The problem of staying single in Singapore

• What kind of problems could there be with being single in Singapore?

The problem of staying single in Singapore

Para.1: gvt./business -matchmaking

Para.2: manyschemes

Para.3: troubled –“on time”

Para.4: appreciatefamily concern/problem – on time

Para.5: Asianwomen marry later– Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree –“get married earlyto have children”

Para.7: moredivorce

Para.8: rising costs– double income

Para.9: “love” =Western concept/Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/good partner = more important

In this article, ..., Dora Cheok, discusses a campaign by the Singapore government, assisted by the (49) …

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

In this article, ..., Dora Cheok, discusses a campaign by the Singapore government, assisted by the (49) …

• Paragraph 1.• “It’s about how the

government has long been trying to pair singles together, and how the private sector is now getting involved in matchmaking as well.”

• Who is helping the government in this campaign?

• (49) private sector

…which aims to persuade people, especially women, to (50) and (51) earlier.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

…which aims to persuade people, especially women, to (50) and (51) earlier.

• Paragraph 1• “… the government

has long been trying to pair singles together …”

• Actually, the whole passage is about this.

• (50) marry

• Paragraph 3• “They’re not having

children on time”.• Again, most of the

passage is about this. • “to” tells us we need

the bare infinitive.• (51) have children

This campaign seems to be in response to concerns of the Singapore government about (52) growth.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

This campaign seems to be in response to concerns of the Singapore government about (52) growth.

• Paragraph 5• “Governments like

Singapore’s are worried about low population growth and are doing their best to encourage women to get married and …”

• What is the Singapore government concerned about?

• (52) low population

Cheok comments that it is common for the government to try (53) the behaviour of its citizens, referring to past campaigns promoting courtesy and (54) spitting as examples.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

Cheok comments that it is common for the government to try (53) the behaviour of its citizens, referring to past campaigns promoting courtesy and (54) spitting as examples.

• Para. 2: “I’m Singaporean and campaigns of all kinds are the norm where I grew up: courtesy campaigns, no-spitting campaigns, and even let’s-get-married campaigns.”

• What is the gvt. trying to do to the behaviour of its citizens?

• (53) to change/ to modify

• promoting courtesy and _____ spitting

• (54) not

The current trend is for Asian women, especially those with (55) levels, to remain single longer ...

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

The current trend is for Asian women, especially those with (55) levels, to remain single longer ...

• Paragraph 5• “There’s no denying

that singles in Asia (women to be precise), particularly those with higher education, are opting to get married later, …”

• What kind of women remain single longer?

• (55) higher education

The Singapore government has responded by introducing (56): financial incentives to encourage parenthood.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

The Singapore government has responded by introducing (56): financial incentives to encourage parenthood.

• Paragraph 5• “(They) are doing

their best to encourage women to get married and have more babies by offering a whole range of incentives, known as baby bonuses.”

• Version 2 gives us the name of the incentives and then explains what they are.

• Version 1 explains that the government is giving incentives and then tells us what they’re called.

• (56) baby bonuses

Cheok approves of this move because it (57) the sacrifices women make when they have children.

Para.1: gvt./business -matchmaking

Para.2: manyschemes

Para.3: troubled –“on time”

Para.4: appreciatefamily concern/problem – on time

Para.5: Asianwomen marry later– Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree –“get married earlyto have children”

Para.7: moredivorce

Para.8: rising costs– double income

Para.9: “love” =Western concept/Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/good partner = more important

Cheok approves of this move because it (57) the sacrifices women make when they have children.

• The reference to “this move” allows us to assume that the answer is close to the previous one. Paragraph 6.

• “It’s very encouraging to see an Asian government acknowledging the fact that women must make big sacrifices in order to start a family.”

• “because it acknowledging” is grammatically impossible.

• Present tense.• (57) acknowledges

Her own experience is that (58) members also frequently put (59) on her to find a mate.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

Her own experience is that (58) members also frequently put (59) on her to find a mate.

• Paragraph 4• I have been … the

recipient of well meaning concern from my formidable family.”

• Who wants her to find a mate?

• (58) family

• Her family is concerned but you can’t “put concern on”.

• What word fits into this structure and keeps the overall meaning?

• (59) pressure

Cheok herself has strong reservations about young people rushing into early (60) and parenthood.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

Cheok herself has strong reservations about young people rushing into early (60) and parenthood.

• Paragraph 6• “What troubles me (is)

… the idea that having children early in life is sound reason for getting married.”

• Parenthood = having children

• getting married = ?• Rush into something.• Early is an adjective

so (60) is a noun.• (60) marriage

She cites the rising (61) across Asia, the high financial costs of raising children, and the stress of combining a (62) with parenthood ...

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

She cites the rising (61) across Asia, the high financial costs of raising children, and the stress of combining a (62) with parenthood ...

• Paragraph 7• “ You need only look

at increasing divorce rates throughout Asia to know …”

• What is rising?• (61) divorce rates

• Paragraph 8• “… you need a

double-income … This means working parents have the added stress of two demanding careers within a family.”

• (62) career

She notes that single-parent households, not an (63) for children, are increasing.

Para.1: gvt./business -matchmaking

Para.2: manyschemes

Para.3: troubled –“on time”

Para.4: appreciatefamily concern/problem – on time

Para.5: Asianwomen marry later– Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree –“get married earlyto have children”

Para.7: moredivorce

Para.8: rising costs– double income

Para.9: “love” =Western concept/Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/good partner = more important

She notes that single-parent households, not an (63) for children, are increasing.

• Paragraph 7• “There’s a

corresponding increase in the number of single-parent households - not the ideal environment for raising your child.”

• This is easy if you know where to look.

• (63) ideal environment

She claims that other factors such as (64) and (65) are still of fundamental importance in modern-day Asian marriage decisions.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

She claims that other factors such as (64) and (65) are still of fundamental importance in modern-day Asian marriage decisions.

• Paragraph 9• “Let’s face it: most

marriages in Asia aren’t about love; they’re about duty, obligation, and the meeting of expectations.”

• What are the two factors mentioned?

• (64) duty• (65) obligation

Cheok recognises that there is a strong biological argument to have children early, since (66) decreases with age, and the chance of producing a child with (67) increases.

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

Cheok recognises that there is a strong biological argument to have children early, since (66) decreases with age, and the chance of producing a child with (67) increases.

• Paragraph 11• “As women approach

their mid-30s, they face reduced fertility and the possibility of having a baby with a chromosome abnormality or other health problems.”

• What decreases with age?

• (66) fertility• There is no article in

front of (67).• (67) health problems/

chromosome abnormalities

On balance, however, she feels that important (68) about having a family should be made carefully, when the time and the person are “right”.

• You do not need to refer to the passage.

• She is talking about choosing the right time and person.

• We know that we are looking for a noun because of “important”.

• We’re speaking generally, so we need the plural form.

• We are looking for a noun that can be used with the verb “make” in the passive voice.

• (68) choices/decisions

A practical question for her is the practical one of whether the marriage (69).

Para.1: gvt./ business -matchmaking

Para.2: many schemes

Para.3: troubled – “on time”

Para.4: appreciate family concern/ problem – on time

Para.5: Asian women marry later – Sing. gvt. worried

Para.6: disagree – “get married early to have children”

Para.7: more divorce

Para.8: rising costs – double income

Para.9: “love” = Western concept/ Asia = duty

Para.10: Accept 2nd best?

Para.11: children when older = risk/ good partner = more important

A practical question for her is the practical one of whether the marriage (69).

• Paragraph 11• “Would that sort of

marriage last?”

• (69) would last