2月15日托福考情 蛇年首考 閱讀壓中原題！

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套 1

1.Early European Tapestries

Tapestries, handwoven textiles made with different colored threads to produce designs or images, were highly popular in western and northern Europe between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries. The nobility at the time usually lived in big, austere, drafty castles, and tapestries provided comfort and warmth. They could be hung on cold walls or used to cover doors and windows. Noble families often did not have a permanent home, instead moving periodically among several locations. Tapestries, which were expensive, were usually packed and moved each time, bringing with them a sense of luxury and familiarity.

Some of the most famous tapestries were woven from wool in Flanders (modern Belgium), a region well-placed for tapestry production. Many of the plants that supplied dyes grew there. The leaves of the woad plant were used to make blue, and madder root provided red. Yellow came from different materials, including onion skins and lemon peels, though most of these yellows faded quickly, thus also affecting the quality of green, which is a mixture of blue and yellow. High-quality wool was not produced in Flanders but was readily imported from nearby England.

Because of a long history of textile production, Flanders already boasted many skilled weavers and dyers when tapestry production began to increase, and this advantage grew in the late fifteenth century because of unrest in Flanders' southern neighbor, France. Originally, Paris had been a center of tapestry production, but the turmoil produced by the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337- 1453) caused many textile workers to relocate to Flanders or to the city of Arras, which was then a part of the Duchy of Burgundy. Following the death of the duke of Burgundy in 1477, the French king Louis XI conquered the territories around Arras. Its inhabitants, still loyal to Burgundy, then expelled all the French who had lived in the city. In retaliation, Louis attacked the town and, in turn, expelled the inhabitants loyal to Burgundy, including the textile workers, many of whom fled to Flanders. Paris regained some of its strength in tapestry production in the seventeenth century, when Louis XIV established the famed Gobelins workshops there.

Tapestries were initially used mostly for warmth, but their visual aspect later gained in importance. Tapestries often told a story. Many early tapestries were hung in churches and cathedrals; these often featured biblical scenes and were used for teaching or religious devotion. However, the use of tapestries in churches later declined with the rise of Gothic architecture. Because this new style emphasized light, churches had many more windows than before, reducing the space for tapestries. In homes, tapestries were still prized; they tended to show complex, varied scenes in vivid colors and provided visual unity to rooms. Historical or mythical scenes were popular, including depictions of heroes and heroines from Greek mythology and figures from European legend. Among the most famous tapestries is a set of six called The Lady and the Unicorn, now in the Cluny Museum in Paris. These tapestries, done in the intricate millefleurs design (with a background of many small flowers), all show an elegant lady accompanied by a unicorn and a lion. Five of them likely represented the senses, but the meaning of the sixth, bearing an inscription sometimes translated as“my sole desire," is debatable.

Tapestries were often used as symbols of power and success. A nobleman would sometimes commission a tapestry showing historical or mythical scenes that lent his family legitimacy or commemorating a battle his family had won. Because these tapestry pieces declared status, they were often finer than other kinds of tapestries, sometimes being made with gold or silver thread. One magnificent group of tapestries, called the Apocalypse of Angers, was commissioned by the duke of Anjou (France) in 1375. In Christian narratives, the Apocalypse is the final battle between good and evil, which is symbolized in the tapestry by various images, like battles between angels and beasts. Some of the angels are holding flags showing the Cross of Anjou, a symbol of the duke's territory. The tapestries were t probably designed to represent the duke's wealth as well as to reinforce his authority as a ruler.

2.The Human Appendix

人類的闌尾是一個(ge) 附著在大腸上的小蠕蟲狀器官。闌尾炎是一種可能致命的闌尾炎，通常發生在年輕人身上，在1890年之前非常罕見，但在今天卻很常見。1871年，查爾斯·達爾文(Charles Darwin)將人類的闌尾與(yu) 許多動物較大的闌尾進行了比較。根據當時闌尾炎的罕見性，他得出結論認為(wei) ，人類的闌尾沒有功能一一它既不會(hui) 幫助我們(men) 也不會(hui) 傷(shang) 害我們(men) 。隨著人們(men) 改變飲食習(xi) 慣，這是一種殘留物(生物體(ti) 中已失去功能的部分)，逐漸枯萎。

