Read the following texts

The Government Department of Dating and Marriage?

Many single people need help finding husbands or wives. Some people hire matchmakers. Others use computer dating services on the Internet. Now, at least two governments want to help their citizens tie the knot.

One of them is the United States government. The government in Washington gives each of the 50 states money to encourage marriage. The states are using it to persuade people that marriage is good. Some states are also offering classes on marriage. The government says that the future of the United States depends on strong families. However, its programs are not for all families. They are for one special group—the poor. They want to tell low-income people about the benefits of marriage. Some government officials argue that women with children should have husbands. If they have husbands, they will not need money from the government. Their husbands will work to earn money for then families. Some people are against government programs that promote marriage. They say that marriage is a private decision. They are also afraid that poor women might think they have to get married.

The American government is not the only one that is interested in marriage. The government of the tiny island nation of Singapore is spending money on marriage, too. Why is the government in Singapore interested in marriage? The government has noticed that women with college degrees often do not get married. Government officials think it is important for them to get married, so they have started a government dating service.The Social Development Unit (SDU) began in 1984. It organizes parties and trips for single people. It also teaches single people about marriage. The SDU says that 50,000 Singaporeans have met and married through this service.

And what do young Singaporeans think of the government dating services? Some of them are happy with it. Ms. Rails-Tan says that the SDU helped her get married. She and her husband married two years ago. Today they have a six-month-old child. Others just laugh at it. "Single, desperate, and ugly,' says a young woman at a local bar. Another says, "We're adults. And the government is not our parent."

2) Give English equivalents to the following. Use them in the appropriate context: сваха, сват, служба знакомств, связать узами брака, поощрять, убеждать, с низким доходом, выгода, содействовать (развитию, распространению), продвигать, женщины с высшим образованием, познакомиться через службу знакомств.

3) Answer and discuss the questions:

What two countries does the writer talk about?

What is each government doing about marriage?

The two government programs try to help different groups. What are the two groups?

How do people in each country feel about the programs?

How important is marriage for the happiness and future of each group?

	Notvery	Somewhat	Very	Extremely
	important	important	important	important
Men
Women
Children
Society

In your opinion, which are the five most important elements for a successful marriage?

a) agreement on how to raise children

b) same culture

c) same religion

d) agreement on money issues

e) satisfactory sexualrelationship

f) approval from family members

g) fidelity

h) shared values

i) open communication

j) similar level of education

k) one decision maker

l) similar personalities

4) Discuss these three points:

I. The government should make it difficult to get married. Every couple should have to pass a course about marriage before they get a marriage license.

II. Governments should use taxes to encourage marriage and discourage divorce. Married couples should pay fewer taxes than single people. Divorced couples should pay a divorce penalty tax.

III. Marriage is a personal decision. The government should not try to control it.

5) Translate the sentences into English: 1). Терпеть не могу твою привычку закатывать глаза каждый раз, когда мне звонят мои подруги. 2). Выживаемость брака полностью зависит от супругов; не следует винить обстоятельства или других людей. В наше время пары разводятся при малейшей трудности. 3). На деловых переговорах и встречах очень важно контролировать свое тело и мимику. Нужно улыбаться, излучая позитивное отношение и уверенность, демонстрировать открытость и профессионализм. 4). В прошлом году мои бабушка и дедушка отпраздновали 50 лет брака. Я помню, как дедушка рассказывал, что он просил руки моей бабушки у ее родителей и как он волновался, убеждая их, что составит счастье их дочери. 5). Онлайн-сервисы знакомств стали крайне популярны с развитием Интернета. Многие из моих друзей воспользовались их услугами, некоторые даже поженились, благодаря профессиональным свахам. Однако, в целом мне кажется, что помощи там ищут одинокие и отчаявшиеся люди. 6). Современные ученые психологи и антропологи уверяют нас в том, что в браке больше плюсов, чем минусов, поощряют женитьбу, несмотря на предсказания некоторых из них, что вскоре брак потеряет актуальность и исчезнет. 7). Правительство тоже заинтересовано в институте брака для своих граждан и готово тратить деньги на пропаганду семейных ценностей. 8). Мой старший брат – убежденный холостяк. Ему уже 37, а он все еще не связал себя узами брака и заявляет, что никогда этого не сделает, потому что по его словам, брак – это тупик отношений. При этом он признается, что практикует серийную моногамию без детей. Родители очень огорчены, что не могут повлиять на него.

1) Discuss the questions in groups:

Which of the following are most important for you in a partner or friend? (money, sense of humour, age, looks, nationality, dress sense, intelligence, cooking ability, honesty, religion?

What do you think a mixed marriage is?

What advantages and disadvantages do you think there are to mixed marriages?

2) Read the article and see if any of your ideas are mentioned. Explain in English and expand on the contextual use of the underlined parts of the text.

Is She Really Going Out with Him?

