Listening 2

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the most important aspects of a subject; a great misfortune; an adviser; money a judge orders paid to a woman by her legally separated or divorced husband.

Exercise 11. Use each of the following word combinations in sentences of your on.

ceremony; to get a divorce; to lead through trials; housing insurance; financial problems; an after school job; mother-in-law; imprisonment; bill; care; councillor; alimony.

Exercise 12. Answer the following questions

1. What are the “nitty-gritty” problems that Alien’s students must face during the course? 2. How long are the couples “married”? 3. How long does the course last? 4. What are some of the events of married life that the students “experience”? 5. What are the examples of the disasters that strike couples in the eighth week of the course? 6. How does the course affect the marriage plans of some students? 7. Do you think young people in your country should be required to take such a course?

Exercise 13. Translate the text into Russian:

At Bishop O’Dowd High School we have a course “Marriage and the Family”. I obviously believe that all three institutions (family, school, church) should prepare people for marriage. Statistics on divorce, abortion, child-abuse and wife-battering indicate we are not doing a good enough job preparing people for marriage and child-rearing.

In addition to the situations created by Mr. Alien’s Course, Bishop O’Dowd students are required to study the following topics: 1) Premarital Sex; 2) Birth Control; 3) Abortion; 4) RapeSexual Assault; 5) Homosexuality; 6) Child-rearing Attitudes; 7) Communication; 8) Pregnancy; 9) Biology of Sex and Reproduction; 10) Extended families; 11) Extra-marital Relations.

The purpose of these studies is not to “convert” the students, but inform them of various relations related to family, and to challenge the student to clarify their values and attitudes about these topics. The material is often controversial and arouses complaints by parents. Still it is important part of our curriculum.

(Meg Gorstky)

Exercise 14. Listen to one woman talk about her childhood. Before listening look through the tasks given below.

A. Number the topics 1-3 in the order in which the woman talks about them.

Summer vacation	Fighting with her brother	Chores at home
B. Say whether the following statements are true or false.		TRUE	FALSE

1.There were five people in the family.

2.All the family members helped out at home.

3.The children sometimes fought.

4.The girls did their brother’s work for him.

5.The family went away every summer to Canada.

6.They enjoyed outdoor sports together. C. Answer the questions.

1.What two chores does the woman mention?

2.What four sports does she mention?

Exercise 15. There are two stories below, one about marriage, and one about divorce. Start in the middle column, which both stories have in common. Then read and translate each story. When you have finished, cover the left-hand and right-hand columns in turn and try to remember the marital expressions.

	For the six months of our
engagement, we	trial separation, I
	seemed blissfully happy, so
we	I

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	decided to go ahead and
get married.	get a divorce.
	There were lots of decisions
have a civil marriage in a	to make: whether to
	sue on the grounds of
registry office or marry in	incompatibility or his cruelty
church and have a white	or his adultery. I
wedding. We	finally decided on the latter.
	After that, it was mainly a
	question (I thought) of
where to have the reception and	how much alimony he should
where to go on our honeymoon.	pay and how much
	maintenance for the children.
he had a stag party organized by	The night before
	I spent hours recalling our
his best man while I had a hen	anniversaries and going
party with some girlfriends.	through correspondence with
	my solicitor.
church,	When we arrived at the
	divorce court
	we made a strange trio, I
	must say: me as
the bride,	the plaintiff,
	Richard as
the (bride-) groom	the respondent,
	and my little sister as
my bridesmaid.	the co-respondent.
The vicar (priest)	The judge (magistrate)
the service	had a lot to say and
	the case
	took ages.
‘Gwendolyn Mary, do you take	‘I hereby dissolve’ – or did he
this man, Richard Percy, in holy	say ‘annul’? – this marriage ...
matrimony, to …?	and award a decree nisi to …’
gave me away,	My father
	was in court with me,
	and cried. It seemed very
	strange for a few days to say,
‘I’m a married woman.’	‘I’m not a divorcée, but I will
	be in six weeks’ time when I
	get a decree absolute.
	But I never regretted it.
	Well, …

Exercise 16. In the texts and exercises above find equivalents to the following words and word combinations.

