Question

Would You Marry a Stranger?
An Overview of Arranged Marriage
By Jessica McBirney
Available on CommonLit. Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0.
Who Arranges?
[...]
[4] Millions of people have had arranged marriages in the past, and millions still engage in the
practice today. Most modern arranged marriages take place in the Middle East and Far East, in
countries like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Japan, and others. It has become less
popular in places like China over the past few decades, as the culture rapidly Westernizes and
young people are beginning to value individual choice more than family traditions and preferences.
[5] Arranged marriage was much more universal in previous centuries, and was still quite common
across Europe until the 1700s. Immigrant families brought the practice to America, where it still
lingers among some minority groups. Today, some royal families and elites around the world still
arrange their marriages, to preserve royal heritage or social status.
[...]
1. How does the preservation of social status reflect broader cultural values in arranged
marriages?
A. It shows how communities prioritize traditional hierarchies and social status
B. It represents resistance to modernization in rapidly changing societies
C. It emphasizes collective family identity over personal preferences
D. It reveals that arranged marriages are primarily economic rather than cultural
2 What is the most likely reason the author includes the sentence about arranged
marriages being less popular in China in paragraph 4?
A. To demonstrate how traditional practices evolve when cultural values shift
B. To contrast Eastern cultural changes with persistent Western traditions
C. To illustrate the tension between preserving heritage and embracing new values
D. To suggest that modernization inevitably leads to cultural loss
3. The author most likely includes the sentence about royal families in paragraph 5 to –
A. highlight a modern group that continues the practice of arranged marriage.
B. argue that social status is unimportant in modern marriages.
C. contrast royal traditions with those of immigrant families.
D. To show that arranged marriages are more about tradition than love.
4. The inclusion of immigrant families bringing arranged marriage to America most likely
serves to — Select TWO correct answers.
show how the practice has been adapted.
emphasize the infrequence of arranged marriages.
illustrate the persistence of cultural traditions.
compare immigrant practices to royal traditions.
advocate for arranged marriages in modern society.
5. Based on the excerpt, how does the author develop the thesis that cultural traditions
influence arranged marriages? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Answers

Answered by GPT-4o mini
1. How does the preservation of social status reflect broader cultural values in arranged marriages?
**A. It shows how communities prioritize traditional hierarchies and social status.**

2. What is the most likely reason the author includes the sentence about arranged marriages being less popular in China in paragraph 4?
**A. To demonstrate how traditional practices evolve when cultural values shift.**

3. The author most likely includes the sentence about royal families in paragraph 5 to —
**A. highlight a modern group that continues the practice of arranged marriage.**

4. The inclusion of immigrant families bringing arranged marriage to America most likely serves to — Select TWO correct answers.
**- illustrate the persistence of cultural traditions.**
**- show how the practice has been adapted.**

5. Based on the excerpt, how does the author develop the thesis that cultural traditions influence arranged marriages? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

The author develops the thesis that cultural traditions influence arranged marriages by discussing the geographic distribution of the practice and its historical context. For instance, the mention of modern arranged marriages primarily occurring in the Middle East and Far East suggests that cultural traditions in these regions are still strongly adhered to despite globalization. Furthermore, the reference to how arranged marriages were once common in Europe until the 1700s illustrates how cultural shifts and increased individualism have caused changes in marriage practices over time. Additionally, the inclusion of royal families continuing to arrange marriages underscores the influence of tradition and social status within certain cultures, suggesting that these marriages are still shaped by deep-rooted cultural values. This evidence illustrates how arranged marriages are affected by the cultural context and heritage of specific communities.

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