Even as the number of females
processed through juvenile courts
climbs steadily, an implicit consensus
remains among scholars in criminal
(5) justice that male adolescents define
the delinquency problem in the United
States. We suggest two reasons why
this view persists. First, female
adolescents are accused primarily of
(10) victimless crimes, such as truancy,
that do not involve clear-cut damage
to persons or property. If committed
by adults, these actions are not even
considered prosecutable; if committed
(15) by juvenile males, they have
traditionally been looked on leniently
by the courts. Thus ironically, the
plight of female delinquents receives
little scrutiny because they are
(20) accused of committing relatively
minor offenses. Second, the courts
have long unjustified so-called
preventive intervention into the lives
of young females viewed as antisocial
(25) with the rationale that women are
especially vulnerable. Traditional
stereotypes of women as the weaker
and more dependent sex have led to
earlier intervention and longer
(30) periods of misdirected supervision for
female delinquents than for males.
17
Which of the following statements
best expresses the irony pointed out
by the authors in lines 17-21 of the
passage?
Female delinquents tend to commit
victimless crimes more frequently
than their male counterparts.
The predicament of male delinquents
receives more attention than that
of females because males are accused
of more serious crimes.
Adults are frequently punished less
severely than adolescents for
committing more serious crimes.
The juvenile justice system cannot
correct its biases because it does
not even recognize them.
Although the number of female
delinquents is steadily increasing,
the crimes of which they are accused
are not particularly serious.
2. 还是这篇文章,
Second, the courts
have long unjustified so-called
preventive intervention into the lives
of young females viewed as antisocial
(25) with the rationale that women are
especially vulnerable.