在接下來的100年裏，闌尾的退化狀態幾乎沒有受到質疑，而闌尾的無用感隻會(hui) 因其造成麻煩的傾(qing) 向而增強。到20世紀50年代，醫學界認為(wei) 它毫無意義(yi) 。切除它成為(wei) 發達國家最常見的外科手術之一。

套 2

1.Origin of the Solar System

我們(men) 太陽係的有序性使得大多數天文學家得出結論，行星基本上是在與(yu) 太陽相同的時間從(cong) 相同的原始物質中形成的。這些物質形成了一個(ge) 巨大的塵埃和氣體(ti) 雲(yun) ，稱為(wei) 星雲(yun) 。星雲(yun) 假說認為(wei) ，太陽係的所有天體(ti) 都形成於(yu) 一個(ge) 巨大的星雲(yun) 雲(yun) ，其中大部分由氫和氨組成，還有一小部分是已知存在的所有其他較重元素。在這層冰冷的塵埃和氣體(ti) 雲(yun) 中，較重物質主要由矽、鋁、鐵和鈣等元素組成，這些物質是當今常見的岩石材料。其他常見元素也很普遍，包括氧氣、碳和氮。

The orderly nature of our solar systemleads most astronomers to conclude that the planets formed at essentially the same time and from the same primordial (original) material as the Sun. This material formed a vast cloud of dust and gases called a nebula. The nebular hypothesis suggests that all bodies of the solar systemformed from an enormous nebular cloud consisting mostly of hydrogen and helium as well as a small percent of all the other heavier elements known to exist. The heavier substances in this frigid cloud of dust and gases consisted mostly of such elements as silicon, aluminum, iron, and calcium—the substances of today’s common rocky materials. Also prevalent were other familiar elements, including oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen.

Nearly five billion years ago, some external influence, such as a shock wave traveling from a catastrophic explosion (supernova), may have triggered the collapse of this huge cloud of gases and minute grains of heavier elements, causing the cloud to begin to slowly contract due to the gravitational interactions among its particles. As this slowly spiraling nebula contracted, it rotated faster and faster for the same reason ice-skaters do when they draw their arms toward their bodies. Eventually, the inward pull of gravity came into balance with the outward force caused by the rotational motion of the nebula. By this time the once vast cloud had assumed a flat disk shape with a large concentration of material at its center, called the protosun (pre-Sun). Astronomers are fairly confident that the nebular cloud formed a disk because similar structures have been detected around other stars.

During the collapse, gravitational energy was converted to thermal energy (heat), causing the temperature of the inner portion of the nebula to dramatically rise. At such high temperatures, the dust grains broke up into molecules and energized atomic particles. However, at distances beyond the orbit of Mars, the temperatures probable remained quite low. At -200̶C, the tiny particles in the outer portion of the nebula were likely covered with a thick layer of ices made of frozen water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane. Some of this material still resides in the outermost reaches of the solar systemin a region called the Oort cloud.

The formation of the Sun marked the end of the period of contraction and thus the end of gravitational heating. Temperatures in the region where the inner planets now reside began to decline. The decrease in temperature caused those substances with high melting points to condense into tiny particles that began to coalesce (join together). Such materials as iron and nickel and the elements of which the rock-forming minerals are composed—silicon, calcium, sodium, and so forth—formed metallic and rocky clumps that orbited the Sun. Repeated collisions caused these masses to coalesce into larger asteroid-size bodies, called protoplanets, which in a few tens of millions of years accumulated into the four inner planets we call Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Not all of these clumps of matter were incorporated into the protoplanets. Rocky and metallic pieces that still remain in orbit are called meteoroids.

As more and more material was swept up by the inner planets, the high-velocity impact of nebular debris caused the temperatures of these bodies to rise. Because of their relatively high temperatures and weak gravitational fields, the inner planets were unable to accumulate much of the lighter components of the nebular cloud. The lightest of these, hydrogen and helium, were eventually whisked from the inner solar systemby the solar winds.

At the same time that the inner planets were forming, the larger, outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), along with their extensive satellite systems, were also developing. Because of low temperatures far from the Sun, the material from which these planets formed contained a high percentage of ices—water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane—as well as rocky and metallic debris. The accumulation of ices partly accounts for the large sizes and low densities of the outer planets. The two most massive planets, Jupiter and Saturn, had surface gravities sufficient to attract and hold large quantities of even the lightest elements—hydrogen and helium.

