研究生英语口语考试题

6.What do you think are the things that contribute to a successful marriage?

.The success of a marriage is due to many factors, of which love is obviously the most important one. Other factors, which are not entirely unrelated to love, include shared values and interests, mutual understanding, commitment, effective communication, similar educational background, equal economic status, physical fitness, etc.

. Similar educational background and intelligence levels are also considered important by some people. They believe that only with mutual appreciation and understanding, can the couple get along easily and happily.

Why do people get divorced? Can you guess some of the reasons?

.Sometimes it is because the couple did not really understand each other before the marriage, as love was blind at that time. After marriage, they see each other's shortcomings more clearly. When disappointment grows beyond control, divorce becomes inevitable.

.Sometimes it is because one of the couple has changed after the marriage. For example, after the husband is promoted to a leading position, he may have a hectic time all year round, with hardly any time left to be with his wife. Sometimes one of the couple has lost his or her job and becomes irritable. Due to the continual quarrelling at home, the family breaks up.

some Western and Chinese holidays or festivals that seem to be similarly important, and explain why they are important.

There are a number of Western festivals, such as Christmas, Boxing Day, Thanksgiving Day, New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. There are also a number of traditional festivals in China, such as the Spring Festival (or the Chinese New Year), the Lantern Festival, the Pure Brightness Festival (or Qingming Festival or the Tomb-Visiting Festival), the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Double-Ninth Festival (or the Seniors' Day), etc.

Spring Festival—customs

. “S weeping the dust” before the Spring Festival means a thorough clean ing of houses to sweep away bad luck in the past year.

. Many people like to paste “Spring Couplets” and paper-cuts to give a happy and prosperous atmosphere of the Festival and express the good wishes of Chinese people looking forward to a good life.

. On the first day of lunar New Year, people give New Year’s greetings to each other. Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often inaccurately called “Lunar New Year”. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year‘s Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for