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                                               The State of Marriage Today
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 marry at least four times and extramarital affairs (婚外恋) will be even more
common than they are now.
But what are the reasons for this, and is the picture really so depressing? The answer to the first
question is really quite simple: marriage is no longer the necessity it once was. The practice 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 they need to stay in a failing marriage.
In answer to the second question, the prospects may not be as pessimistic as they seem. 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(同居) 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 first marriages survive. The statistics are unreliable because there is a higher number of
divorces in second and third marriages than in first marriages.
So is marriage really an outdated practice? 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
satisfied 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. What does "this is no longer the case" in paragraph two mean?
A. It is not necessary to get married any more.
B. Women do not need a husband any longer.
C. Women are not economically dependent any more.
D. Many wives do well-paying jobs outside home now.
2. Why may the prospects of marriage not be as depressing as it appears?
A. Many people still like to get married.
B. The rate of divorce has actually decreased.
C. many couples would rather cohabit than marry
D. The statistics of divorce is not quite true.
3. How do people usually feel in their marriage life?
A. They are much safer.
B. They feel no longer single.
C. They are more satisfied.
D. They suffer a lot less.
4. Which of the following about marriage isNOTmentioned in the passage?
A. There will be more relationships outside marriage.
B. Many people try to get married again after divorce.
C. Marriage has long been partly an economic need.
D. It is a fact that most people choose to get married.

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