2.Roots of the Western Sudanic Empires

有證據表明，在蘇丹西部的薩赫勒地區存在早期城市化的形式，薩赫勒是橫跨非洲的一個(ge) 氣候過渡帶，北起撒哈拉沙漠，南至蘇丹草原(草地)。該地區存在國家的最早記載出現在公元8世紀的阿拉伯文獻中。到公元11世紀，遙遠的北非的阿拉伯人和柏柏爾人已經知道瓦加杜帝國及其富有而強大的統治者加納。瓦加杜王國之後是更大的馬裏帝國，再後來是桑海帝國。

Evidence exists of early forms of urbanization in Western Sudan along the Sahel, a climatically transitional band stretching across Africa between the Sahara Desert to the north and the Sudanian savanna (grasslands) to the south. The first accounts of the existence of states in this region appear in Arab writings of the eighth century AD. By the eleventh century AD, Arabs and Berbers of faraway North Africa knew of the Wagadu Empire and its wealthy and powerful ruler called the ghana. The Wagadu kingdom was followed by the larger empire of Mali, and later still by the empire of Songhai.

The broad flat expanse of the Western Sudan enables the placid Niger River to meander in its sweeping arc from west to east, making the river ideally suited to human navigation. This topography has also allowed for the easy movement of peoples, languages, animals, crops, arts, and ideas. The dramatic diversity of temperature and climate that separates broad strips of territory has encouraged economic specialization within each region. Pastoralists (animal herders) living on the edge of the desert in the Sahelian city of Timbuktu are only 200 kilometers north of the fertile floodplain of the Niger River. Farmers on the savanna below the Niger are in turn only a few hundred kilometers from the edge of the great equatorial rain forest. Throughout the long history of the Western Sudan, the proximity of these disparate zones has made trade crucial to the prosperity of settled communities. Protein-deficient farmers of the savanna needed meat from their pastoral neighbors and salt from desert nomads. Nomadic herders of the Sahel needed the cereals produced by the farmers and exchanged them for the meat and hides of their livestock. Forest dwellers traded meat and skins from the animals they hunted, as well as foodstuffs from forest crops. Fishermen of the Niger sent their protein-rich catches in all directions. This regional interdependence encouraged commerce, economic specialization, and in strategiclocations, the creation of towns, cities, and states (societies with centralized political authority, a ruling class, and urban centers). These trading relationships were forged centuries before Arab writers ever heard of the wealth of the ghana.

However, until recent times most scholars attributed the rise of Sudanicstates to the introduction of the camel into the Sahara around the fourth century AD. Camels brought the first Arab travelers to the previously unknown empires of the Sudan, thereby providing historians with the earliest written evidence of their existence. Armed with these documents, they assumed that the cities of the Sudan had emerged in response to the needs of Arab and Berber desert traders. Before the appearance of the rare and exotic goods supplied by the trade, scholars reasoned, rulers lacked the leverage they needed to elevate themselves in the eyes of their followers. Such an interpretation argued against common sense, as it is unlikely that merchants would chance the arduous trip across the desert if there were no urban markets to attract them, but it was supported by the few written sources available, all of which were produced by literate outsiders who traveled into the region after the advent of camel commerce.

Recent archaeological excavations have revealed that the Western Sudan had thriving urban centers before the first camels made their way across the desert. Indeed, at Jenne on the Middle Niger, archaeologists have uncovered a sprawling urban settlement that lacks the monumental architecture, elaborate tombs, and memorials to powerful individuals that are associated with contemporary Near Eastern and Nile Valley remains. Instead, the settlement pattern suggests a diffusion of political power and a remarkable degree of social and economic equality. Although some archaeologists question whether or not such settlements constitute true urbanization, others see in Jenne a remarkable example of social complexification without state-sponsored coercion.

Although there can be no doubt that complex societies emerged in the Western Sudan before the advent of camel-borne commerce, the integration of the camel into the trans-Saharan caravan trade stimulated political expansion in the region. The quickening pace of economic activity spurred urbanization and encouraged economic specialization, which in turn demanded greater political authority to safeguard the merchants and the indigenous elite who participated in the trade. Merchants at both the northern and southern markets required security, without which commerce could not continue, let alone flourish.

