The Reading / Listening - China Divorce Test - Level 5

China is looking at a new way of stopping the country's increasing divorce rate. Couples who file for divorce are being asked to take an exam to find out how much they love each other and whether the marriage can be saved. Up to half of Chinese marriages between those born in the 1980s have ended in divorce. People say the rising divorce rate is because of there being more working women. They are more financially independent and less in need of a partner. The rise of social media and dating apps has added to the problem. Now there are more extramarital affairs.

The divorce test has had a mixed reaction. A marriage-registration office said the test was aimed at reducing the divorce rate and preventing "impulsive divorces". It said: "Only the harmony of millions of family units can achieve the harmony of an entire society." Other Chinese people were less enthusiastic about the 15-question test. One post on social media asked: "So if you remember your wedding anniversary you can't divorce? Divorce isn't a case of amnesia." Another wrote: "They are adults and they have the right to divorce. This is interference in domestic affairs."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    China Divorce Test - Level 4 or  China Divorce Test - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/02/warring-chinese-couples-take-divorce-exams-reflect-marriage/
  • http://www.businessinsider.com/china-makes-couples-take-exam-before-divorce-allowed-2018-5
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/world/asia/china-divorce-quiz.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. couples who file
  2. find out how much they
  3. the rising divorce
  4. more financially
  5. less in need of
  6. The rise
  7. dating
  8. extramarital
  1. of social media
  2. rate
  3. affairs
  4. for divorce
  5. love each other
  6. apps
  7. independent
  8. a partner

Paragraph 2

  1. mixed
  2. preventing impulsive
  3. the harmony of
  4. social
  5. wedding
  6. Divorce isn't a case
  7. they have the right
  8. interference in
  1. of amnesia
  2. media
  3. domestic affairs
  4. divorces
  5. reaction
  6. to divorce
  7. anniversary
  8. an entire society

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China is looking at a new (1) ___________________ the country's increasing divorce rate. Couples who (2) ___________________ are being asked to take an exam to find out how much they love each other and whether the marriage (3) ___________________. Up to half of Chinese marriages between those born in the 1980s (4) ___________________ divorce. People say the rising divorce rate is because of there being more working women. They are more financially independent and (5) ___________________ of a partner. The rise of social media and dating apps has added to the problem. Now there (6) ___________________ affairs.

The divorce test has had (7) ___________________. A marriage-registration office said the test was (8) ___________________ the divorce rate and preventing "impulsive divorces". It said: "Only the harmony of millions of family units can (9) ___________________ of an entire society." Other Chinese people (10) ___________________ about the 15-question test. One post on social media asked: "So if you remember your wedding anniversary you can't divorce? Divorce isn't a (11) ___________________." Another wrote: "They are adults and they have the right to divorce. This is interference (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Chinaislookingatanewwayofstoppingthecountry'sincreasingdivorce
rate.Coupleswhofilefordivorcearebeingaskedtotakeanexamtofindo
uthowmuchtheyloveeachotherandwhetherthemarriagecanbesaved
.UptohalfofChinesemarriagesbetweenthoseborninthe1980shaveen
dedindivorce.Peoplesaytherisingdivorcerateisbecauseoftherebeing
moreworkingwomen.Theyaremorefinanciallyindependentandlessin
needofapartner.Theriseofsocialmediaanddatingappshasaddedtothe
problem.Nowtherearemoreextramaritalaffairs.Thedivorcetesthash
adamixedreaction.Amarriage-registrationofficesaidthetestwasaime
datreducingthedivorcerateandpreventing"impulsivedivorces".Itsai
d:"Onlytheharmonyofmillionsoffamilyunitscanachievetheharmony
ofanentiresociety."OtherChinesepeoplewerelessenthusiasticaboutt
he15-questiontest.Onepostonsocialmediaasked:"Soifyouremem
beryourweddinganniversaryyoucan'tdivorce?Divorceisn'tacaseofa
mnesia."Anotherwrote:"Theyareadultsandtheyhavetherighttodivor
ce.Thisisinterferenceindomesticaffairs."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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