguistic behavior.
            B) They use fewer of the deferential linguistic form.
            C)confuse male and female forms of language.
            D) They employ very strong linguistic expressions.
            本题答案: B

            59. How do some people react to women's appropriation of men's
            language forms as reported in the Japanese media?
            A) They call for a campaign to stop the defeminization.
            B) They sec it as an expression of women's sentiment.
            C) They accept it as a modem trend.
            D) They express strong disapproval.
            本题答案: D

            60. According to Yoshiko Matsumoto. the linguistic behavior observed
            in today's young women______________
            A) may lead to changes in social relations
            B) has been true of all past generations
            C) is viewed as a sign of their maturity
            D) is a result of rapid social progress '
            本题答案: A

            61. The author believes that the use of assertive language by young
            Japanese women is________
            A) a sure sign of their defeminization and maturation
            B) an indication of their defiance against social change
            C) one of their strategies to compete in a male-dominated society
            D) an inevitable trend of linguistic development in Japan today
            本题答案: C