52. The first paragraph describes in detail ________.

　　A) the Confucian influence on gender norms in Japan

　　B) the stereotyped role of women in Japanese families

　　C) the standards set for contemporary Japanese women

　　D) the norms for traditional Japanese women to follow

　　53. What change has been observed in today’s young Japanese women?

　　A) They use fewer of the deferential linguistic forms.

　　B) They pay less attention to their linguistic behavior.

　　C) They employ very strong linguistic expressions.

　　D) They confuse male and female forms of language.

　　54. 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 accept it as a modern trend.

　　C) They express strong disapproval.

　　D) The see it as an expression of women’s sentiment.

　　55. According to Yoshiko Matsumoto, the linguistic behavior observed in today’s young women ________.

　　A) may lead to changes in social relations

　　B) is viewed as a sign of their maturity

　　C) is a result of rapid social progress

　　D) has been true of all past generations

　　56. The author believes that the use of assertive language by young Japanese women is ________.

　　A) a sure sign of their defeminization and maturation

　　B) one of their strategies to compete in a male-dominated society

　　C) an inevitable trend of linguistic development in Japan today

　　D) an indication of their defiance against social change