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.

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