The latest census in the UK has confirmed that inter-racial marriages are increasingly common, leading many journalists to claim that we are a totally tolerant society. However, despite what the census might suggest, the truth is that the vast majority of us tend to eventually marry a partner not only of the same race, but also of the same religion, class, age and background. While mixed marriages of various descriptions may be on the increase, prejudice and social and family pressures are still very much alive, and cannot always overcome them. We talked to two couples about their experiences.

A religious divide

Rachel McCarthy and David Brown decided to leave Belfast, the city in Northern Ireland that they both grew up in and where their parents still live, when they got married last year. Rachel is a catholic and David is Protestant. The two halves of the Christian religion are still deeply divided in Northern Ireland, and although the bombing and killing which occurred between the two communities has largely stopped, as Rachel and David know, people in mixed marriages are often ostracized and verbally abused. “We actually found it difficult to find a place to live in Belfast because areas tend to be either catholic or Protestant. That’s really why we left. Over here, we just look the same as everyone else and no one really knows – or cares – that we have different backgrounds. It has been very difficult, though, because we haven’t had any support from our families. Neither sets of parents have really come to terms with our relationship and that’s obviously been very painful.”

The age gap

Jamie Brodlin is twenty now and has been going out with his partner, Jane Fisher, for three years. Believe it or not, Jane has just turned sixty! They met when Jamie was out clubbing with three friends. Jane was working in the cloakroom and when Jamie came up to her and started chatting her up, she thought he was pulling her leg. “I thought he was just some lad with too many beers inside him who was doing it all for a bet. It was only later when he phoned me up to ask me out on a date, I realized just how mature and sensible he really is.”

Jamie says: “To be honest, I never have gone for girls my own age. I tend to find them a bit immature. They usually just want to talk about music and shopping, whereas you can have a proper conversation with someone who’s older. I guess Jane was quite a bit older than my previous girlfriend, but there was just something about her and about the way she moved and hung up the coats that caught my eye. She’s a very warm and appealing sort of woman. My mates did think it was a bit weird, but I just told them it’s none of their business, and now they don’t really ask about Jane. Jane often stays in with my parents when I go out clubbing. She says she’s too old for that kind of thing these days, which is fine. I was worried that my parents wouldn’t approve of her when I first broke the news to them, but they’ve been fantastic. They found it a bit difficult to accept I was in love with someone old enough to be my gran, but when they met her, they just got on really well. I don’t know if we’ll ever get married. We’ll see. We haven’t really talked about it.’

1) Which of these relationships do you think are OK? Discuss in groups:

A 25-year-old man with a 40-year-old woman.

A 17-year-old man with a 40-year-old woman.

A 40-year-old man with a 17-year-old woman.

An 80 –year-old man with an 18-year-old woman.

Do you know anyone in a relationship with a much older or younger person?

Can you think of any famous people in a relationship like this?

2) Read this letter to “Beth’s advice column” in a magazine. Decide what advice you would give before reading the reply.

Old Enough to Be her Grandfather!

Dear Beth,

I’m writing to ask for your advice on my father’s new relationship. My father is 58 years old and he has just married a young woman of 21. This means my stepmother is seven years younger than me! She is far too young for him. My father seems to be happy with her, but I’m sure that she’s just with him for the money. My father is a very wealthy man and I don’t think he can see how self-serving this woman really is. I can’t just watch all this and do nothing. What should I do?

Concerned Son.

Now read the reply. Do you agree with the advice?

Dear Concerned Son,

You should really try to be happy for your father. He has a chance of new life and this woman is helping him make the best of it. Age is a tricky thing – just because she’s young, it doesn’t mean they have nothing in common, and she may have the maturity of a woman twice her age. And try not to think of her as your “stepmother” but more like a new member of the family. Try worrying less and being more thankful for this new source of delight and inspiration that your father has in his life.

Beth.

Who do you side with – the son or the father?

3) Write T (true) or F (false) after each statement below:

The marriage is a fairly new one.

The son has evidence that his father’s wife is after his money.

Beth is in favour of giving the marriage a chance.

Beth is generally against marriages in which one person is much older than the other.

4) Discuss the following:

Would you be concerned if one of your parents re-married somebody twenty years younger?

At what age do you consider someone is old to

· begin going out with a boyfriend/ girlfriend?

· have sex?

· get married?

· have children?

At what age are people too old for the activities above, in your opinion?

Is it generally better if people go out with people of a similar age? Why? Why not?

What advantages can there be for a young man to have a relationship with an older woman? Any disadvantages? What advantages can there be for a younger woman to see an older man? Any disadvantages?

Look at this personal advertisement from a newspaper below. What do you think about a woman who places an advertisement like this one? What do you think about a man who answers this kind of advertisement?

Looking for fun? Hi, I’m 24 years old, 5’10”, 115 lbs. I’m a model, very fit, excellent body and very sensual. I’m looking for a man, preferably a MUCH older man who can help me feed my expensive tastes. If you know how to take care of me, I know how to be very grateful. Box no. 5497.

1) Read the following texts, explain in English the words/phrases marked in bold print and expand on their contextual use. Ponder on the underlined parts of the sentences.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29