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  3. As a wise man once said, we are all ultimately alone. But an increasing numb

As a wise man once said, we are all ultimately alone. But an increasing numb

游客2025-04-07  19
问题     As a wise man once said, we are all ultimately alone. But an increasing number of Europeans are choosing to be so at an ever earlier age. This isn’t the stuff of gloomy philosophical contemplations, but a fact of Europe’s new economic landscape, embraced by sociologists, real-estate developers and ad executives alike. The shift away from family life to solo lifestyle, observes a French sociologist, is part of the "irresistible momentum of individualism" over the last century. The communications revolution, the shift from a business culture of stability to one of mobility and the mass entry of women into the workforce have greatly wreaked havoc on Europeans’ private lives.
    Europe’s new economic climate has largely fostered the trend toward independence, the current generation of home-aloners came of age during Europe’s shift from social democracy to the sharper, more individualistic climate of American-style capitalism. Raised in an era of privatization and increased consumer choice, today’s tech-savvy workers have embraced a free market in love as well as economics. Modern Europeans are rich enough to afford to live alone, and temperamentally independent enough to want to do so.
    Once upon a time, people who lived alone tended to be those on either side of marriage-twenty something professionals or widowed senior citizens, while pensioners, particularly elderly women, make up a large proportion of those living alone, the newest crop of singles are high earners in their 30s and 40s who increasingly view living alone as a lifestyle choice. Living alone was conceived to be negative — dark and cold, while being together suggested warmth and light. But then came along the idea of singles. They were young, beautiful, strong! Now, young people want to live alone.
    The booming economy means people are working harder than ever. And that doesn’t leave much room for relationships. Pirnpi Arroyo, a 35-year-old composer who lives alone in a house in Paris, says he hasn’t got time to get lonely because he has too much work. "I have deadlines which would make life with someone else fairly difficult. " Only an Ideal Woman would make him change his lifestyle, he says. Kaufmann, author of a recent book called "The Single Woman and Prince Charming. " thinks this fierce new individualism means that people expert more and more of mates, so relationships don’t last long-if they start at all. Eppendorf, a blond Berliner with a deep tan, teaches grade school in the mornings. In the afternoon she sunbathes or sleeps, resting up for going dancing. Just shy of 50, she says she’d never have wanted to do what her mother did — give up a career to raise a family. Instead, "I’ve always done what I wanted to do: live a self-determined life. " [br] According to Paragraph 3, the newest group of singles are______.
选项 A、negative and gloomy
B、on either side of marriage
C、healthy and wealthy
D、warm and lighthearted
答案 D
解析 细节推断题。原文第三段第二句到尾句作者谈到，过去人们常常认为独居会dark and cold，与人共同居住则会warmth and light，而现在live alone则是young，beautiful and strong的年轻人们，表明如今独居是温暖而又快乐的，与以往不同。故答案为D。
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