BEFORE YOU READ 

Work in pairs. Discuss the question: Which of the following factors is the most important for a happy life? Why?

(Thảo luận câu hỏi: Những yếu tố nào sau đây là quan trọng nhất cho cuộc sống hạnh phúc? Tại sao?)

- love (tình yêu)

- money (tiền bạc)   

- parents’ approval (sự tán thành của cha mẹ)

- a nice house / flat (1 căn nhà/căn hộ đẹp)

- a good job (1 công việc tốt)

- good health (sức khỏe tốt)

WHILE YOU READ

Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

(Đọc bài đọc và làm những bài tập kèm theo.)

Traditionally, Americans and Asians have very different ideas about love and marriage. Americans believe in “romantic” marriage - a boy and a girl are attracted to each other, fall in love, and decide to marry each other. Asians, on the other hand, believe in “contractual” marriage - the parents of the bride and the groom decide on the marriage; and love - if it ever develops - is supposed to follow marriage, not precede it.

To show the differences, a survey was conducted among American, Chinese and Indian students to determine their attitudes toward love and marriage. Below is a summary of each group’s responses to the four key values.

Physical attractiveness: The Americans are much more concerned than the Indians and the Chinese with physical attractiveness when choosing a wife or a husband. They also agree that a wife should maintain her beauty and appearance after marriage.

Confiding: Few Asian students agree with the American students’ view that wives and husbands share all thoughts. In fact, a majority of Indians and Chinese think it is better and wiser for a couple not to share certain thoughts. A large number of Indian men agree that it is unwise to confide in their wives.

Partnership of equals: The majority of Asian students reject the American view that marriage is a partnership of equals. Many Indian students agree that a woman has to sacrifice more in a marriage than a man.

Trust built on love: Significantly, more Asian students than American students agree that a husband is obliged to tell his wife where he has been if he comes home late. The Asian wife can demand a record of her husband’s activities. The American wife, however, trusts her husband to do the right thing because he loves her not because he has to.

The comparison of the four values suggests that young Asians are not as romantic as their American counterparts.

Task 1: Explain the meaning of the italicized words/phrases in the following sentences.

(Giải thich nghĩa của những từ/cụm từ in nghiêng ở những câu sau.)

1. Love is supposed to follow marriage, not precede it.

(Tình yêu được cho là làm theo hôn nhân, không xảy ra trước nó.)

2. A survey was made to determine their attitudes toward love and marriage.

(Một cuộc khảo sát đã được thực hiện để xác định thái độ của họ đối với tình yêu và hôn nhân.)

3.They agree that it is unwise to confide in their wives.

(Họ đồng ý rằng không khôn ngoan phải tin tưởng vợ mình.)

4. An Indian woman has to sacrifice more in a marriage than a man.

(Phụ nữ Ấn Độ phải hy sinh nhiều hơn trong hôn nhân hơn đàn ông.)

5. A husband is obliged to tell his wife where he has been.

(Một người chồng có nghĩa vụ phải nói cho vợ mình biết mình đã ở đâu.)

Task 2: Answer the following questions.

(Trả lời các câu hỏi sau.)

1. What are the four key values in the survey?

(Bốn giá trị chính trong cuộc khảo sát là gì?)

2. Who are much more concerned with physical attractiveness when choosing a wife or a husband, the young Americans or the young Asians?

(Người nào quan tâm nhiều hơn tới sự hấp dẫn về thể chất khi lựa chọn vợ hay chồng, thanh niên Mỹ hay Châu Á?)

3. What are the Indian students’ attitudes on a partnership of equals?

(Thái độ của sinh viên Ấn Độ về quan hệ đối tác bằng nhau?)

4. Why does the American wife trust her husband to do the right thing?

(Tại sao những người vợ ở Mỹ lại tin tưởng vào chồng mình làm điều đúng?)

5. What is the main finding of the survey?

(Phát hiện chính của cuộc điều tra này là gì?)