You’re a Pain, but Let’s Get Married Anyway

Look at the picture.

Read the questions

Think about the topic

Pre-Reading Questions 

Why do you think most people get married nowadays?

Traditionally, in your country, why did people get married?

How did they choose their marriage partners in the olden days?

How about today? How do people choose their spouses?

Does romantic love play a big role in finding a lifetime partner?

If you were single, would you like a matchmaker to choose your husband or wife?

What will you do if your selected partner is not a good match for you?

Reading and Pronunciation

Read the following passage out loud to your tutor.  He / She will listen and correct your pronunciation.

Singaporean couples may not be happy with their partners but they will still marry them anyway, a global survey on relationships shows.The poll of 716 couples who planned to wed showed that 39 percent were unhappy in their relationships, the highest proportion of nine societies surveyed by a US-based marriage and family therapy organisation.The poll is the latest unflattering survey of ardour in a wealthy population that chases what is known in local parlance as the Five C’s: career, condominium, club, credit cards and cars.In the latest survey, only 14 percent of Singaporeans described themselves as “very happy” with their partners, the lowest of the regions surveyed and compared with 48 percent in the United States. This is an excerpt. For full article, click here.

Source:  Singapore Window

Author:  Reuters

Read the text aloud to your tutor. Your tutor will listen and provide you with feedback.

Talking Points

With your tutor, you may wish to discuss the following: 1. What are some reasons people get married? (Romantic love, arrangement by parents, financial security, nothing else to do, other reasons) 2. What do you think is/are the best reason(s) for couples to “tie the knot?” 3. Would you recommend marrying for reasons other than “love?” Why or why not? 4. If a couple is not happy before marriage, do you think they will be happy together after marriage? 5. If you were a therapist, what would you suggest for people who aren’t happy with their partners but want to get married anyway?

Talk with your tutor about this topic.

Use the expressions and vocabulary you learned.

Use the related resources below to learn more.

More Practice 

Look at the Vocabulary list below.

Try to guess what these words mean from reading the article.

 

ardor / ardour blissful cite(d) condominium confrontation evaluation issue(s) parlance poll(s) premarital proportion region reluctance survey(ed) therapy (un)flattering wed

Expressions hit a record low paint a … picture speak (one’s) mind stand/stood out tie the knot

If you need help, check out Academic Vocabulary List 13.

For matching exercise, see Vocabulary Matching Exercise 13.