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 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
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.
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.
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 '
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
are regularly carried out bv the media.
