Directions：Youaregoingtoreadapassagewith10statementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.
APrenup(婚前协议）MayBeRightforYou
A)Peoplemoanandgroanaboutprenups,andatfirstblush.It’seasytoseewhy:Couplesmaynotwanttoconsiderhowtheirmarriagewillendwhentheyintendtobemarriedforlife.Amarriageisacontract,andaprenuptialagreementisputtingfinerpointsonthatcontract.
B)Aprenupisalegalagreementthatspecifieshowcoupleswilldivideassetsintheeventofdivorce.Itisastatementthatallowsforthepossibilityofdivorce,andconsiderswhattodointheeventofadivorce.Whencouplesmarryandeachhassignificantassets,aprenuptialagreementmaybebeneficialinkeepingthoseassetsdividedintheeventofthedissolutionofthemarriage.Coupleswhohavechildrenfrompreviousmarriagesmayalsowanttouseoneinordertoprotectassetsfortheirchildren.Somereligionsfindtheprenuptialagreementmorallyrepugnant(让人反感的).Churches,liketheRomanCatholicChurch,don’tbanthesetypesofagreementsbutcertainlydofrownuponthem.SinceamarriageisalifetimebindingcommitmenttotheCatholicChurch,aprenupsimplydoesn’tmakesenseandappearstocontradictchurchteachings.
C)Historically,prenuptialagreementswereforwealthypeoplewhoneededtoprotectextensiveassets,abusinessorinvestments.Butmoreandmoremiddleclasspeoplearedraftingprenups.Andwithsomuchaboutsame-sexmarriageinthenews,Ialsohavetomentionthatthey’renotjustforstraightpeople.A2011surveybytheAmericanAcademyofMatrimonialLawyersfoundthatprenupshadincreased73percentoverafive-yearperiod.Oneinterestingfactoid(说法):Morewomenarerequestingthem.
D)Why?Foronething,anailing(境况不佳的)economyhaspeoplethinkaboutmoneymore.Weallknowthestatisticthatabout50percentofmarriagesendindivorce,sopeoplearebeingalittlemorerealisticaboutapossiblesplit.Andpeoplearegettingmarriedlaterinlife.TheaverageageoffirstmarriageintheUnitedStatesis27forwomenand29formen,upfrom23forwomenand26formenin1990and20and22in1960.Becausethey’regettingmarriedolder,morepeoplehaveactualassetstheywanttoprotectintheeventtherelationshipgoessouth.
E)Hereyoumightbetemptedtosaythatyouandyourfiancéhavenoassets.Youcan’ttakehalfofnothing,right?Notso.Infact,youcanenduptakinghalfoflessthannothing–meaningyourspouse’sdebtscouldhauntyou.Andagain,Iwanttopointtothatrisingageofnewlyweds–moreandmorepeoplearetakingliabilitiestothealtar–likecreditcarddebtandstudentloans.Itmakesperfectsensethatspouseswouldwanttoprotecteachotherfromanyliabilityonehasgoingin.You’resaying“Ido,”not“Iowe.”Also,youprobablyhavesomeassetsyouhaven’tthoughtaboutthatyou’dliketokeepseparate–likearetirementplanoranexpectedinheritance.Orwhataboutpropertyyourparentsmaypassdowntoyouandyoursiblings?
F)Becauseprenupsaresuchanemotionallychargedissue,it’simportanttoproceedwithcaution;butstarttalkingsoonerratherthanlater.Thatmeansasyougetengaged.Thisshouldn’tbealast-minuterequestforasignatureoutsidethechurch.Ifyou’rerecentlyengaged,thisistheperfecttimetobringitupbecauseyoucanuseyourtaxesasanexcuse.Nextyear,you’llfilejointly,soeventhoughit’suncomfortable,suggestyouexchangereturnsasawaytostarttheconversation.