套 3

1.TheCarboniferous Atmosphere

大約5.3億(yi) 年前，出現了大量新的動物形態，從(cong) 那個(ge) 時代開始，大氣中的氧氣迅速增加。隨著氧氣水平的上升，新的生態係統不斷發展壯大，直到形成了茂密的沼澤森林。因此，開始了石炭紀(大約3.6億(yi) 至3億(yi) 年前)，以深層的煤層命名，煤層是由樹木和其他有機物質的遺骸在這一時期形成的碳的一種形式。由於(yu) 煤層(煤層)中發現了許多化石，我們(men) 對石炭紀世界的生命有了很多了解。1979年，在英國博爾索弗鎮工作的礦工偶然發現了一隻巨大蜻蜓的化石，翼展超過半米石炭紀的蠍子有一米長，蜉蝣的翼展有40厘米2植物非常巨大。

2. Opera in Seventeenth Century Venice

歌劇，一種由音樂(le) 和聲樂(le) 表演組成的戲劇形式，由管弦樂(le) 隊伴奏，起源於(yu) 16世紀末的意大利。在17世紀初，歌劇在宮廷(貴族統治者的住所)表演，麵向一小群精英觀眾(zhong) ，由作曲家和詩人創作，他們(men) 實際上是宮廷的仆人。這些早期的歌劇用於(yu) 慶祝各種事件--婚禮、出生、軍(jun) 事勝利--通常是為(wei) 了展示宮廷的財富。然而，不久之後，歌劇開始吸引更廣泛的觀眾(zhong) 。從(cong) 私人劇院到公共劇院的轉變在作曲家克勞迪奧，蒙特威爾第的職業(ye) 生涯中得到了清晰的體(ti) 現。在曼圖亞(ya) 宮廷任職期間，蒙特威爾第於(yu) 1607年創作了第一部歌劇《奧菲歐》。這部歌劇利用了曼圖亞(ya) 宮廷豐(feng) 富的器樂(le) 資源，在音樂(le) 和戲劇表現力方麵前所未有，足以給宮廷的政治對手留下深刻印象。1613年，蒙特威爾第離開曼圖亞(ya) 宮廷，搬到了威尼斯，在聖教堂擔任職位。馬可大教堂。雖然他的大部分時間都花在寫(xie) 教堂音樂(le) 上，但隨著時間的推移，他獲得了創作世俗音樂(le) 的自由，包括歌劇。

套 4

1.Jazz

爵士樂(le) ，一種源自美國的藝術形式，起源於(yu) 20世紀之交的美國南部城市新奧爾良。它結合了各種音樂(le) 風格的元素，包括拉格泰姆、民歌、宗教聖歌、藍調和搖擺樂(le) ，成為(wei) 一種在商業(ye) 和藝術上都很成功的音樂(le) 類型。新奧爾良是一個(ge) 獨特的城市原因很多。這座城市位於(yu) 密西西比河下遊，是一個(ge) 主要港口城市，提供了大量的商業(ye) 和貿易。在全國範圍內(nei) 和國際上。人口多樣化，少數自人公民掌權，而大多數白人公民和所有黑人公民都處於(yu) 社會(hui) 和經濟階梯的較低端。在新奧爾良還有一類獨特的混血兒(er) ，被稱為(wei) 克裏奧爾人，他們(men) 非常自豪自己的法國血統。克裏奧爾人負責社區的娛樂(le) 區，這個(ge) 區域今天仍然被稱為(wei) 法國區。酒吧夜總會(hui) 和其他娛樂(le) 場所是克裏奧爾人區常見的商業(ye) 活動。商人、商人和遊客被法國區的夜生活所吸引，就像今天遊客被吸引一樣。

2. Damsand Flood Control

在河流上建造水壩既有優(you) 點也有缺點。方麵，水壩對人類有益。它們(men) 提供了淡水儲(chu) 備，這是一種對生命至關(guan) 重要的商品既可以直接作為(wei) 飲用水，也可以間接通過灌溉農(nong) 田提供食物。此外，流經水壩的水的能量可以被利用來發電。水壩建在河流上還可以控製洪水。因此，水壩可以提供保護，免受當地極端氣候的影響。上遊地區的大雨本來可能會(hui) 導致下遊洪水，但在大壩後麵的水庫(儲(chu) 水區域)中被攔蓄。同樣，在幹旱時期，本來可能會(hui) 導致幹早，但水庫中的水可以釋放到下遊地區。

