As the school year comes to an end, many senior students of school across the nation will not just be starting another summer of holidays to provide a break during semesters. Leaving their safe havens (安全港), many of them are to take their first step into the world of adulthood, attending fast-paced, crowded universities, taking up part-time or full-time employment. Many may even move from family homes in their pursuit of educational fulfillment or the “perfect” job opportunity.
One ceremony that has become part of coming of age has been the senior prom (毕业舞会). The senior prom is an opportunity for youth to celebrate the entrance into the world of adulthood with color and formality. However, there is far more behind the social event than ever noticed.
What is formal? Formal means to present one’s self to others in a way which is “with form”, with shape, polite, inoffensive and organized. We see the example of a formal letter; it uses proper grammar and sentence structure in order to be respectful, while at the same time serving a purpose or getting an important message across.
In our society, what is formal? Very little. On average, clothing, language, behavior --- all is very informal. Individuals who are formal (polite, inoffensive, organized) in their daily dealings with people are often looked upon as boring. Yet in certain situations, individuals play with the concept of formality not truly to achieve respectfulness and order but because it becomes fashionable to do so. While a prom may seem, on the surface, like a fun opportunity to behave formally, it is actually a flowery version of Halloween.
On the occasion of the spring prom, we see flowering youth taking on the formalities of “adult”. Fine dress, careful makeup, luxury cars all become part of being an adult. But being “adult” isn’t that way.
In our society we have a wrong idea of what adulthood actually is. It has always been my understanding that adulthood and maturity (成熟) are not based upon one’s ability to hold a cigarette in a certain way or tie a bow tie. Adulthood comes with understanding of one’s place in the universe; it comes with the knowledge of how to interact with our fellow human beings; it comes with the ability to take responsibility for one’s own actions --- whether good or bad.
小题1:The “safe havens” (Paragraph 1) most probably refers to ______.
A．families
B．high schools
C．mother countries
D．hometowns小题2:In paragraph 3, the example of letter is given in order to ______.
A．show the importance of communication
B．discuss the purpose of a formal letter
C．explain what real “formal” is like
D．complain today’s letters are too formal小题3:By describing a prom as “a flowery version of Halloween” in the fourth paragraph, the writer means it is ______.
A．great fun
B．out of fashion
C．actually informal
D．beautifully decorated小题4:The writer holds the opinion that being an adult means one can______.
A．put on heavy makeup
B．better get on with others
C．learn to smoke cigarettes
D．buy a luxury car or dress