А. старая дева; влюбиться; невеста (2); холостяк; встречаться с кем-либо (назначать свидания); жених (2); сделать предложение; свадьба; медовый месяц; принять предложение; новобрачные; выйти замуж по любви/по расчету; роддом; ждать ребенка; двойня; тройня; подгузники для новорожденного; детский сад; посещать родительские собрания; ворчать; “проблемы отцов и детей”; развестись; отпрыски.

В. воспитывать детей; удочерить/усыновить ребенка; неполная семья (в которой есть

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только один из родителей); нуклеарная/малая семья (состоящая из родителей и детей); смешанная семья (состоящая из родителей и детей от разных браков); вдова; вдовец; повторно жениться или выйти замуж; совместное проживание (без заключения брака); большая/расширенная семья (включающая кроме родителей и детей еще и ближайших родственников); многомужие; многоженство; родня мужа или жены (2); дети одних родителей; супруг/супруга.

С. получить развод; испытания семейной жизни; получит развод; страхование жилья; жестокое обращение с детьми; контроль рождаемости; обязанности по дому; помолвка; загс; мальчишник; девичник; раздельное проживание супругов по решению суда; несовместимость; супружеская неверность; сумма, выплачиваемая жене после развода; адвокат; истец; ответчик; расторгнуть брак (2); условно-окончательное решение суда; окончательное решение суда; человек состоящий в разводе.

Exercise 17. Write a short summary on one of the following topics:

1.A high school course to prepare young people for marriage.

2.Possible topics for “Conjugal Prep” Course.

3.The “Conjugal Prep” Course is valuable.

Exercise 18. Work with the dictionary and find the meaning of the following words and word combinations, practise the pronunciation.

to date; to become betrothed; consent; pledge; faith; token; fiancée; fiancé; marriage portion; wedding-dower; to maintain; clergy; priest; rabbi; usher; aisle; altar; fertility; fruitful; ritual; to ward off; evil; eligible; purity; taboos; veil; omen; chimney sweep; relic; soot; confetti; obstacle; to impede; to toss; bouquet; garter; Protestant; Catholic; Mass; Holly Communion; sacrament; Orthodox; Jewish; canopy; Jerusalem; Mormon; Quaker; eternity; superstition.

Exercise 19. Read and translate the following text.

Engagement and Marriage. Wedding Superstitions

In India and many other countries, most marriages are arranged by parents, deciding whom their children will marry. But in European countries, including the United States and Canada, nearly everyone makes his or her own decision about whom and when to marry. Before people marry, they date members of the opposite sex. A man and woman who date each other spend a great deal of time together learning to know the other person. After they have dated over time, they may find that they love each other and decide to become engaged.

At the age of 21 in England or at the age of 18 in some other countries, persons of both sexes come of age. Boys and girls are permitted to become “engaged” or betrothed, when still in their “teens”. A boy can, with his parents’ consent, propose to a girl and then marry her before he is twentyone years of age. As a pledge of good faith he presents his bride-elect with an engagement ring, which is worn on the third finger of the left hand. The use of a ring as an engagement token comes from the ancient custom of using a ring to seal an important agreement. In ordinary speech, a man who is engaged, but not yet married to a lady, when speaking about her, will say: “My intended”, or “My fiancée”. The young lady, on a same occasion, will say the same. Generally, modern girls receive no marriage portion (wedding-dower) on marrying, as a man is obliged to maintain his wife and children himself.

Most wedding ceremonies involve two requirements. First, the man and woman must say that they want to become husband and wife. Second, the ceremony must have witnesses, including the official who marries the couple. If the couple have a religious ceremony, it is conducted by a member of the clergy, such as a minister, priest, or rabbi. If a couple are married in a civil (nonreligious) ceremony, a judge or some other authorized official performs it. During the days of long sea voyages, the captain of a ship is authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony while the ship is at sea. Many couples prefer a traditional religious ceremony, though some people depart from custom. Some even write their own wedding service.

