General Listening Quiz

What things are most important to you in a date or marriage partner? Rank the top four ideas in order of importance to you.

• ___ their job
• ___ age
• ___ hobbies
• ___ physical appearance or looks
• ___ money
• ___ religion
• ___ honesty
• ___ sense of humor
• ___ family background
• ___ the person’s past life

1. 1. It’s better to date someone who is very similar to you.
   2. Long-distance relationships can work.
   3. People should not date until they are finished with school.
   4. It’s okay to meet someone online.
   5. First dates are usually awkward.
   6. You should always be honest when dating.
   7. Dating is more difficult today than in the past.
   8. It’s possible to fall in love quickly.
   9. Good communication is the most important part of a relationship.

“break up with someone” = end a relationship with someone
“Jacob feels terrible because his girlfriend broke up with him last night.”

“tie the knot” = get married
“When are you going to tie the knot? You and Sarah have been engaged for two years.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words that appear in the recording:

• contestant (noun): a person who takes part in a game or contest
  – My brother was a contestant on a game show, and he won $10,000.
• adventure (noun): a dangerous or exciting experience
  – Brittany loves adventure, so she will enjoy the camping trip.
• discuss (verb): talk about something with a person or group
  – You should discuss your plans for the date with Tonya before you leave.
• mind (verb): be bothered by something, dislike
  – I don’t mind dating people who are interested in different things.
• gardening (noun): the hobby of taking care of plants in a garden
  – I enjoy gardening in my free time.
• prefer (verb): like something or someone better that something else
  – I prefer cooking a meal at home to eating at a restaurant.
• joy (noun): great happiness
  – Joy is important in a relationship, and sadness can be turned to joy with love.
• serve (verb): help or give service, volunteer your time
  – You can find great joy when you serve family, friends, and strangers.

Do the vocabulary quizzes using the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence
• Sentence and Vocabulary Matching
• Gap-fill Exercise

Ask your parents about their dating and marriage using some of these questions:

1. Where did you first meet?
2. Was your marriage arranged by a family member, friend, or marriage specialist?
3. Was it love at first sight or did it take time to fall in love? (Or have you?)
4. How long was your engagement?
5. Did you go on dates with each other, or did you just meet together at one of your homes?
6. What was the most important point in getting married to each other? (job security, personality, religion, family ties, or other)

Interview a teacher, friend, or other family member on the questions in the Post-Listening Exercise. You can use Facebook or an online survey webite service to collect this information. Then, discuss your results with a partner or your class.