G)Manypeopleshyawayfromtheperceivedcost.AccordingtoanewstudybyTheWeddingReport,theaverageengagementringcostsover$3,300.Bycomparison,theattorneyfeesforaprenupwillprobablystartatabout$2,000.You’llneedtocontactafamilyattorneyandbothyouandyourbetrothedwillbothneedyourownlawyer.Don’ttrythedo-it-yourselfrouteonthisone.Yourcousinthenotaryisnotgoingtocutit.Anythingyoudraftonyourownwillnotstandupincourt.
H)Therearesomeonlineresourcesifyou’reveryconcernedaboutcostsandjustneedasimpleagreement.Forexample,Legalzoom.comhasa“prenuppackage”thatstartsat$600.Somegeneralguidelines:Whenpreparingaprenup,you’dofcourseaddressanyproperty,retirementaccounts,andanydebt.Butyoushouldalsoconsidersentimentalbelongingslikefurnitureandothernon-traditionalthingslikepets.Sortingitoutnowcouldsaveyouamajorheadacheinthefuture.
I)Also,evenifacoupledoesn’tdraftaformalprenuptialagreement,itiscriticalthattheyhaveacompletelyhonestdiscussionaboutfinancespriortothe“IDo’s”.Thatmeanscomingcleanaboutanyoutstandingdebtsandsettingsomeparameters(决定因素)abouthowyouwillmanageyourfinancesasacouple.
J)Manystudiescitefinancialissuesasoneofthetopcausesofdivorce–rightalongsidecommunicationproblemsandinfidelity(不忠实).Why?Frequently,couplesdon’trealizetheyhaveverydifferentvaluesaroundmoneyuntilthey’vetiedtheknotandco-mingledtheiraccounts.Don’tmakethatmistake!Ifit’saJunewedding,firstgofortheprenup.
1.Evenwithoutawrittenprenup,acoupleshoulddiscussthefinancialissuesfranklyandsincerelybeforetheweddingceremony.
APrenup(婚前协议）MayBeRightforYou
A)Peoplemoanandgroanaboutprenups,andatfirstblush.It’seasytoseewhy:Couplesmaynotwanttoconsiderhowtheirmarriagewillendwhentheyintendtobemarriedforlife.Amarriageisacontract,andaprenuptialagreementisputtingfinerpointsonthatcontract.
B)Aprenupisalegalagreementthatspecifieshowcoupleswilldivideassetsintheeventofdivorce.Itisastatementthatallowsforthepossibilityofdivorce,andconsiderswhattodointheeventofadivorce.Whencouplesmarryandeachhassignificantassets,aprenuptialagreementmaybebeneficialinkeepingthoseassetsdividedintheeventofthedissolutionofthemarriage.Coupleswhohavechildrenfrompreviousmarriagesmayalsowanttouseoneinordertoprotectassetsfortheirchildren.Somereligionsfindtheprenuptialagreementmorallyrepugnant(让人反感的).Churches,liketheRomanCatholicChurch,don’tbanthesetypesofagreementsbutcertainlydofrownuponthem.SinceamarriageisalifetimebindingcommitmenttotheCatholicChurch,aprenupsimplydoesn’tmakesenseandappearstocontradictchurchteachings.
C)Historically,prenuptialagreementswereforwealthypeoplewhoneededtoprotectextensiveassets,abusinessorinvestments.Butmoreandmoremiddleclasspeoplearedraftingprenups.Andwithsomuchaboutsame-sexmarriageinthenews,Ialsohavetomentionthatthey’renotjustforstraightpeople.A2011surveybytheAmericanAcademyofMatrimonialLawyersfoundthatprenupshadincreased73percentoverafive-yearperiod.Oneinterestingfactoid(说法):Morewomenarerequestingthem.
D)Why?Foronething,anailing(境况不佳的)economyhaspeoplethinkaboutmoneymore.Weallknowthestatisticthatabout50percentofmarriagesendindivorce,sopeoplearebeingalittlemorerealisticaboutapossiblesplit.Andpeoplearegettingmarriedlaterinlife.TheaverageageoffirstmarriageintheUnitedStatesis27forwomenand29formen,upfrom23forwomenand26formenin1990and20and22in1960.Becausethey’regettingmarriedolder,morepeoplehaveactualassetstheywanttoprotectintheeventtherelationshipgoessouth.
