equalopportunityWord格式.docx

equalopportunityWord格式.docx

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SectionOnePre-readingActivity

I.Brainstorming

Workingroupoffour.Discussandwritedownthewordsorexpressionsthatoccurtoyouwhenyouhearoneofyourfriendsisgoingtobemarried.

e.g.engagement;

legitimateageformarriage;

doubleringexchangeceremony…

II.PairWork

Workinpairsanddiscussthefollowingquestions.

1.Whatoccurstoyouwhenyouhearofapersonbeingaspinsterorabachelor?

2.AreanychangestakingplaceconcerningtheattitudesofChineseyoungpeopletowardsmarriage?

3.Whichwouldyoupreferforthetimebeing,asingledormarriedlifestyle?

4.Whatwouldyourrelativesandfriendssayifyouweresingleatage40,oratage50?

5.Whichkindoflifestyleis“normal”,marriedorsolitary?

SectionTwoReadingMaterial

TheNewSingles

CarlaPower

IncreasingnumbersofNorthernEuropeansarechoosingtolivealone

Youknowthetype.EleanorRigby,whopicksupthericeinthechurchwheretheweddinghasbeen.AustinPowers,proudownerofaLavalamp,lushchesthairandanequal-opportunitylibido.BridgetJones,ofthewobblyegoandmuch-watchedansweringmachine.TheSingle,longastockfigureinstories,songsandpersonalads,wastraditionallysomeoneatthemarginsofsociety:

afigureoffun,pityorawe.

Thosedaysaregone.IntheplaceofwitheredspinstersandbachelorsarepeoplelikeElizabethdeKergorlay,a29-year-oldParisianbankerwhoviewsherindependenceandherownapartmentasthespoilsofprofessionalsuccess.ScootingaroundParisinherGolfGTI,onehandonthewheelandtheotherclutchinghercellphone,deKergorlaypausesbetweencallstoraveaboutlifealone.“I’mnotantisocial,”shesays.“Ilovepeople.Butlivingalonegivesmethetimeandspaceforself-reflection.I’vegotthechoiceandtheprivacytogrowasahumanbeing.”

Asthesageswouldsay,weareallultimatelyalone.ButanincreasingnumberofEuropeansarechoosingtobesoataneverearlierage.Thisisn’tthestuffofgloomyphilosophicalmeditations,butafactofEurope’sneweconomiclandscape,embracedbydemographers,real-estatedevelopersandadexecutivesalike.Theshiftawayfromfamilylifetosololifestyles,observesFrenchsociologistJean-ClaudeKaufmann,ispartofthe“irresistiblemomentumofindividualism”overthelastcentury.Thecommunicationsrevolution,theshiftfromabusinesscultureofstabilitytooneofmobilityandthemassentryofwomenintotheworkforcehavewreakedhavoconEuropeans’privatelives.Moreandmoreofthemareremainingontheirown:

they’relivinglonger,divorcingmoreandmarryinglater—ifatall.Britishmarriageratesarethelowestin160yearsofrecords.INSEE,France’sNationalInstituteofStatistics,reportsthatthenumberofFrenchpeoplelivingalonedoubledbetween1968and1990.

Thehome-alonephenomenonremainsanurbanandaNorthernEuropeantrend:

peoplewholiveinruralareas—aswellasSpaniards,GreeksandIrish—tendtosticktofamilies.Bycontrast,Scandinavians,DutchandGermansliketolivealone:

40percentofallSwedeslivealone,asdosevenmillionBritons—threetimesasmanyas40yearsago.Accordingtotherecentreport“Britainin2010”byRichardScase,professoroforganizationalbehaviorattheUniversityofKent,single-personhouseholdswilloutnumberfamiliesandcoupleswithinadecade.InLondon’stonierneighborhoodslikeKensingtonandChelsea,abouthalfofallhouseholdsarepeoplelivingalone.InGermanythisyear,56-year-olddivorceeBerndKlosterfeldeproducedaCDcalled“AloneNoMore.”Featuring15tracksofhouseholdnoiseswithtitleslike“NothingonTV;

AtLeasttheChipsAreGood”and“TheFridgeIsFinallyFullAgain,”itpromisespeoplewholivealone“62minutesoftogetherness.”

Europe’sneweconomicclimatehaslargelyfosteredthetrendtowardindependence.Thecurrentgenerationofhome-alonerscameofageduringEurope’sshiftfromsocialdemocracytothesharper,moreindividualisticclimateofAmerican-stylecapitalism.Raisedinaneraofprivatizationandincreasedconsumerchoice,today’stech-savvyworkershaveembracedafreemarketinloveaswellaseconomics.ModernEuropeansarerichenoughtoaffordtolivealone,andtemperamentallyindependentenoughtowanttodoso.ArecentpollbytheInstituteFrancaisd’OpinionPublique,theFrenchaffiliateoftheGalluppoll,foundthat58percentofFrenchrespondentsviewedlivingaloneasachoice,notanobligation.OtherEuropeansinglesagree.“I’vealwayswantedtobefreetogoonadventures,”saysIrisEppendorf,wholivesbyherselfinBerlin.“Ihatedreary,boring,bourgeoisliving—it’snotinteresting.”

Onceuponatime,peoplewholivedalonetendedtobethoseoneithersideofmarriage—twenty-somethingprofessionalsorwidowedseniorcitizens.Whilepensioners,particularly