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Selection 3: Dating and Matchmaking Services(marriage and family)
Matchmaking refers to bringing two unmarried individuals together in an attempt to promote a marriage. Throughout history, many cultures have had arranged marriages in which the parents select their child's spouse. Often, parents have used matchmakers to locate suitable mates for their children. In this country, most young people are free to choose their husband or wife. Even so, as the selection below explains, they may still need some help locating suitable people to date as they search for Mr. Right or Ms Right. Surprisingly, in a recent, national survey of more than 1,000 college women (Glenn and Marquardt, 2001), most respondents said that it was rare for college men to ask them out on dates. Most women indicated that they would like to meet a spouse while at college, however. Since college, one third of the women reported that they had had only one or two dates, while half reported having six or more dates since college. Because the dating scene in college is changing, there is a shift from traditional dating to a greater variety of ways of finding people to date.
Source: David Olson and John DeFrain. Marriages and Families: Intimacy, Diversity, and Strengths, 5th ed. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2006, pp. 276-77.
Comprehension Questions
Vocabulary Questions
Directions: Questions 6-10 give you the opportunity to use context clues to deduce the meaning of certain words from the selection. The first sentence for each item comes from the selection and contains a vocabulary word, which appears in italics. The second sentence is not from the selection, but it uses the vocabulary word in the same sense as in the first sentence, and it contains additional context clues. Answer each question by clicking on the answer choice that makes sense in both sentences.
In previous times, courtship was overseen by parents, and unmarried couples rarely had opportunities to meet alone.
courtship
Bill Gates and Michael Dell, who founded two of the world's most successful companies, are classic examples of entrepreneurs.
entrepreneurs
The gift shop offers an interesting potpourri of art objects, handicrafts, antiques, and floral items.
potpourri
On reality television shows in which a man or women chooses a potential spouse, the person starts with a large group of "eligibles" and then narrows it down each week until one person is selected.
eligibles
Politicians in particular should be discreet in their personal lives because any information about them may very well end up in the media.
discreet
Applied Reading Skills Questions
Directions: Questions 11-15 test your ability to apply certain reading skills. Answer each question by clicking on the correct answer. You may refer to the selection as you answer the questions.