[originaltext] Despite the recent growth in the number of divorces, people i

Despite the recent growth in the number of divorces, people in the West still tend to regard courtship and marriage through the eyes of a Hollywood producer. For us it’s a romantic business, but in other parts of the world things work differently. In India, for instance, arranged marriage is still very common. A go-between, usually a married lady, learns that a young man wishes to get married and she promises to find him a suitable bride. The young couple meet for the first time on the day of the wedding.
    In Japan, too, arranged marriages still take place. But their marriages are organized in a different way. The young couple are introduced by their relatives. They get a chance to have a look at one another, for example, in the cafe", and if one of them says " Oh, no, I could never marry him (or her). " they call the whole thing off. But if they like one another, then the wedding goes ahead.
    In parts of Africa, a man is allowed to have several wives. When he takes a new wife and buys her a nice present, he has to buy all his other wives presents of equal value. If there is a disagreement in the family, the husband has three or four wives to argue with instead of just one.
    Now, most people, being used to the Western style of courtship and marriage, will assume that this is the best system and the one with the greatest chance of producing a happy marriage. But pause and reflect, marriage is always something of a gamble.
    Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
    12. What is the passage mainly about?
    13. Who plays a very important role in an arranged marriage in India?
    14. What do we learn about a young couple’s first meeting in Japan?
    15. What do we learn about the speaker’s attitude towards marriage?