第6部分：完形填空(第51～65题，每题1分，共15分)
阅读下面的短文，文中有15处空白，每处空白给出了4个选项，请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案，涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
The American Family
In the American family the husband and wife usually share important decision making. When the children are__________(51) enough, they take part as well. Foreigners are often surprised by the permissiveness (宽容) of American parents. The old rule that "children should be seen and not heard" is rarely__________(52), and children are often allowed to do__________(53) they wish without strict control of their parents. The father seldom expects his children to listen to him__________(54) question, and children are encouraged to be__________(55) at an early age. Some people believe that American parents carry this freedom__________(56) far. Others think that a strong father image would not__________(57) the American values of equality and independence. Because Americans emphasize the importance of independence, young people are expected to__________(58) their parental families by the time they have__________(59) their late teens or early twenties. Indeed, not to do so is often regarded as a__________(60), a kind of weak dependence.
This pattern of independence often results in serious__________(61) for the aging parents of a small family. The average American is expected to live__________(62) the age of 70. The job-retirement age is (63) 65. The children have left home, married, and__________(64) their own households. At least 20 percent of all people over 65 do not have enough retirement incomes.__________(65)the major problem of many elderly couples is not economic. They feel useless and lonely with neither an occupation nor a close family group.
51 A senior B junior C old D young
52 A watched B followed C understood D grasped
53 A what B that C which D when
54 A for B on C without D in
55 A dependent B independent C sure D secure
56 A too B almost C nearly D so
57 A gain B welcome C suit D estimate
58 A breakup B break into C breakthrough D break away from
59 A reached B come C arrived D developed
60 A reward B criticism C failure D success
61 A events B problems C matters D affairs
62 A on B up C from D beyond
63 A only B usually C sometimes D seldom
64 A set forth B set aside C set up D set down
65 A But B Therefore C In contrast D On the other hand
