Would You Marry a Stranger?

Question

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. Make sure to use quotations when citing the evidence

Answer 1

1. How does the preservation of social status reflect broader cultural values in arranged marriages?

   • Answer: A. It shows how communities prioritize traditional hierarchies and social status.
     This option highlights the cultural emphasis on maintaining established social structures, which underpins the practice of arranged marriages.

2. What is the most likely reason the author includes the sentence about arranged marriages being less popular in China in paragraph 4?

   • Answer: A. To demonstrate how traditional practices evolve when cultural values shift.
     This choice indicates the relationship between changing cultural values and the modification in the practice of arranged marriages.

3. The author most likely includes the sentence about royal families in paragraph 5 to –

   • Answer: A. highlight a modern group that continues the practice of arranged marriage.
     This option underscores that despite the decline in some contexts, arranged marriages are still a component of certain modern social structures, particularly within royal families.

4. The inclusion of immigrant families bringing arranged marriage to America most likely serves to — Select TWO correct answers.

   • Answer:
     • illustrate the persistence of cultural traditions.
     • show how the practice has been adapted.
       These choices indicate that the tradition of arranged marriage continues among immigrant communities, reflecting how cultural practices can persist and evolve within new environments.

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.

   • Answer: The author develops the thesis by discussing how arranged marriages are deeply rooted in cultural traditions, particularly in regions where such practices are still prevalent today. For example, the mention of "millions still engage in the practice today" underscores the ongoing relevance of these cultural traditions. The author also notes that arranged marriages in royal families serve to "preserve royal heritage or social status," further emphasizing how cultural values shape the structure of marriages. These examples collectively illustrate how cultural traditions dictate the norms surrounding marriage, supporting the thesis that arranged marriages are influenced largely by the underlying cultural expectations and values.