A traditional marriage ceremony in Britain or the USA begins with the bridesmaids and ushers walking slowly down a center aisle to the altar. They stand on each side of the altar throughout the

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ceremony. The groom enters and waits for the bride at the altar. The bride then walks down the aisle with her father, another male relative, or a family friend. She wears a white dress and veil and carries a bouquet. At the altar, the bride and groom exchange marriage vows and accept each other as husband and wife. The groom puts a wedding ring on the ring finger of the bride’s left hand, and the bride may also give the groom a ring. This ring she wears for the rest of her life. After the ceremony, the bride and groom kiss and then leave down the main aisle. When the ceremony is over, all go back to the house, where the lady has been living, to the wedding party. The prominent feature of the wedding party is the highly-decorated wedding-cake, whose richness symbolizes fertility, just as it has done since Roman times. Today, the first slice is cut by the bride to ensure a fruitful marriage. After the guests have drunk the bride’s and bridegroom’s health, the happy newly-married couple take leave and depart on their honeymoon or to their new home.

In England the wedding preparations, ceremony and fest have all become loaded with ritual practices to ward off evil and bless the marriage with fortune and fertility.

The choice of date is important. May is traditionally unlucky for weddings. The tradition that the bride’s parents should pay for the wedding dates from two or three centuries ago, when wealthy families would pay an eligible bachelor to take an unmarried daughter off their hands in exchange for a large dowry. At most formal weddings, brides still get married in virginal white – many other colours are considered unlucky. A bride will also ensure that her wedding outfit includes “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. “Old” maintains her link with the past; “new” symbolizes the future; “borrowed” gives her a link with the present; and “blue” symbolizes her purity. Even a modern bride will observe the taboos about wearing her dress before the ceremony. The groom mustn’t see her in it until she enters the church. The veil should be put on for the first time as she lives for the church.

It’s a lucky omen if the bride should see a chimney sweep on her way to church. Sometimes a sweep is paid to attend the ceremony and kiss the bride – a relic of the idea that soot and ashes are symbols of fertility.

After the ceremony, the couple are showered with confetti. At many weddings, the guests throw rice at the bride and groom as a wish for children and good fortune. Rice was once a symbol of fertility, happiness, and long life. One old custom was for the bride and sometimes the groom to negotiate some obstacles as they left the church – guests would impede them with ropes of flowers, for example, or with sticks that had to be jumped over.

The bride may toss her bouquet to the unmarried female guests. The woman who catches the flowers will supposedly be the next to marry. The bride may also throw her garter to the unmarried men. The man who catches it will supposedly be the next male to marry.

Marriage is an important religious ceremony in many of the world’s religions. Certain religious groups add their own features to the traditional wedding ceremony. For example, different Protestant groups have their own versions of the ceremony. Many Roman Catholic weddings take place during a Mass, and the bride and groom receive Holy Communion. Marriage is a sacrament (important religious ceremony) in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

Most Jewish weddings are held under a special canopy that represents the couple’s future home. At the end of the ceremony, an empty glass or other breakable object is placed on the floor and the groom breaks it with his foot. This act symbolizes the destruction of the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and reminds the couple that a marriage can also break if it is not protected.

Mormon weddings are held privately in Mormon temples. Only church members in good standing can attend these ceremonies. Mormons believe that marriage and family life continue after death. A Quaker man and woman marry at a public gathering where they declare their commitment to each other. Quakers believe that God makes a couple husband and wife, and so a minister or other official is not required.

Many wedding customs have been popular since ancient times. For example, Roman brides probably wore veils more than 2,000 years ago. Bridal veils became popular in the United Kingdom and the New World during the late 1700’s. The custom of giving a wedding ring dates back to the ancient Romans. The roundness of the ring probably represents eternity, and the presentation of

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wedding rings symbolizes that the man and woman are united forever. Wearing the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand is another old custom. People once thought that a vein or nerve ran directly from this finger to the heart. An old superstition says that it is bad luck for a bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony on their wedding day.

Exercise 20. Answer the following questions.

