Youth Emancipation in Spain
The Spanish Government is so worried about the number of young adults still living with their parents that it has decided to help them leave the nest.
Around 55 percent of people aged 18-34 in Spain still sleep in their parents' homes,says the latest report from the country's state-run Institute of Youth.
To coax (劝诱) young people from their homes, the Institute started a "Youth
Emancipation (解放)" program this month. The program offers guidance in finding rooms and jobs.
Economists blame young people's family dependence on the precarious (不稳定的) labor market and increasing housing prices. Housing prices have risen 17 percent a year since 2000.
Cultural reasons also contribute to the problem, say sociologists (社会学家). Family ties in south Europe - Italy, Portugal and Greece - are stronger than those in middle and north Europe, said Spanish sociologist Almudena Moreno Minguez in her report "The Late Emancipation of Spanish Youth: Key for Understanding".
"In general, young people in Spain firmly believe in the family as the main body around which their private life is organized," said Minguez.
In Spain - especially in the countryside, it is not uncommon to find entire groups of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews (外侄/侄子) all living on the same street. They regularly get together for Sunday dinner.
Parents' tolerance is another factor. Spanish parents accept late-night partying and are wary of setting bedtime rules.
"A child can arrive home at whatever time he wants. If parents complain he'll put up a fight and call the father a fascist," said Jose Antonio Gomez Yanez, a sociologist at Carlos III University in Madrid.
Mothers' willingness to do children's household chores (家务) worsens the problem. Dionisio Masso, a 60-year-old in Madrid, has three children in their 20s. The eldest, 28, has a girlfriend and a job. But life with mum is good.
"His mum does the wash and cooks for him: in the end. he lives well." Masso said.
41 The "Youth Emancipation" program aims at helping young people
A fight for freedom.
B live in an independent way.
C fight against social injustice.
D get rid of family responsibilities
42 It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that family ties are stronger in Portugal than in
A Finland.
B Greece.
C Spain.
D Italy.
43 Young people's family dependence can be attributed to all the following factors
EXCEPT
A parents' tolerance.
B housing problems.
C cultural traditions
D unwillingness to get married.
44 Which of the following statements is NOT true of Dionisio Masso?
A She is 60 years old.
B She has a boyfriend.
C She has three children.
D She lives in Madrid.
45 The phrase "wary of' in paragraph 8 could be best replaced by
A tired of.
B afraid of.
C cautious about.
D worried about.
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