Living Alone IsJoyful

More and moreAmericans are living alone.Some live alone because of divorce or the death of apart-

ner._______ (46)According to a recent U. S.census（人口普查）,25 percent ofall households in the

U.S.are made up ofjust one person.This is a dramatic change from the extended families of just acouple

of generations ago.

The typical personliving alone is neither old nor lonely._______(47) The majority of these people

have chosen to livealone. They are responding to decreasing social pressure to get married andhave a family.

It's now sociallyacceptable, even fashionable, to live alone.

As people get betterjobs and become fi-

nanciallyindependent, it becomes possible for them to maintain a one-personhousehold._______(48)

However, people whodo get married are marrying at a later age and divorcing more often.

The number onereason given by most people for living alone is that they simply enjoy doingwhat they

want when they wantto do it.

"Living aloneis a luxury,"says Nina Hagiwara, 33.

"Once you doit, you

can't ever go backto living with others. " David C' Debaca, 46, agrees._______(49)

Children think thatheing grown up means being able to do exactly as they please._______(50)

The chance todiscover whether that freedom is as wonderful as it sounds is a chance more andmore Ameri-

cans are taking._________(47)

A.There's morepressurP. to geL married nowadays.

B. The growingnumber of women with good jobs has done much to increase the number of peopleliving alone.

C. However, evenruore people are living alone because they have chosen to.

D. It seems thatmany growii-ups today are realizing that childhood dream.

E. In fact, aquarter of the 23 million single people in the U. S.are under the age of 35.