Unit 8 Marriage

1. Unit 8 Marriage Pengzhenzhu October 8, 2014

2. Ⅰ Lead-in What is marriage? • The definition of marriage depends on not only the historical period, but also on the geographical location and the cultural traditions of the individuals involved in the marriage relationship. • Forms of marriage include monogamy, polygamy, polyandryand same sex marriage.

3. Warm-UP Discuss the meanings of the following statements • The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. • Where there is marriage without love, there is love without marriage. • Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence--a life sentence. • A man who uttered a few words in the church found himself married. A year later he muttered something in his sleep and found himself divorced.

4. SectionⅠ To get married or notTo get married or not • Task 1 Listening in (Dialogue) • Listen to the dialogue and answer the questions. • Word tips • commitment: a responsibility or promise to follow certain belief 承诺,诺言 • To pester: to annoy somebody continuously 使苦恼,纠缠 • To continue the family line • To tie the knot

5. After-listening role play • Situation 1 • Role A: You are in your mid-thirties and still not married. Most of your friends have been married or even have kids. Your parents are worried about you and keep pestering about your wedding time. But you don’t want to get married because you think marriage may interfere with your career and the divorce rate is so high. • Role B: You are the parent. You think marriage is a must for a traditional Chinese and having descendents is your child’s responsibility. As hard as it is, you try to persuade your child to get married.

6. Situation 2 • Role A: You and your boyfriend have been together for five years. Both of you are in your thirties now. Very often people will ask “why don’t you two get married?” As a woman, you feel more pressure and you really think it is time to get married now. • Role B: As a man, your first priority is career. You think marriage is not a must as long as there is love. You don’t want to get married but you don’t want to lose your girlfriend. You try your best to reason with her.

7. Task 2 Listening in (Monologue)Listen to the monologue and answer the questions. • Word tips • A bamboo door is to a bamboo door as a wooden door is to a wooden door 门当户对 • Pointing to the bosom as a marriage promise指腹为婚

8. The Custom of Crying Marriage The custom of crying marriage existed a long time ago in many areas of Sichuan Province, and remained in vogue until the end of the Qing Dynasty. Though not so popular as before, the custom is still observed by people in many places, especially Tujia people, who view it as a necessary marriage procedure. According to elderly people, every bride had to cry at the wedding . Otherwise, the bride's neighbors would look down upon her as a poorly cultivated girl and she would become the laughingstock of the village. In fact, there were cases in which the bride was beaten by her mother for not crying at the wedding ceremony.

9. Additional oral work • Based on the monologue and the previous information about crying marriage, try to introduce more traditional marriage customs to a foreigner.

10. Section II PolygamyTask 1 Listening in (News Report 1—A Polygamist on Trial) Listen to the news and do the exercises.

11. Background Tips • Child brides • Polygamy and Mormonism are inseparably entwined. One of the most offensive aspects of Mormon-based polygamy is the rampant practice of taking underage girls as polygamous wives. In western United States, there are at least 30,000 people involved in the practice of Mormon-based polygamy. In these communities, girls as young as 12 or 13 are often married off to priesthood leaders. The most powerful and influential of these priesthood holders have first pick of the girls. Parents of the young girls submit their daughters willingly into these unions with the hope of being blessed by God in their afterlife. • One asks, where did this practice come from? Why do these offenders take such young girls as wives? What does Mormon doctrine have to do with this? These are indeed puzzling questions, but the answers are simple. The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith Jr. set the precedent for this behavior.

12. Word Tips • Polygamy: n. marriage of having more than one spouse at one time; plural marriage 一夫多妻制 • Mormon: n. n. a member of religious body, formed in 1830 in the US, and calling itself The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 摩门教教徒 • Perpetuation: n. forever continuation 使永久存在 • Renounce: v. give up by formal announcement 正式宣布放弃 • Bigamy:n. the state of being married to two people at the same time 重婚 • Indoctrinate: v. to train (someone to) to accept a set of ideas without questioning them 灌输(某种思想或信仰)给某人 • Counter: v. to move or act in order to oppose or defend oneself against (something) 反对，反击 • Labor: n. the act of giving birth 分娩

13. After-listening discussion • Listen to the news and discuss the following questions • What are the possible social problems caused by polygamy? • If it is not against law, would you prefer polygamy? Why or why not?

