Day 35

Hi,
now it's time to present something to our adults)

MARRIAGE

Vocabulary:______Find the "odd one out"There may be more than one answer. Give your reasons.

marriage cohabitation trial marriage monogamy bigamy polygamy a commitment a contract an agreement compatibility security stability divorce separation remarriage a couple a partner a spouse a ceremony a reception a honeymoon

Text for dictation:Britain has one of the highest marriage and divorce rates in Western Europe. The average age for first marriages is now approximately 28 for men and 26 for women. Nearly 40% of British marriages are remarriages where one or both partners have already been divorced. The average age when divorces occur is about 39 for men and 36 for women. For the Anglican and Catholicchurches, marriage is for life, but for between one third and a half of British husbands and wives, marriage is for about ten years.
Nearly a third of British babies are born outside marriage and about half of these are born to couples with stable relationships living at the same address. Attitudes towards different kinds of relationships have become far more liberal in Britain in recent decades.Cohabitation has become far more acceptable and some ministers of the Church of England are even prepared to marry people who have already been divorced. Many couples appreciate the atmosphere and symbolism of a church wedding, though others prefer the simplicity and honesty of a registry office. In other words, they attach little or no importance to the religious aspect of marriage, although they may still want a legal contract.
Dialogue:______read aloud in pairsA: What are the advantages and disadvantages of getting married? Don't you think it's better to stay single?

B: Well, if you ask me, it all depends on your circumstances.

A: What do you mean?
B: I mean that people's situations can be very different. Let's take the veryextreme situation of a young woman who marries an old man as an example.

A: Tell me more!

B: The old man might be very rich, though on the other hand he could be very
talented. As for the young woman, she may have a lot in common with the old man;
alternatively, she may be interested in his money.

A: What are you trying to say?

B: To come to the point, there are so many different motives for marriage that
it's impossible to generalize about why people prefer married to single status.

A: Rubbish! It must be possible to compare living together with someone to
living on your own. What about the question of independence?

B: But you don't seem to realise that many married people live totally independent lives.

A: That may be so, but for most people the whole point of marriage is to live
together and possibly to raise a family. That's what this discussion's about.

B: In that case, it's obvious that children are a commitment for life. I guess that many single people
have different priorities or else they believe that they would make unsuitable parents.

A: Surely, there's more to marriage than having children.

B: If you're talking about the religious or security aspects of getting married, the
divorce rate is so high in Britain that these don't seem to be relevant any more. Whynot just stay single. You can still live together with other people for as long as you
find them compatible.
Discussion questions:______ask and answer1. Are you for or against trial marriages i.e. living together outside marriage to test your compatibility?

2. Do you think that marriage should be for life? Should divorce be made easier or more difficult?

3. Why do you think that the divorce rate has become so high in Britain and many other countries?

4. Is it better to marry someone of the same educational, social, cultural and racial background?

5. Is it better to marry someone of approximately the same age? Should the man be older than the woman?

6. How important is the religious aspect of marriage to you? Which aspects are more important, if any?

7. Should it be legal to marry more than one partner at the same time?

8. Should it be legal to marry someone of the same sex? Should marriages between gay and lesbian partners be recognised by the church?