Kim: Wow! So many people in the United States get divorced!
Amy: But this is not uncommon in west. In some places, the divorce rate
can be as high as 50 percent. Kim: It seems strange to me that Westerners fall head heels in love quickly,
if not at first sight; but they also leave each other quickly. Amy: Is it the same in your country?
Kim: I don’t think so. In my country, some marriages break up, but most
couples stay together.
Amy: Do people get married young?
Kim: Not really. Not many people get married before the age of 20. Amy: Hmm. Do woman usually work after they get married?
Kim: No, a lot of women stay home to take care of their families. But more
women work now.
Now Your Turn SAMPLE DIALOG
A: It seems strange to me that Westerners fall head heels in love quickly, but they also leave each other quickly. B: Is it the same where you live?
A: I don’t think so. In my country, most couples stay together. B: What is the divorce rate in your homeland? A: The divorce rate can be as low as 10 percent. B: That’s quite lower than in our country.
A: Well, what’s the divorce rate in your country? B: About 50 percent, if I’m not mistaken. A: Oh, that’s really high!
B: Do people get married young?
A: Not really. Not many people get married before the age of 22.
B: Many of our young people get married before 20. Is it common for women in your country to work after they marry?
A: Yes, most wives work even after they’ve got a baby.
B: In my country, a lot of wives stay home to look after their families.
MODEL3 Why not have both our parents here for Christmas? Script
Amy: You know, Christmas is coming. And I haven’t seen Dad for ages—he
always has such great stories to tell.
Bill: I know we went t my folks’ last year, but my Mom’s been pretty sick.
This might be her last Christmas.
Amy: She’s been ill, but don’t exaggerate. You just don’t like my mother.
That’s why you don’t want to go to my parents
Bill: She’s never liked me. Never thought I was good enough for you. Amy: Well, you’re not… But seriously, Mom’s not so sad. She’s just got
a thick skin and likes to hide her feelings Bill: I don’t think so.
Amy: Why not have our both families here for Christmas?
Bill: That would make twenty-two of us if we invited everybody. Amy: Why not just have our parents here for Christmas? Bill: Good idea. Just don’t sit me next to your mother.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A: You know, the Spring Festive is coming, and we have to consider where to have the Spring Festive Eve dinner. B: What have you got in mind? A: Since I’ve been busy, I haven’t seen mom for quite some time—she’s always been so kind to us.
B: I know we went t my folks’ last year, but my mom’s been sick. She needs comfort.
A: My parents also need company. If I don’t have the Spring Festive Eve dinner with them for two years running, they will be extremely disappointed. As a matter of fact, my mom is already blaming me for neglecting them. B: What can we do then?
A: Let me think. Why not invite our parents here for the dinner?
B: But they live so far away from us. It’s inconvenient for old people. A: Then we can invite four of them to a restaurant near them.
B: Good, idea. On the next morning we can visit both our parents. A: And don’t forget to bring gifts.
V. Let’s Talk
Script
If you want me to tell you why I remarried, that’s my story.
Remarried is the last thing I’d consider for two years after my divorce. I had heard about the high rate of remarriage failure. More importantly, I wondered how remarrying would affect my 10-year-old son. My heart ached when I saw my son draw a picture of himself, my ex-wife and me holding hands, with sadness on our faces. Since my parents have married and divorce
eight times altogether, I hope my son would not have to go through the same pain I had experienced. As a result, my primary focus after divorce was my relationship with my son John, not finding a wife.
As time went by, my son gradually grew up, and he became of my loneliness and anxiety. One day he asked me to consider dating. The first timer he said this, I ignored him. The second time he brought it up, I reconsidered my reservations about dating. I began to date Maria. As our relationship developed over the following year, I was concerned about my son would actually respond to her. At first, John’s affection for Maria was lukewarm. For instance, he would hug her, but the act seemed mechanical. But after several times, he warmed up to her. Seeing that the time was ripe, I asked Maria to marry me. She accepted, so our family of two smoothly became a family of three. Thinking back, I believe my remarrying was the right choice.
