There are increasingly fraught relationships that adults are having with children－in all walks of life, from the police and politicians, within the public sector and within communities themselves. The fear of young people has changed the way society is policed, how pupils are treated in schools and how insecure adults relate to children on their estates. Rather than children and young people becoming more violent and anti-social, it is adults who have changed, having fewer relationships with young people and becoming less confident in their dealings with them.

     We must explore the role that crime and safety initiatives have on the outlook of the public. The attempt by government, council departments, the police and many others to reduce the fear within communities by developing safety initiatives is having the opposite effect, resulting in the institutionalization of this fear. Curfews have increased adults'fear of young people and reduced the amount of time young children are allowed out to play. They have raised the level of insecurity amongst parents about the safety of their children and ultimately reduced the contact between generations within this community. It is not far from the troth to say that "youth" no longer exists－ if by youth we mean the freedom loving rebelliousness. The outcome of this process is breeding a generation of young people who are if anything more fragile and fearful than their grandparents.

     Finally, as well as exploring the fear of young people, we must look at the insecurity that parents have for their children. There has been a reduction in play, and specifically in "free play", and the effect of this more regulated environment on children's lives is yet to be determined and not something we can continually ignore in our rush to protect society from children.

1.  The author is mainly directing his message towards __________
2. adults in general                     B. the younger generation
3. law enforcement authorities            D. parents
4.  The first paragraph is mainly about_________
5. the way younger people have changed
6. the change in attitude and treatment towards youth
7. the fewer relationships between youth and adults
8. the fear that youth and adults have towards each other
9.  The author sees safety initiatives as part of the problem because _________
10. they actually cause more rebelliousness
11. they are unpopular with young people
12. they worsen relationships and create more fear
13. they reduce the play young people can use to expend energy
14.  The author believes it's possible to say youth no longer exists because __________
15. youth have no more rebellion and freedom
16. youth are indistinguishable in character from their grandparents
17. they are not allowed to voice their opinions
18. they do not love freedom the way they should
19.  To correct the problem the author discusses we are advised to _________
20. stop being so insecure towards children  B. let children play more
21. study the roots and effects of our fear    D. stop regulating children's lives

核心词汇注释

fraught         adj．充满……的；担心的，焦虑的

insecure        adj．不可靠的，不安全的

estate           n．状态；不动产；时期；阶层；财产

initiative         n．主动

curfew           n．(中世纪规定人们熄灯安睡的)晚钟声，打晚钟时刻；宵禁令(时间)

rebelliousness     n．造反，难以控制

breeding         n．饲养，教养

fragile          adj．易碎的，脆的

reduction         n．减少；缩影，变形；缩减量，缩小，降低；缩图，缩版

长难句剖析

The fear of young people has changed the way society is policed，how pupils are treated in schools and how insecure adults relate to children on their estates．

    [结构分析]本句是主从复合句，主干是The fear．．．has changed the way…how…and how…。三个并列的宾语在动词changed之后。当police用作动词时，意思是“维持治安”。词组relate to的意思是“交往”。

    [参考译文]对年轻人的恐惧已改变了社会治安，改变了学生在学校的待遇，改变了局促不安的成人在住宅区和孩子的交往。

     Rather than children and young people becoming more violent and anti-social，it is adults who have changed，having fewer relationships with young people and becoming less confident in their dealings with them．

    [结构分析]本句为强调句型，主干是it is adults who have changed，强调的是adults。 rather than引起的短语作状语。由having和becoming引出的两个并列的状语修饰change。

    [参考译文]孩子和年轻人并没有变得更加充满暴力和反对社会，而是成年人变了，和年轻人的交往减少，在与年轻人的交往中信心不足。

     The attempt by government，council departments，the police and many others to reduce the fear within communities by developing safety initiatives is having the opposite effect， resulting in the institutionalization of this fear．

    [结构分析]本句主干是The attempt…is having the opposite effect。主语之后有三个短语，第一个by表示attempt的施动者，不定式短语to reduce…表示attempt的内容；第二个by表示不定式动词的方式。resulting in．．是动词现在分词短语作状语。

[参考译文]政府、市政各部门、警方以及众多其他机构通过推出安全措施，试图减少社区内部的恐惧，但适得其反，使这种恐惧制度化。

全文参考译文

    包括警方和政界、公共部门以及社区自身在内的社会各界，对于成人和孩子之间的关系愈发担忧。对年轻人的恐惧已改变了社会治安，改变了学生在学校的待遇，改变了局促不安的成人在住宅区和孩子的交往。孩子和年轻人并没有变得更充满暴力和反对社会，而是成年人变了，和年轻人的交往减少，在与年轻人的交往中信心不足。

    我们必须研究犯罪和安全措施对公众看法的影响。通过推出安全措施，政府、市政各部门、警方以及众多其他机构试图减少社区内部的恐惧，结果适得其反，使这种恐惧制度化。宵禁增加了成年人对年轻人的恐惧，减少了小孩子允许出门玩耍的时间，加大了父母对子女安全问题的忧虑，最终减少了社区内部两代人之间的交往。完全可以说，假如我们把青春期理解为喜欢桀骜不驯的自由，那么青春期已不复存在。这一过程的结果是，培养出比祖父母更为脆弱，更加胆怯的一代年轻人，假如有不同的话。

最后，除了研究对年轻人的恐惧之外，我们还必须考察父母对子女的担心。孩子玩耍，特别是“自由玩耍”减少了。这种更加受到制约的环境对孩子生活的影响有待于确定，在保护社会免遭孩子危害的狂潮中，我们不能一直对这种影响视而不见。

题目答案与解析

1．  作者写作的主要对象是________。    [答案]A

A．全体成年人        B．年轻的一代    C．法律强制性权威       D．父母

    [解析]综观全文，本文话题主要涉及成年人对年轻人的恐惧，因此作者的写作对象是全体成年人。A项为正确答案。

2．  第1段主要讲的是关于________。    [答案]B

    A．年轻人改变的方式                B．对待青少年的态度和方式方面的改变

    C．年轻人和成年人之间的关联很少    D．年轻人和成年人之间的恐惧

    [解析]从第1段的内容可知，成年人对待青少年的态度和方式方面发生了改变。因此B项为正确答案。

3．  作者将安全措施问题看作问题的一部分，因为_______。    [答案]C

    A．它们实际上引发了更多的反叛         B．它们在年轻人当中不受欢迎

    C．它们使关系恶化并造成了更多的恐惧    D．它们减少了年轻人发泄精力的方式

    [解析]从第2段的内容可知，作者指出安全措施适得其反，紧接着讲到安全措施加重了问题，造成成年人对年轻人更多的恐惧，前后信息应为因果关系。因此C项为正确

答案。

4．作者认为，可以说年轻人不再存在的原因是_________。    [答案]B

    A．年轻人没有更多的反叛和自由    B．年轻人和祖父母在性格上没有区别

    C．他们不被允许表达见解         D．他们不喜欢应该有的自由方式

    [解析]本题应参照第2段的结尾一句。作者指出，如果年轻人和祖父母有区别的话，则是更为脆弱、更加胆怯。这说明年轻人和祖父母在性格上没有区别。因此B项为正确答案。

5．  为了纠正这个问题，作者建议我们应该________。[答案]C

    A．停止对孩子们的不安全感               B．让孩子们更多地玩耍

    C．研究我们恐惧的根源和影响             D．停止对孩子们生活的控制

[解析]综观全文，本文探讨了社会各界对年轻人恐惧的根源和影响。因此C项为正确答案。

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