E)Hereyoumightbetemptedtosaythatyouandyourfiancéhavenoassets.Youcan’ttakehalfofnothing,right?Notso.Infact,youcanenduptakinghalfoflessthannothing–meaningyourspouse’sdebtscouldhauntyou.Andagain,Iwanttopointtothatrisingageofnewlyweds–moreandmorepeoplearetakingliabilitiestothealtar–likecreditcarddebtandstudentloans.Itmakesperfectsensethatspouseswouldwanttoprotecteachotherfromanyliabilityonehasgoingin.You’resaying“Ido,”not“Iowe.”Also,youprobablyhavesomeassetsyouhaven’tthoughtaboutthatyou’dliketokeepseparate–likearetirementplanoranexpectedinheritance.Orwhataboutpropertyyourparentsmaypassdowntoyouandyoursiblings?
F)Becauseprenupsaresuchanemotionallychargedissue,it’simportanttoproceedwithcaution;butstarttalkingsoonerratherthanlater.Thatmeansasyougetengaged.Thisshouldn’tbealast-minuterequestforasignatureoutsidethechurch.Ifyou’rerecentlyengaged,thisistheperfecttimetobringitupbecauseyoucanuseyourtaxesasanexcuse.Nextyear,you’llfilejointly,soeventhoughit’suncomfortable,suggestyouexchangereturnsasawaytostarttheconversation.
G)Manypeopleshyawayfromtheperceivedcost.AccordingtoanewstudybyTheWeddingReport,theaverageengagementringcostsover$3,300.Bycomparison,theattorneyfeesforaprenupwillprobablystartatabout$2,000.You’llneedtocontactafamilyattorneyandbothyouandyourbetrothedwillbothneedyourownlawyer.Don’ttrythedo-it-yourselfrouteonthisone.Yourcousinthenotaryisnotgoingtocutit.Anythingyoudraftonyourownwillnotstandupincourt.
H)Therearesomeonlineresourcesifyou’reveryconcernedaboutcostsandjustneedasimpleagreement.Forexample,Legalzoom.comhasa“prenuppackage”thatstartsat$600.Somegeneralguidelines:Whenpreparingaprenup,you’dofcourseaddressanyproperty,retirementaccounts,andanydebt.Butyoushouldalsoconsidersentimentalbelongingslikefurnitureandothernon-traditionalthingslikepets.Sortingitoutnowcouldsaveyouamajorheadacheinthefuture.
I)Also,evenifacoupledoesn’tdraftaformalprenuptialagreement,itiscriticalthattheyhaveacompletelyhonestdiscussionaboutfinancespriortothe“IDo’s”.Thatmeanscomingcleanaboutanyoutstandingdebtsandsettingsomeparameters(决定因素)abouthowyouwillmanageyourfinancesasacouple.
J)Manystudiescitefinancialissuesasoneofthetopcausesofdivorce–rightalongsidecommunicationproblemsandinfidelity(不忠实).Why?Frequently,couplesdon’trealizetheyhaveverydifferentvaluesaroundmoneyuntilthey’vetiedtheknotandco-mingledtheiraccounts.Don’tmakethatmistake!Ifit’saJunewedding,firstgofortheprenup.
1.Evenwithoutawrittenprenup,acoupleshoulddiscussthefinancialissuesfranklyandsincerelybeforetheweddingceremony.
举一反三
- I don’t understand ____ believe him. A: why don’t you B: why you not C: why you don’t D: why not you
- I don’t understand ______ believe me. A: why you not B: B. why do you not C: C. why don’t you D: D. why you don’t
- —Did you say you like the film TITANIC —______, I said it's not bad. A: Not exactly B: I don't know why C: You're great D: That's all right
- Why __ invite him to our house sometime? A: not you B: don’t you C: don't D: You
- Why don’t you stop by for a while?的同义句是______. A: Why not stop by for a while? B: What don’t you stop by for a while? C: How don’t you stop by for a while? D: When don’t you stop by for a while?