The reading passage below has 5 sections A – E. Choose the correct headings for sections A-E from the list of numbered headings below.
List of Headings
i The science of marriage
ii The importance of honest communication
iii The power of thought
iv The likelihood of marrying again
v Technological advances
vi The benefits of avoiding arguments
vii The real predictor for a lasting marriage
viii The consequences of early dissatisfaction
Section A ____________
Section B ____________
Section C ____________
Section D ____________
Section E ____________
See answer in the comment section.
Section A
Marriage is a much-researched topic, and the way married couples communicate in particular as been the subject of many studies. These days, research into marriage often involves hours of recordings, followed by a thorough analysis of data with the help of modern software applications.
Section B
One such study analysed give years’ worth of data, obtained from 750 participating couples. At the start of the study, participants who felt they were in a harmonious relationship reported having happy marriages. In other words, low levels of conflict corresponded to a perceived higher degree of happiness. At the end of the five-year period, however, many couples had separated or had started divorce proceedings. The outcome of this study suggests that keeping the peace rather than talking about problems and working through them can have harmful effects on a relationship.
Section C
In a more recent, larger scale study, people were observed over a fifteen-year period. The researchers recorded the timings of marriages, divorces and remarriages and discovered patterns that helped them estimate how likely divorce was. If participants admitted the possibility of divorce to themselves during the five years of the study, the probability of it actually happening was ten times greater than for those couples who had not thought about it at all. Clearly, once the idea of divorce is in somebody’s mind, they are more likely to act on it.
Section D
Yet another piece of research confirms that the way men and women feel at the beginning of their marriage makes a difference to its eventual outcome. Those who feel disappointed, perhaps because marriage itself is different from their expectations, or because their lifestyle is not what they had envisaged, are more likely to divorce.
Section E
Having said that, relationships are complex and their development is the result of many different influences. The end of a marriage is unlikely to be brought about by one particular factor, and is more probably the result of a combination of small incidents that add up over time. It is also worth bearing in mind that in most countries it is the minority of marriages that fail. No one can truthfully claim that their marriage is happy or perfect all the time, but the fact remains that most married people stay together for life. The secret of a happy marriage, it seems, lies where most people have always thought it does: in the effort made on a daily basis by both partners to treat each other with consideration and courtesy, and to cheerfully accept each other’s faults as well as their good qualities.
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Answer:
Section A: i (‘Science’ relates to ‘studies’, research’, ‘analysis’ and ‘data’. Note that this paragraph mentions modern technology (v), but that is not the main idea in the paragraph.)
Section B: ii (The main idea of the paragraph is in the last sentence. ‘Honest communication’ relates to ‘talking about problems and working through them’. This is ‘important’, as not being honest about problems and ‘keeping the peace’ can have negative consequences: ‘harmful effects on a relationship’. Note that this paragraph mentions avoiding arguments (vi), but this is described as harmful, not a benefit.)
Section C: iii (Certain thoughts can be ‘powerful’ because they have the ability to eventually end relationships: ‘once the idea of divorce is in somebody’s mind, they are more likely to act on it’. Note that this paragraph mentions marrying again (iv), ‘remarriage’ but does not talk about the likelihood of this happening.)
Section D: viii (‘Early’ refers to ‘at the beginning of their marriage’, ‘dissatisfaction’ refers to ‘disappointed’ and ‘consequences’ refers to ‘divorce’.)
Section E: vii (The previous paragraph suggested that early disappointment is a predictor for divorce, whereas this paragraph suggests that, in truth, the ‘real predictor’ is ‘the result of a combination of small incidents that add up over time’. Conversely, a ‘lasting’ or ‘happy’ marriage lies in ‘the effort made on a daily basis by both partners.’)