16. More and more young Europeans remain single because ________.

　　A) they are driven by an overwhelming sense of individualism

　　B) they have entered the workforce at a much earlier age

　　C) they have embraced a business culture of stability

　　D) they are pessimistic about their economic future

　　17. What is said about European society in the passage?

　　A) It has fostered the trend towards small families.

　　B) It is getting closer to American-style capitalism.

　　C) It has limited consumer choice despite a free market.

　　D) It is being threatened by irresistible privatization.

　　18. According to Paragraph 3, the newest group of singles are ________.

　　A) warm and lighthearted

　　B) on either side of marriage

　　C) negative and gloomy

　　D) healthy and wealthy

　　19. The author quotes Eppendorf to show that ________.

　　A) some modern women prefer a life of individual freedom

　　B) the family is no longer the basic unit of society in present-day Europe

　　C) some professional people have too much work to do to feel lonely

　　D) most Europeans conceive living a single life as unacceptable

　　20. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

　　A) To review the impact of women becoming high earners.

　　B) To contemplate the philosophy underlying individualism.

　　C) To examine the trend of young people living alone.

　　D) To stress the rebuilding of personal relationships.