1. Are marriages in your country arranged by the parents, or do the young people decide themselves whom to marry? 2. How do you understand the expression “to come of age”? When do young people in your country come of age? 3. Are boys and girls in England permitted to become engaged when still in their teens? 4. Starting with what age is it officially permitted to get married in your country? 5. What does an engagement ring mean and on what finger is it worn? 6. In what way do the engaged persons speak about each other? 7. Do modern girls receive marriage portions? Why? 8. Describe the wedding ceremony in English speaking countries. 9. Does the wedding ceremony in your country go in the same way? 10. What is a prominent feature of the wedding party? Why is the wedding cake so richly decorated? 11. Why is the wedding ceremony loaded with different ritual practices? 12. Is the choice of date for the wedding in your country as important as it is in England? 13. What colour is considered to be lucky for the wedding outfit in your country? 14. Why do English girls try to ensure that their wedding dress includes “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? 15. What is considered to be a lucky omen by the English girl? Are there any such omens in Russia? 16. What other wedding superstitions do you know, which are observed in your country and other countries of the world? 17. What are the features added by the different religious groups to a traditional wedding ceremony? 18. Do you know any untraditional ways of conducting a wedding ceremony?

Exercise 21. Retell the text Exercise 22. Translate into English.

Яищу себе жену. Какой она должна быть? Я не требую от нее интересной внешности. Пусть у нее будет только стройная фигура и красивое лицо.

Она должна быть веселой, когда я шучу. И шутить, когда я прихожу домой навеселе. Меня не интересует ее жилплощадь. Главное – чтобы она была большая.

Меня не интересует ее зарплата. Лишь бы она была больше моей. А вот расходы на свадьбу – поровну; половину внесет она, а другую – ее родители.

Яуверен: когда мы поженимся, у нас появятся общие интересы. Если, например, она не захочет идти со мной на футбол, то мы останемся дома и будем смотреть по телевизору хоккей.

Ябуду заботиться о ее здоровье. Чтобы к ней не попадало спиртное, табачное, мучное и сладкое, я буду все это уничтожать сам.

Она будет у меня одеваться как богиня: просто и недорого. Я возьму на себя часть ее работы, если, конечно, она возьмет на себя всю мою. Мне не важно, как она будет готовить. Лишь бы это было вкусно. И необязательно, чтобы это была только русская кухня. Здесь у нее полная свобода: сегодня кухня грузинская, а завтра – венгерская утром и китайская вечером.

Яищу себе жену. Я готов отдать ей полжизни, если она отдаст мне свою целиком. Если ее не будут удовлетворять мои требования, пусть ищет себе нового мужа. Вот уже много лет я

ищу себе жену.

(из “Литературной газеты”)

Exercise 23. Read the paragraph. Then follow the directions.

What makes a marriage happy? Some people say that love and trust are important. Others think that flexibility and friendship are most essential. Many people believe that good communication is necessary in order for a marriage to succeed. If two people are able to tell each other what they are thinking and feeling, they may be better able to work out solutions to their problems. Some people in the United States have even written marriage agreements to improve communication in their relationships. A marriage agreement is a written promise that is created by two people who are living together. In an agreement there are rules that tell how each partner in a relationship should behave. The rules differ depending on the priorities and personalities of the people writing the agreement.

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I. Work in pairs. Read the quotations by famous people about marriage. Answer the questions. Then discuss the quotations with the class. Do you agree or disagree with the writer? Why or why not?

1. “In almost every marriage, there is a selfish and an unselfish partner. A pattern begins and never changes, of one person always asking for something and the other person always giving

something.”	Iris Murdoch, British writer and philosopher
2. “A man who is a good friend is likely to find a good wife, because marriage is based on a
talent for friendship.”	Fredrich Nietzsche, German philosopher

3. “A successful marriage is a house that must be rebuilt every day.”

André Maurois, French writer and critic

Do the writers have a positive or a negative opinion of marriage? Do the writers feel that a husband and wife are equal or unequal in marriage?

II. Read and translate the following text

Focus on Marriage

“To love and honour... in sickness and in health... for poorer... for better, for worse...till death do us part”

These are some of the vows made by men and women in an American wedding ceremony. But how many young people about to get married think about what they mean?

John Lucas and Mary Holmes, both 24, have decided to get married soon. But they don’t want the traditional vows. They want a legal contract which will define their representative obligations, and expectations when they are married. In talking about their marriage John and Mary have to examine why they want to marry and what they expect from each other. This is the document, which they now want a lawyer to put onto a legal contract for them to sign.

