Sarita and Ranjit Sharma talk about their arranged marriage

Real-life COUPLES

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Exercise5. Answer the questions.

ü The singer with his song spoke directly to the woman. What is the song about? What relationship does it sing out?

ü What feelings does the song evoke in you?

ü What is more dramatic moment of the song?

ü Have you ever felt anything like that?

Exercise6. Write your variant of the story, beginning with “It was unforgettable moment in my life when I met him first …. ”

FOCUS

1. What is an ‘arranged marriage’? In which countries or cultures is this type of marriage common? Do you know anyone who has had an arranged marriage?

How was the marriage arranged?

Sarita: I was studying in America at the time. A friend of my family told us there was this man living in Britain who was looking for a suitable girl. My dad liked the sound of him. We made some enquiries – his education, what he did, that kind of thing. The news was very encouraging. Ranjit was a good man.

Ranjit: The first I knew about Sarita was the day before she arrived here! My father organized the whole thing. I was happy to meet Sarita but I knew I could always say no if I didn’t think we’d be right together.

What were your first impressions of each other?

Sarita: Good. Although there wasn’t a great surge of attraction, I remember thinking. “He seems nice.” The atmosphere that day was intense because our families were watching us, so Ranjit suggested we go out for a drink on our own.

Ranjit: I liked Sarita I found her attractive, but there wasn’t that spark you get if you see someone you fancy at a party.

How did you decide on each other?

Sarita: We met up three more times over the two weeks before I returned to America – by then I’d decided that Ranjit was right for me.

Ranjit: There was pressure from my family after the very first meeting. I’d seen 3 girls before Sarita, but she was the first I was interested in. So I said yes after those first three meetings.

Do you love each other now?

Sarita: Yes we do. I couldn’t pinpoint an exact time when love began, but it was about two years into the relationship.

Ranjit: Love came into our relationship after a while. I didn’t wake up one morning and think, “I love this woman.” The love we now have is warm, deep and lasting.

Vocabulary:

Liked the sound of him – liked what he heard about Ranjit

A good catch – a good person to marry for reasons of social status

A great surge – a sudden, powerful feeling

Spark – emotional flash

Fancy – find attractive

Pressure – strong persuasion

Lasting – going to continue for a very long time.

Exercise1. Read the story again. Write T (true), F (false) or (Don’t know) in the boxes next to these statements.

a. Sarita and Ranjit had known each other as children.

b. Sarita’s mother liked Ranjit a lot.

c. The first time Sarita and Ranjit met, their families were present.

d. They found each other physically attracted when they met.

e. Sarita and Ranjit agreed to get married after knowing each other for just two weeks.

f. They fell in love with each other about two years after their marriage.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-26