大学英语视听说2Unit3听力原文
世界遗产手抄报-重庆文理学院教务网络
Unit3
Lead-in
1. Generally
speaking, marriages based on love are more
successful than arranged marriages. In
its
long history, China has witnessed many tragic
events arising from arranged marriages.
However, we should not go to extremes and
claim that all arranged marriages are failures.
After all, in the past 2000-plus years, most
of the arranged marriages did survive, and some of
the couples did develop real love after their
marriage. As for marriages based on love, they are
not without problems. In the contemporary
world, arranged marriages have almost
disappeared. Boys and girls go out on dates
and gradually develop a love between them before
they get married. Strangely, the divorce rate
has kept rising. And the reasons for divorce can
be very simple:
gotten bored with him or
her.
occasional successes of arranged
marriages, it is obvious to all that the former
are more in
conformity with human nature. The
traditional practice of arranged marriages should
not be
restored.
2. Personally, I think a
girl should not marry someone who is too old or
too young for her. With
a wide age gap, a
couple may be physically incompatible, and their
ways of thinking may
differ largely from each
other. But I will not go so far as to claim that
marriages with a wide
age gap will all fail.
We can find many perfect matches between a young
girl and a
middle-aged man. Dr. Sun Yat-sen
and Madam Song Qingling, and the famous writer Lu
Xun
and his young wife Xu Guangping are good
examples. On the other hand, cases of a
middle-aged woman marrying a much younger man
seem to be rare. Probably such unions are
less
socially acceptable and the couple has to face
greater social prejudice. Generally, we
would
do well to follow nature, and a girl should select
her spouse from among people close
to her own
age. This will prevent many unnecessary
difficulties.
3. In the past, the normal
pattern was that men worked, while women did not.
Thus, it was
natural for men to pay. Things
have changed. After the founding of the People's
Republic of
China, many females, if not all,
went out to work. The women's liberation movement
in the
United States in the 1960s also
achieved a certain level of equality between men
and women.
So, it is natural that some girls
no longer want men to pick up the check. Instead,
they prefer
to share or
4. Wedding
ceremonies vary from family to family, but a
typical Chinese wedding is an
elaborate
affair. Many Chinese believe that marriage is a
major event in life, and they choose
to spend
a lot of money to celebrate it. Usually, the
couple invites a large number of guests,
who
are seated at ten or more dining tables. The bride
and the groom toast each other and the
guests
cheer. In the past the food itself was the main
part of the wedding ceremony and some
hungry
guests made pigs of themselves. But with economic
development, people's living
standards have
improved a great deal. Food is no longer so
important. Now the essential
element is a
happy atmosphere. The parents of the couple may
give speeches to express
thanks to each other
for bringing up such a nice young man or girl.
Also, they wish the couple
will love each
other for life. The groom and the bride may also
thank their parents. After the
feast, guests
may visit the couple's new apartment, where they
tend to make a lot of noise to
increase the
jubilant atmosphere.
Listening In
Don't be a chicken!
Gilbert: Hey,
Henry, is Sarah coming with us?
Henry: Yes.
Why?
Gilbert: Nothing. I'm just asking.
Henry: Just asking? But why is your face
flaming red? Ah-huh, someone has a crush on Sarah,
doesn't he?
Gilbert: Who has a crush?!
Henry: Come on, Gilbert, don't be such a
chicken. If you like her, just go and tell her.
Maybe
she likes you.
Gilbert: But I don't
have the guts to ask her out.
Henry: What are
you so afraid of?
Gilbert: I'd totally die if
she turned me down.
Henry: But that's better
than keeping everything to yourself. You've got to
let her know. Come
on! You've got to take a
chance!
Wedding Vows
Before the wedding,
the groom went up to the minister with an unusual
offer.
you $$100 if you'll change the wedding
vows. When you get to the part where I'm expected
to
promise to 'love, respect and obey her,'
'giving up all others,' and 'be true to her
forever,' I'd be
happy if you'd just leave
that part out.
light heart. The wedding day
arrived, and the bride and groom reached that part
of the
ceremony where they make vows to each
other. When it was time for the groom's vows, the
minister looked the young man in the eye and
said, , obey
her every command and wish, serve
her breakfast in bed every morning of your life
and make a
vow before God and your lovely wife
that you will never even look at another woman, as
long as
you both shall live?
I will.,
the $$100 into his hand and whispered back,
.
An American Wedding
American weddings are
not always the same. I'd like to show you pictures
of my wedding.
When we got engaged, an
announcement was published in the newspaper. The
announcement
typically includes the names of
the bride, the bridegroom and their parents and
when the
wedding is expected to be held. About
a month before the wedding, we sent out wedding
invitations to relatives and friends. This is
the church where we had the wedding. My father
gave me to my future husband. Then the
minister started the wedding ceremony. He greeted
the guests, and talked about the meaning of
marriage. Next, we exchanged vows and gave
each other rings. This is the main part of the
wedding. After the vows, the minister prayed for
us. Then the minister declared us husband and
wife, and we kissed each other. Here is my sister,
who was a bridesmaid. This is the bouquet I
carried. Traditionally, the unmarried women gather
after the wedding, and the bride throws her
bouquet to them. The one who catches it will,
according to tradition, be the next one to get
married. At the reception, we cut the wedding
cake and fed each other bites of the cake.
Then we toasted each other with champagne. Finally
the reception was over, and the minister
signed the marriage certificate and we were
legally
married.
Let’s Talk
Before marriage, younger Americans date each
other, that is, they often go out together. Casual
dating usually begins in the early teens, and
in the late teens a pattern of steady dating
develops. There is a great possibility that
one goes to a dance with one person, to a football
game with another, and to a picnic with a
third. Sometimes two couples go out together. This
is
known as
boys and girls may go around
together. Young people may go out together for a
long time,
which is, in effect, a public
statement of their intention to marry. Men and
women go out
together a great deal, especially
those in cities. This is , dine
together,
either at restaurants or in each other's homes.
The American dating system is a rather
casual
one. Often young Americans who hardly know each
other go out on dates. It is also
acceptable
for them to arrange a
have not met before.
Further Listening and Speaking
Finding
the Right Type of Girl
Keith: Hey, Peter!
You've been in the room all night. Get out and
dance with someone like that
babe over there.
Peter: No way, Keith! She's the intellectual
type. My pickup line just won't work with her.
Keith: Oh, come on, man! What kind of girl do
you like?
Peter: I want a girl that is gentle
and mild, and that babe is not the right type.
Keith: Times are changing, and you'll never
find a woman that will shine your shoes and fill
your
beer mug all the time. Wake up.
Peter: Oh really? I still prefer women that
stay home, cook, clean, and take care of the kids.
Keith: Okay, then what will you do after you
get home from work?
Peter: Hmm. Eat, watch
TV, and throw out the trash.
Keith: Wait,
wait, wait. I can't believe my ears. You'll never
find a wife.
He thinks I'm God
A
young woman brings home her fiancé to meet her
parents. After dinner, her mother tells her
father to find out about the young man's
plans. The father invites the fiancé to his study
for a
drink.
with a nice house
such as she's accustomed
to?
The conversation goes
on like this, and each time the father questions
him, the young man
insists that God will
provide. Later, the mother asks,
answers,