聽力

C 1

莎拉感謝前教授在大一時給予的建議，尤其是關(guan) 於(yu) 如何積極參與(yu) 課堂的建議。她提到自己現在仍會(hui) 坐在前排以提高參與(yu) 感。教授分享了研究發現，前排學生更活躍。莎拉提到自己是電影專(zhuan) 業(ye) ，計劃製作一部關(guan) 於(yu) 學生成功和動機的短片，希望傳(chuan) 遞學習(xi) 建議。她邀請教授參與(yu) 並提供建議。教授同意提供內(nei) 容建議，但因鏡頭緊張，隻願意錄製音頻作為(wei) 旁白。兩(liang) 人決(jue) 定合作完成這部短片。

L 1

在藝術的漫長曆史中，20世紀無疑是一個(ge) 充滿變革與(yu) 突破的時期。這一時期湧現出了許多具有深遠影響的藝術流派和形式，其中達達主義(yi) （Dadaism）和TN藝術便是極具代表性的兩(liang) 種。達達主義(yi) 以其非傳(chuan) 統的藝術理念和實踐，對傳(chuan) 統藝術的審美標準發起了挑戰。它強調藝術的反叛性，拒絕遵循既定的規則和形式，試圖通過一種看似無意義(yi) 的表達方式來揭示社會(hui) 的荒誕與(yu) 矛盾。這種藝術形式的出現，為(wei) 後來的現代藝術發展開辟了新的道路。

C 2

馬克與(yu) 考古學教授討論了暑期考古經曆，教授肯定了實地研究的重要性。馬克提到論文初稿截止日期的誤解，教授解釋是課程大綱寫(xie) 錯，並提醒注意時間。教授還指出馬克的初稿介紹部分過於(yu) 冗長，建議精簡，聚焦研究問題，遵循學術結構。馬克表示會(hui) 按時完成論文，以暑期發掘為(wei) 研究基礎。教授鼓勵他，並給出建設性修改建議。

L 2

在考古學的廣闊領域中，人類的遷徙一直是科學家們(men) 探索的重要課題之一。尤其是關(guan) 於(yu) 人類是如何從(cong) 亞(ya) 洲遷徙到美洲的問題，一直是考古學家們(men) 關(guan) 注的焦點。傳(chuan) 統的觀點認為(wei) ，人類是通過一條經過S地區的路線遷徙到美洲的。然而，隨著考古學研究的不斷深入，新的證據和觀點不斷湧現，挑戰著我們(men) 對這一曆史事件的傳(chuan) 統認知。

L 3

在物理學的眾(zhong) 多研究領域中，核聚變和核裂變一直是備受關(guan) 注的課題。核聚變作為(wei) 一種潛在的清潔能源技術，被認為(wei) 具有巨大的發展前景。與(yu) 核裂變相比，核聚變不會(hui) 產(chan) 生核廢料，也不會(hui) 對環境造成汙染，同時能夠產(chan) 生大量的能量。然而，盡管核聚變技術在理論上具有諸多優(you) 勢，但在實際應用中卻麵臨(lin) 著諸多挑戰。

口語

TASK 1獨立口語題

Task 1（3套）

A：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Taking too many photographs affects people's participation in events and activities.

B：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Schools should not allow young children to use calculators during maths classes and exams.

C：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to teach children how to behave is to praise their good behavior rather than to criticize their bad behavior. Use details and examples to support your opinion.

TASK 2校園題

Task 2（2套）

AA student suggests converting the dormitory rooms, originally designed for three people, into rooms for two.

The speaker disagrees. Since most students spend their time in classrooms, libraries, or other activity areas, the main purpose of the dormitory is to rest and sleep. In this case, while converting a room for three people into one for two may seem like it increases available space for each student, it would not significantly improve the efficiency of dorm usage. Instead, this change could lead to resource waste, because even with fewer people in the room, students’ time spent in the dormitory would not increase significantly.

BA student suggests implementing an online reservation system, allowing students to book study rooms in advance, with a time limit of 2 hours per booking.

The speaker disagrees.First, she thinks the system would be too complicated, and many people might forget to reserve a room in advance, while in fact, there is usually a free spot when they go to the study room.Second, she points out that 2 hours is far too short for preparing for big exams, which typically require at least 4 hours for proper study.

