5. Would you like to have a husband/wife who is... ?

extravagant	didactic
a great one for saving	selfish
demanding	tolerant

6. Would you like your matrimonial mate to stick to:

his/her friends?	his/her word?
his/her principle?	a diet?
his/her home?	his/her job?

Discussion

1. Answer the questions:

1. Is marriage a problem of serious consideration?

2. How can a poor marriage hinder personality development?

3. Is getting married, in your opinion, a romantic adventure or "a carefully reasoned choice"? Explain your point of view.

4. Do you consider romance to be that very primary basis to build a lifelong union on? Romance alone is not enough.

5. Do young people really need the counsel of their elders? Why? Why not? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living with parents after marriage?

6. Which conclusions of modern researchers would you like to join? Give your reasoning. Can a sociological research into matrimonial problems be efficient? Why? Why not?

7. Can you give examples of marriage based on a) romantic attraction; (b) comradely affection; (c) a realistic consideration? Which of them is a marital success? Why? Why not? Generalize your observations.

8. Is the similarity of social background of any importance for marital success? Enlarge on it. Like should marry like.

2. Can you tell a story about people who:

• were able to build a lifelong union?

• married for convenience?

• needed the counsel of their elders?

• ignored their mate's faults but then returned to reality after marriage?

3. Say what can secure a happy marriage:

• match-making;

• a long period of acquaintance before marriage;

• passionate attachment, romantic attraction;

• parental advice in choosing a matrimonial mate;

• computerized choice of a marital mate;

• common social background and cultural similarities.

Do you have any other ideas?

4. Discuss the problems of marital happiness in teams using the arguments and counterarguments below that support or object to the statement: ROMANCE ALONE IS ENOUGH FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE.

FOR	AGAINST
1. Falling in love is a prelude to marriage.	1.A process of adolescent fantasy formation.
2. A personally desirable relationship.	2. Carefully reasoned choice.
3. You marry for love and work at it after your wedding day.	3. An emotional return to reality after marriage.
4. Freedom from parental control.	4. The counsel of the elders.

5. Some proverbs advocate love and romance as the `prelude [ju:] to marriage, others advise when getting married to be most prudent (благо)разумный, рассудительный. Which of the proverbs below appeal to you? Why?

• He that marries for wealth, sells his liberty.

• Marry not an old crony близкий, закадычный друг, or a fool, for money.

• In choosing a wife, and buying a sword, we ought not to trust another.

• It's unlucky to marry for love.

• "Sweet-heart" and "Honey-bird" keeps no house.

• In wiving брать в жены and thriving a man should take counsel of all the world.

• Marry first, and love will follow.

• Marry your like.

• Like blood, like good, and like age, make the happiest marriage.

• Go down the ladder when you marry a wife; go up when you choose a friend.