实用文档

Unit 4 Marriage

Part A

Pre-listening Task

Questions for Discussion

1. What do you think of marriage? Do you think a happy marriage is the most

important thing in your life?

2. What kind of person do you want to marry? What are your standards in

choosing a life companion?

3. What do you think is crucial for a happy marriage? 4. What usually causes troubles in a marriage?

5. Do you think differences between husband and wife are unavoidable? If you do,

could you suggest some ways for them to deal with the problem?

6. Have you heard of marriage agreements? Do you think a couple should sign a

marriage agreement before getting married? Additional Question for Discussion

Do young men and young women have the same standards in choosing a spouse? If not, why not?

Language Focus

实用文档

Here are some sentences and structures that you may find useful in discussing the above questions. ? Both men and women consider marriage a very important part of their lives. ? Most men would like their spouses to be young and beautiful. Others consider

inner beauty more important.

? When a woman chooses her spouse, she often puts emphasis on his character /

temperament / education / profession / income / appearance / family background.

? Some young women today consider … of great importance in choosing a

boyfriend / life companion.

? Happiness in marriage does not depend on material wealth.

? Marriages based on mutual love create a happy and harmonious atmosphere

in the family.

? Mutual respect and understanding between husband and wife contribute

much to a happy marriage.

? Education is an important condition for a good marriage because a couple

whose educational levels do not match may not have much to say to each other / have constant arguments over family issues, big or small.

? A marriage based on romantic love alone will not necessarily last long, for a

sense of responsibility is also essential to a successful marriage. ? I would marry someone who loves me and cares for me most.

实用文档

? I would marry someone who is generous / intelligent / ambitious /

broad-minded / considerate / good-looking / kind-hearted / humorous. ? I wouldn’t like to marry someone who is too money-conscious / stingy / selfish

/ hot-tempered / narrow-minded / rude / impolite / possessive.

? Each individual is unique and differences between husband and wife are

therefore unavoidable / a rule rather than an exception.

? It’s very important for husband and wife to show appreciation of each other /

talk and get to know what his or her partner expects.

? A marriage agreement sounds too practical / lacks romantic flavor / reduces

marriage to mere business.

? I think a written marriage agreement shows how much you and your partner

are going to respect each other’s needs and expectations / promises a harmonious relationship in married life.

? Trouble starts in a marriage when one partner keeps complaining about small

things, making the other feel resentful.

? Constantly criticizing your partner and his or her family gives rise to troubles in

/ may destroy a marriage.

? Lack of understanding / tolerance over differences may bring troubles to a

marriage / cause a marriage to fail.

Part B

Listening Tasks

实用文档

Conversation 1

A Marriage Agreement (Part One)

Word Bank

outline v. to describe briefly with few details 概述 spouse n. a husband or wife 配偶

pet a. denoting a thing that one feels particularly strongly about 格外的，

极其的

peeve n. sth. that annoys you 惹人生气的事物 bug v. (American slang) to annoy, to irritate 激怒

article n. a section of a legal agreement that deals with a particular point 协

议的条款

pet peeve sth. that you strongly dislike because it always annoys you 格外惹

人生气的事

Script:

(Tom and Linda have signed a marriage agreement. Both agree not to break the rules outlined in the agreement. John, a reporter, is talking to them about the agreement.)

John: Tom, Linda, first I’d like to ask you why you decided to write this unusual

agreement.