Some single-parents are still besitant about remarrying. Now that you’ve heard my story, I hope you won’t hesitate and let golden opportunities slip through your fingers. Changes in the Speaker’s Reasons or Detailed Description Attitude to Remarriage For two years after my divorce, remarriage was the last word I’d consider. 1. High rate of remarriage failure. 2. Remarriage would affect my son. ① He drew a picture of the three of us. ② My parents married and divorced eight times and I hope my son would have no such pain. ③ My primary focus was my son, not a wife. I ignored my son’s suggestion that I consider dating. I reconsidered m reservation about dating and began to date Maria I was concerned about my son’s respond to her. He grew up and became conscious of my loneliness and anxiety. The second time he brought the issue up. At first his affection for her was lukewarm: his hug was mechanical; but several months later he warmed up to her. I asked Maria to marry me and she Seeing time was ripe. accepted. Our family of two became a family of I believe my remarrying was the three. right choice.
Debate
SAMPLE
A: On the whole I don’t support remarriage. Too many remarriages have turned
out to be unsuccessful and end in divorce.
B: If you say many remarriages have failed, that means other remarriages have survived, or even bloomed. We should not only look at the dark of the issue.
A: But there’re too many factors contribute to the failure of a second marriage. For example, as you become older, you may find it increasingly difficult to adjust to a different pattern of life with a new mate. Once there’s a conflict neither is willing to give in. B: There’re conflicts everywhere, but you should not neglect that an adult has psychological and physical needs. Without a companion, one may feel lonely and anxious.
A: In a new family the husband tends to compare his new wife’s weak point with his ex-wife’s strong point. And the wife does the same.
B: I wish you’d seen the film The Sound of Music. The governess Maria blended so smoothly into the Captain’s family.
A: It is not easy for children to accept the new mother or father. It is simply impossible for them to forget their birth-mother’s loving care and the happy moments in their childhood.
B: But how happy are the Captain’s seven children with their adopted mother Maria! If the new mother shows genuine care for the kids, they will gradually warm to her. On the other hand, many children in a single-parent family are under psychological pressure and suffer from anxiety attack. So, the single life is not the right choice.
VI. Further Listening and Speaking
Task1: Early Marriage Script
At the age of 12, Lisa has been married for three years to a young man she met just after finishing secondary school. He treated her well. She almost died during the birth of their first child, born a year after their marriage. The second child, born 18 months later, was also a girl. Lately
she and her husband quarrel frequently. She wants to go to vocational school to learn skills to add to the family income, but his mother insists she stay home and produce a son.
This example is by no means exceptional. Early marriage is common in many parts of the world. Early marriage leads to early motherhood. In some developing countries, 20 percent or over half of the women give birth to their first child before the age of 18.Expectations from parents, in-laws and society are to produce a child as soon as possible. Many young wives feel pressure to bear son. This typically results in early and frequent pregnancies.
In developing countries, more than half a million women die every year from causes related to pregnancy. There are four important reasons for these deaths. Birth are either “too soon, too close, too many, or to late”. According to statistics, it is young women who most die during pregnancy. 11. At what age did Lisa give birth to her first child? 12. What does Lisa want?
13. Why do women in some developing countries have babies early? 14. What are the reasons women die from childbirth? 15. What is the main idea of the passage?
Keys: 1.B 2.D3.A 4.D 5.C
Task 2: Nuclear Family Living Patterns
Script
A nuclear family is typical in high-industrialized societies. Beginning in the early 20th century, the two-parent family known as the nuclear family was the predominant American family type. Generally children live with their parents until they go away to a college or university, or until they acquire their own jobs and move into their own apartment or home. In the early mid-20th century, the family typically was the sole wage earner, and the mother was the children’s principle care giver. Today, often both parents hold jobs. Dual-earner families are the predominant type for families with children in the United States. Increasingly, one of the parents has a non-standard shift; that is, a shift that does not start in the morning and end in later afternoon. In these families, one of the parents manages the children while the other works.
Prior to school, adequate day care of children is necessary for dual-earner families. In recent years, many private companies and home-based day care centers have sprung up fulfill this need. Increasingly,