14. Role play • Situation:A polygamist has already had two wives, but he is planning to marry another woman. Two of his wives are against his decision. The husband, two wives and the other woman are sitting together to talk about it. • Roles: Husband, wife 1, wife 2, another woman

15. Section Ⅲ Same Sex Marriage Same Sex Marriage Listen to the news and do exercises on P106-7

16. Word Tips • Comply: vi.to act in accordance with a demand, rule, etc. 服从，遵从 • Trigger: vt. to start or cause (esp. a number of event, often of an undesirable kind, that happen one after the other) 激发，引发(尤指一连串不好的事情) • Inheritance: n. something that has been inherited, esp. property, money, or a title 继承物（尤指产业，金钱或头衔）， 遗产 • Turmoil: n. a state of confusion, excitement, and trouble. 混乱骚乱 • Valid: adj. law written or done in a proper manner so that a court of law would agree with it 具有法律效力的 • Lawsuit: n. a matter brought to a court of law for decision by a private person or company, not by the police or the state. 诉讼（指非刑事案件） • Milestone: n. an important event which changes the course of someone’s life, or of history 历史上的重大事件；〔喻〕里程碑

17. Debate • Topic:should same sex marriage be legalized? • Divide the whole class into pro side and con side. Each side works in groups of four and try to find as many supporting details as possible. Finish the debate in four or five rounds. In each round there will be two people from two sides delivering a two-minute speech. • Refer to the statements in P109

18. Argument for same-sex marriage 1. People should have the freedom to marry. 2. The only thing that should matter in marriage is love. 3. It doesn't hurt society or anyone in particular. 4. The number of child adoptions should increase since gay couples cannot pro-create. 5. Many heterosexual couples choose not to or are unable to have children. Yet, their marriages are considered valid Arguments Against same-sex marriage 1. Marriage is and has always been defined as a union between a man and a woman. 2. Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. 3. It would weaken the traditional family values essential to our society. 4. Homosexual marriages are invalid because they do not produce children. 5. Children are better off raised in a male-female marriage.

19. Format • Opening statement Pro side: 2 minutes Con side: 2 minutes • First Rebuttal Pro side: 2 minutes Con side: 2 minutes • Second Rebuttal Pro side: 2 minutes Con side: 2 minutes Third Rebuttal Pro side: 2 minutes Con side: 2 minutes • Closing statement Pro side: 2 minutes Con side: 2 minutes

20. Giving a great wedding speech • Choose one of the roles in P108 and prepare a wedding speech. • Refer to the sample speech in P110

21. Sample Speech—Father of the Bride • Ladies and gentlemen, Today, my emotions are mixed. I feel happy that my daughter has found someone to love her for life. I am sad to be, as it were, handing over my little girl to another man. The fact that this other man is John makes it bearable. After all, he is undoubtedly going to be a perfect husband and an ideal son-in-law. I am delighted to welcome you to the wedding of Mary and John. Some of you have traveled a great distance to be with us and I know Mary and John really appreciate the effort you have made to share this special occasion. A wedding day, you see, is special. It’s a day filled with optimism and hope. It’s a day when we all wish the bride and groom all they would wish for themselves. It’s a day for memories. So today I am wishing my daughter and her new husband every blessing on their marriage.

22. (continued) If I had advice to give, I would say to them to respect each other and each other’s views. I would say to them to laugh together as much as possible because laughter helps overcome the dark days of life. I would say to them to open their door to family and friends because we all need the support of family love and of friendship. Above all, I would say to them to cherish one another. Remember, it is a wonderful privilege to know that there is one person in the world who loves you exclusively. It is my dearest wish for you that you will always love one another as you do today. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast to the happy couple. May they walk the road of life together hand in hand. Mary and John!

23. Ⅳ Further Listening(News Report 3—Same Sex Marriage Debate) • Listen to the news report and answer the questions.

24. Word Tips • Ignite: n. a stop or pause 停住，暂停 • Amendment: n. the act of making a change to improve a rule, law, statement, etc. （对规则、法律、声明等所作的）修正 • Compromise: n. (an act of) settling an argument or difference of opinion by each side agreeing to some of the demands of the other 妥协， 和解 • Halt: vt. to cause to）start to burn 点燃，点火

25. Ⅴ Enrichment Reading Of Marriage And Single Life By Bacon