The State of Marriage Today(C級)
Is there something seriously wrong with marriage today? During the past 50 years the rate of divorce in the United States has exploded: almost 50% of marriages end in divorce now, and the evidence suggests it is going to get worse. If this trend continues, it will lead to the breakup of the family, according to a spokesperson for the National Family Association. Some futurists predict that in 100 years, the average American will many at least four times, and extramarital affairs will be even more common than they are now.
But what are the reasons for this, and is the picture really so gloomy? The answer to the first question is really quite simple: marriage is no longer the necessity it once was. The institution of marriage has been based for years partly on economic need. Women used to be economically dependent on their husbands as they usually didn't have jobs outside the home. But with the rising number of women in well-paying jobs, this is no longer the case, so they don't feel that the5 need to stay in a failing marriage.
In answer to the second question, the outlook may not be as pessimistic as it seems, While the rate of divorce has risen, the rate of couples marrying has never actually fallen very much, so marriage is still quite popular. In addition to this. many couples now cohabit and don't bother to marry. These couples are effectively married, but they do not appear in either the marriage or divorce statistics. In fact, more than 50% of firs marriages survive. The statistics are deceptive because there is a higher number of divorces in second and third marriages than in first marriages.
So is marriage really an outdated institution? The fact that most people still get married indicates that it isn't. And it is also true that married couples have a healthier life than single people: they suffer less from stress and its consequences, such as heart problems, and married men generally consider themselves more contented than their single counterparts. Perhaps the key is to find out what makes a successful marriage and apply it to all of our relationships!
1. Which is true about the problem of marriage in the United States today? 美國當代的婚姻存在的問題是__。
A) Divorce leads to the breakup of the family.離婚導致家庭的破碎。
B) Half of the married couples get divorced. 一半的已婚夫妻最終離婚了。
C) American people marry more than four times.美國人一生至少結四次婚。
D) More and more people are getting divorced. 越來越多的人離婚。(正確答案)
1-1. Which is not true about the problem of marriage in the United States today? 關於美國當代的婚姻存在的問題，下面那個答案是不正確的?
A) If this trend of divorce continues, it leads to the breakup of the family.如果這種離婚的趨勢繼續的話，它會導致家庭的破碎。
B) Almost half of the married couples get divorced. 將近一半的已婚夫妻最終離婚了。