单选题 Of the great variety of opinions concerning "marriage for money" , the following three are important with reference to the development of the importance of money. Marriages based exclusively upon economic motives have not only existed in all periods and at all stages of development, but are particularly common among primitive groups and conditions where they do not cause any offence at all. The disparagement of personal dignity that nowadays arises in every marriage that is not based on personal affection-- so that a sense of decency requires the concealment of economic motives--does not exist in simpler cultures. The reason for this development is that increasing individualization makes it increasingly contradictory and discreditable to enter into purely individual relationships for other than purely individual reasons.
For nowadays the choice of a partner in marriage is no longer determined by social motives (though regard for the offspring may be considered to be such a motive), in so far as society does not insist upon the couple" s equal social status--a condition, however, that provides a great deal of latitude and only rarely leads to conflicts between individual and social interests. In a quite undifferentiated society it may be relatively irrelevant who marries whom, irrelevant not only for the mutual relationship of the couple but also for the offspring. This is because where the constitutions, state of health, temperament, internal and external forms of life and orientations are largely the same within the group, the chance that the children will turn out well depends less upon whether the parents agree and complement each other than it does in highly differentiated society. It therefore seems quite natural and expedient that the choice of the partner should be determined by reasons other than purely individual affection. Yet personal attraction should be decisive in a highly individualized society where a harmonious relationship between two individuals becomes increasingly rare.
The declining frequency of marriage which is to be found everywhere in highly civilized cultural circumstances is undoubtedly due, in part, to the fact that highly differentiated people in general have difficulty in finding a completely sympathetic complement to themselves. Yet we do not possess any other criterion and indication for the advisability of marriage except mutual instinctive attraction. But, happiness is a purely personal matter, decided upon entirely by the couple themselves, and there would be no compelling reason for the official insistence on at least pretending love may be misleading- particularly in the higher strata, whose complicated circumstances often retard the growth of the purest instincts- no matter how much other conditions may affect the final results, it remains true that, with reference to procreation, love is decidedly superior to money as a factor selection. In fact, in this respect, it is the only fight and proper thing.
Marriage for money directly creates a situation of panmixia- the indiscriminate pairing regardless of individual qualities--a condition that biology has demonstrated to be the cause of the most direct and detrimental degeneration of the human species. In the case of marriage for money, the union of a couple is determined by a factor that has absolutely nothing to do with racial appropriateness--just as the regard for money often enough keeps apart a couple who really belong together--and it should be considered as a factor in degeneration to the same extent to which the undoubted differentiation of individuals makes selection by personal attraction more and more important. This case too illustrates once more that the increasing individualization within society renders money increasingly unsuitable as a mediator of purely individual relationships.
Comprehension questions
单选题 According to the text, what is said to influence matrimonial compatibility and stability in simpler cultures7
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 题目问:根据文章内容,在原始文化里,什么影响婚姻的兼容性和稳定性?第 一段“Marriages based exclusively upon economic motives have not only existed in all periods and at all stages of development,but are particularly common among primitive groups and conditions where they do not cause any offence at all.”通过这句话可知,婚姻完全基于经济动机不仅存在 于任何时代的任何阶段,而且在原始条件下非常普遍。据此判断,应选择C。
单选题 Marriages motivated by monetary aspirations are more likely not to be camouflaged in what strata of society?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 题目问:在哪个社会阶层,基于货币愿望为动机的婚姻更可能不被掩盖?第三 段“and there would be no compelling reason for the official insistence on at least pretending love may be misleading--particularly in the higher strata”通过这句话可知,基于金钱关系的婚姻很 普遍,尤其是在较高阶层。据此判断,应选择D。
单选题 The marriage rate is said to be decreasing because ______
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 题目问:结婚率正在降低是因为什么?第二段“the chance that the children will turn out well depends less upon whether the parents agree and complement each other than it does in highly differentiated society…Yet personal aRraction should be decisive.”通过这句话可知,在高 度分化的社会,婚姻很少征求父母的同意,而是更多地取决于个人因素。个人魅力是决定性 的。据此判断,应选择C。
单选题 How is the question of race in relation to marriage similar to the question of money?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 题目考查种族问题对婚姻的影响。最后一段“Inthe case of marriage for money,the union of a couple is determined by a factor that has absolutely nothing to do with racial appropriateness--just as the regard for money often enough keeps apart a couple who really belong together.”通过这句话可知,金钱、种族都会将真正相爱的人分开。据此判断,应选择D。
单选题 Panmixia is said to______
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 题目考查随机交配婚姻的影响。最后一段“Marriage for money directly creates a situation of panmixia——the indiscriminate pairing regardless of individual qualities——a condition that biology has demonstrated to be the cause of the most direct and detrimental degeneration of the human species.”通过这句话可知,基于金钱的婚姻直接导致了随机交配群体的产生(不论素 质是否相配就在一起),生物学已经证明这直接引发了人类的退化。据此判断,应选择D。