THE CONDITIONS WE WANT TO AGREE AND SIGN ARE:

1.Mary will keep her own last name after we are married.

2.We shall continue our separate careers and help each other in them.

3.We shall decide together where to live.

4.We shall respect each other’s private property and regard anything bought jointly after we are married as joint property.

5.We shall have separate bank accounts, but both contribute (depending on our incomes) to the payment of bills for food, rent, etc.

6.We shall both share with the management of the home (cooking, cleaning, etc.)

7.We shall have equal responsibility in bringing up any children and providing them with food, clothes, shelter and education until they are 18.

8.We wish to be able to revise this contract at any time if either of us is dissatisfied.

9.Through our marriage we intend to:

•talk about how it is going;

•tell each other how we’re feeling;

•spend most of our leisure time together.

10.If we have a disagreement that we cannot resolve we agree to go to a third person a marriage councillor, clergyman, etc.

III.Answer these questions:

1.Have you been to many weddings? Did you like them? Why? 2. Do women in your country often change their name after marriage? 3. Do you feel that you spend enough quality time with the people you love? 4. What have John and Mary decided? 5. What do they think about traditional vows? 6. What name will Mary have when they are married? 7. Is Mary going to stop working? 8. What will happen to their property when they marry? 9. What sort of bank accounts will they have? 10. How will they pay the bills? 11. How will responsibility for bringing up children be shared?

Exercise 24. Vocabulary for Comprehension. Read the conversations. Then	Listening 3
choose the best words to complete the difinitions of the underlined words.
1. A: What are your expectations for marriage?
B: I think we will be very happy and never ague.

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An expectation is a ______________.
a. hope or desire	b. past experience

2. A: It really bothers me when my husband leaves his dirty socks on the floor. I can’t stand it. B: I agree. That really annoys me, too.

To annoy someone means to do something that makes the person feel _____________. a. angry b. happy

3.A: You know what my pet peeve is? When people smoke sigarettes in a restaurant.

B:I hate it when people play loud music on the bus.

A pet peeve is a(n) _____________ that you dislike

a. person b. action

4.A: He was late, but he took me out to dinner to make up for it. B: That was nice. Did it make you feel better?

To make up for it means to do something nice because you _______________. a. did something wrong b. feel like being nice

5.A: I’m feeling very, very angry right now!

B: Why don’t you go into the other room and cool off. We can talk when you feel less angry.

To cool off means to become less _____________.

a. hot b. angry

6. A: This list of phone numbers is five years old. I don’t think it’s correct anymore. B: You are right. I need to update the list.

To update means to make something ________________.

a. newer or more current b. longer or more complete

A.Introducing the Topic. Listen to the announcer read the beginning of Bob and Jane Parsons’ marriage agreement. Then listen to some questions the reporter asks later on in the interview. How do you think Bob and Jane will answer the questions?

1. Bob, Jane, first I’d like to ask you why you decided to write this unusual agreement?

Predicted answer: ______________________________________________________________

2. So, do you spend a lot of time checking to see if the other person is following the rules? Predicted answer: ______________________________________________________________

3. What happens if one of you breaks the rule?

Predicted answer: ______________________________________________________________

4. Do you think other couples should follow your example and write marriage agreements of their own?

Predicted answer: ______________________________________________________________

B.Listening for main ideas. Listen to the interview. Several problems that married people have are discussed. Put a check (9) next to the problems that are mentioned in the interview.

______ 1. working out day-to-day details and problems

______ 2. having different expectations than your spouse

______ 3. having problems with in-laws and family members

______ 4. not talking enough about what each person wants

______ 5. having disagreements about money

______ 6. being jelous about other men/women

______ 7. arguing

______ 8. not knowing how to apologize

______ 9. having disagreements about pets

C.Listening for details. Listen to the intrview again. Listen for the details in the marriage agreement. Choose the correct letter to complete the statements.

1. HOUSEHOLD CHORES: ____ will do the household chores.

2.	a. Jane	b. Bob	c. both Bob and Jane
	GROCERY SHOPPING: Jane will always _____ when she shops for groceries.
3.	a. buy items on sale	b. use a list	c. spend less than $100 per week
	CLEANING UP: nothing will be left _____ overnight.