Views #954 | Intermediate 5

Divorce

Enam and Katia talk about divorce in their countries.

Katia: So, Enam, we're talking about arranged marriages, but what about the rate of divorce of arranged marriages? Is it high?

Enam: Well, actually, the rate is incredibly low. Actually, it's below ten percent and it's changing but still it's really low and the reason I think because the culture in Bangladesh ... in that kind of culture, boys and girls are like grown up in different ways, and they don't really see each other that closely, and that's why when you are married with a person, you start to know that person after different ... opposite gender ... quite well and that helps develop and understanding and they both ... both of them try to understand each other - their values - and in the cultural background it's normally decided that they have to be together normally without an exception for the rest of their lives, so they just try to work in that way. Do you have a higher divorce rate in your country?

Katia: Actually, unfortunately it is increasing. I really don't know the percentage but when I was young, if somebody of my friends parents would get a divorce that would be very shocking to hear. It was uncommon. But now, a lot of my friends actually are going though divorce or their parents have divorced, which it wasn't common but now it seems a little bit more common, so unfortunately things are changing in Mexico.

Enam: Why do you think that the divorce rate is going up? What could be the reason behind this?

Katia: I think it's very hard to say but I think they're various reasons. For example, women didn't used to work. They used to stay home and take care of the house, the husband, the children, but now women have become more independent. They have been able to make different decisions that before they didn't have to, so I think the independence of the women has changed things and perhaps the culture itself, the culture of marriage and divorce, it has changed also so I think possibly those two reasons.

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

rate of divorce

notesThe rate of divorce is below 10%.

'Rate' talks about percentages; high, medium or low. Here are two samples.

  1. What's the rate of divorce for arranged marriages?
  2. The rate of divorce in the US is high, well over 50%.

incredibly low

notesThe divorce rate in Bangladesh is incredibly low.

'Incredibly' is very similar in meaning to 'extremely'. Notice the similarity.

  1. Bill gates is incredibly rich.
  2. Bill gates is extremely rich.

a higher divorce rate

notesDo you have a high divorce rate in your country?

Here, we are comparing the divorce rate of one country to another. Notice the following.

  1. The US has a higher divorce rate than Bangladesh.
  2. Bangladesh has a lower divorce rate than the US.

The culture of marriage and divorce

The culture of marriage and divorce has changed.

Marriage customs and divorce rates are different in each culture. Here are some samples.

  1. In Mexico, the culture of marriage and divorce is changing.
  2. In Bangladesh, the culture of marriage and divorce remains very traditional.

possibly

I think possibly those two reasons.

We say 'possibly' when we're not sure. It is similar in meaning to 'maybe'. Notice the following.

  1. The independence of women is possibly one reason the divorce rate has changed.
  2. I think possibly the biggest problem with addressing climate change is cost.

Vocabulary Quiz

rate • incredibly • divorce rate
 culture of divorce • possibly
  1. The increases every year.
  2. What is the in your country?  Is divorce accepted?
  3. What is the graduation at your university?
  4. It is hot outside today.
  5. This is the best day of my life.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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