TASK 3學術講座題

Task 3（2套）

A: Vertical migration is a common behavior pattern in marine animals. It typically involves animals staying in deeper water layers during the day to rest and moving to the surface waters at night to feed. This behavior is usually related to changes in light and predator avoidance. Many plankton and small fish engage in this daily vertical migration to make the most of the resources in different water layers and reduce the risk of being preyed upon.

B：Constrained risk受限風險

TASK 4 學術講座題

Task 4（2套）

A:

The professor explains two marketing strategies a small business with a limited budget can use:

1. Narrowing the advertising scope and targeting the right audience

Example: A music store can place ads in social media sections or forums related to music, effectively reaching its target audience at the lowest cost.

2. Collaboration

Example: The music store can collaborate with local music schools for joint promotional activities, helping each business attract customers. This partnership effectively expands influence and saves resources.

B:

Soft-shelled eggs are a special type of egg with a soft and highly permeable shell. This structure helps maintain moisture inside the egg, providing a suitable environment for embryo development.

Examples:

Frogs: Frog eggs are usually encased in a gelatinous substance, and they lack a hard shell. Instead, they are protected by a soft membrane, which helps keep the eggs moist in water and facilitates necessary oxygen and water exchange for the developing embryos.

Snakes: Many snake species, such as those from the racer snakes and water snakes family, lay soft-shelled eggs. Their shells are soft and elastic, able to adapt to different environmental conditions while maintaining moisture inside the egg to ensure proper embryo development.

寫(xie) 作

綜合寫(xie) 作

The transition from cottage production to factory-based manufacturing marked a significant shift in industrial history. The reading presents three primary reasons for this transformation: the introduction of new technology, strengthened property rights protection, and reduced transportation costs. However, the listening challenges these assertions, offering counterpoints.

First, the reading emphasizes that the emergence of new, large, and complex machines played a crucial role in the shift towards factory production. These advanced machines were deemed suitable only for factory settings due to their intricate nature. Conversely, the listening rebuts this claim by highlighting that the assembly of new machinery is not overly complicated. Furthermore, examples such as steam engines existed before the application of these technologies. Such machines were not exclusive to factories, as cottage industries could also utilize them effectively. Therefore, the applicability of new technology alone does not serve as the decisive factor in the transition from cottage production to factories.

Second, according to the reading, the reinforcement of property rights protection through legislation made factory production more appealing. The ability of factories to safeguard their assets and production materials was seen as a driver for this shift. However, the listening refutes this point by noting that the enhancement of private asset protection was not unique to Britain. Other regions, like the Netherlands, also bolstered property rights protection without undergoing the transition from cottage industries to factory production. Therefore, merely strengthening property rights does not provide sufficient support for establishing factories.

The reading posits that factory production could lower transportation expenses by concentrating production activities. Shorter distances for transporting raw materials and finished goods were believed to reduce costs significantly. In contrast, the listening argues that while transportation costs might decrease, factory production models introduce additional expenses such as construction costs and the hiring of supervisors. This uncertainty surrounding total costs implies that the reduction in transportation costs alone may not be a pivotal factor driving the transition in production methods.

學術討論

Doctor Gupta:

Today, we're discussing whether there should be a specific age to mark adulthood. Traditionally, 18 years old is considered the transition to adulthood in many cultures, but some argue that 18-year-olds are not mature enough to take on adult responsibilities and duties. Others suggest that 21 might be a more appropriate age, while some believe adulthood should not be defined by age at all. Should there be a specific age for adulthood, or should it be based on individual maturity and circumstances?

Claire

I believe 21 years old should be the mark of adulthood. Most 18-year-olds are still in school and rely heavily on their parents for financial and emotional support. At 18, many young people are just beginning to explore their independence and may not have the life experience or maturity to handle adult responsibilities. By 21 years old, however, individuals are more likely to have completed their education, gained some work experience, and developed the skills needed to navigate adulthood.

Andrew

I don't think adulthood should be defined by a specific age. Maturity and responsibility vary greatly from person to person, and some individuals are capable of handling adult duties at a much younger age. For example, in many cultures, young people take on family responsibilities, such as caring for siblings or contributing to household income, long before they turn 18. Defining adulthood by age ignores these differences and overlooks the fact life experiences, not just age, shaping a person's readiness for adulthood.