Page 64 - PowerE-L05-B

Lesson 16

Culture and Marriage

I’m strictly monogamous and I intend to be

one. I’m happily married to a lovely wife and
I have two kids I adore. I have never been

tempted to fool around, and I don’t think I
would. Never be, although social stereotypes

would tolerate me if I allowed myself to be.
That’s a luxury I can’t afford literally. I mean, it’s

not that I can resist temptations more than other men can, or that I have a su-
perior morality. It’s just that I can’t afford it. To have to support a single family is

hard enough, how much do I have to work more for two or three? But that’s just

on the financial side. The most pragmatic reason is that I think that I have no
room left in my heart for love or romance because it is fully occupied already.

To cram another marriage in my life is to steal the remaining change in my
purse, and worse, to overwork my already burdened heart. Being completely

faithful to one is richer than anything.

Comprehension

1. What does the writer think about his marriage?
2. What does “monogamous” mean?

3. According to the paragraph, why doesn’t the writer think about another
marriage?

Questions

1. Are you monogamous or polygamous?
2. Do you think that men are naturally polygamous and women are
naturally monogamous? Why or why not?
3. What are the formulas of a happy marriage?
4. What is your personal opinion on marriage in modern society?

Vocabulary & Expressions
monogamy : the custom or practice of being married to only one husband or wife (adj. monogamous)
adore : to love someone very much and feel very proud of them
literally : used to emphasize that something is actually true
resist : to try to prevent change or prevent yourself being forced to do something
pragmatic : dealing with problems in a sensible, practical way instead of strictly following a set of idea
polygamy : the custom or practice of having more than one husband or wife at the same time in a
society where this is allowed (adj. polygamous)
formula : a method or set of principles that you use to solve a problem or to make sure that some
thing is successful

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