Контроль читання. І семестр. Рівень стандарту (В1) 'The age for marriage' 11 класи

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The age for marriage

Marriage is an old and common custom in all cultures. Most marriages are between two adults, although some countries allow children to wed. And in the United States, studies show that the average marriage age of adults is changing.

In the United States, records of couples getting married have been kept since the country’s beginning. Those records are not complete, but they can give us an idea of how old people were when they got married. People started keeping better records in 1880. In that year, the government began to take a census of families. After that time, the average age of marriage was more clearly understood by researchers and the government.

From the information that is available about marriages in the US, some interesting trends have been found. In the 1600s, women usually married as teenagers or in their early twenties. The average age for men was around 25. By the end of the 1800s, the marriage age for women had increased, but for men, it had stayed about the same. The 1880 census showed that the average age for men was 26.5. The average age for women was 23.0. In the next census ten years later, the numbers were 23.6 for women and 27.6 for men.

Surprisingly, into the 1900s, the average age for marriage began to decrease. The typical marriage age for men and women decreased to its lowest point in 1960. For men, the marriage age was around 23, and for women it was 20. But since 1960, the average marriage age has been rising again. By 1990, the age at which men typically wed was again around 27 and for women 25. And it is still going up. Recent studies show that men are now getting married at 29 and women at 27.

For more than 400 years, the average marriage age in the US has gone up and down. But these latest average ages are the highest ever. And because they are continuing to rise, some people are worried. They are afraid that the numbers mean that marriage is becoming less important.

What is the main topic of the text?

Read the text and choose the correct answer.

The age for marriage

Marriage is an old and common custom in all cultures. Most marriages are between two adults, although some countries allow children to wed. And in the United States, studies show that the average marriage age of adults is changing.

In the United States, records of couples getting married have been kept since the country’s beginning. Those records are not complete, but they can give us an idea of how old people were when they got married. People started keeping better records in 1880. In that year, the government began to take a census of families. After that time, the average age of marriage was more clearly understood by researchers and the government.

From the information that is available about marriages in the US, some interesting trends have been found. In the 1600s, women usually married as teenagers or in their early twenties. The average age for men was around 25. By the end of the 1800s, the marriage age for women had increased, but for men, it had stayed about the same. The 1880 census showed that the average age for men was 26.5. The average age for women was 23.0. In the next census ten years later, the numbers were 23.6 for women and 27.6 for men.

Surprisingly, into the 1900s, the average age for marriage began to decrease. The typical marriage age for men and women decreased to its lowest point in 1960. For men, the marriage age was around 23, and for women it was 20. But since 1960, the average marriage age has been rising again. By 1990, the age at which men typically wed was again around 27 and for women 25. And it is still going up. Recent studies show that men are now getting married at 29 and women at 27.

For more than 400 years, the average marriage age in the US has gone up and down. But these latest average ages are the highest ever. And because they are continuing to rise, some people are worried. They are afraid that the numbers mean that marriage is becoming less important.

When did people in the US begin keeping better marriage records?

Read the text and choose the correct answer.

The age for marriage

Marriage is an old and common custom in all cultures. Most marriages are between two adults, although some countries allow children to wed. And in the United States, studies show that the average marriage age of adults is changing.

In the United States, records of couples getting married have been kept since the country’s beginning. Those records are not complete, but they can give us an idea of how old people were when they got married. People started keeping better records in 1880. In that year, the government began to take a census of families. After that time, the average age of marriage was more clearly understood by researchers and the government.

From the information that is available about marriages in the US, some interesting trends have been found. In the 1600s, women usually married as teenagers or in their early twenties. The average age for men was around 25. By the end of the 1800s, the marriage age for women had increased, but for men, it had stayed about the same. The 1880 census showed that the average age for men was 26.5. The average age for women was 23.0. In the next census ten years later, the numbers were 23.6 for women and 27.6 for men.

Surprisingly, into the 1900s, the average age for marriage began to decrease. The typical marriage age for men and women decreased to its lowest point in 1960. For men, the marriage age was around 23, and for women it was 20. But since 1960, the average marriage age has been rising again. By 1990, the age at which men typically wed was again around 27 and for women 25. And it is still going up. Recent studies show that men are now getting married at 29 and women at 27.

For more than 400 years, the average marriage age in the US has gone up and down. But these latest average ages are the highest ever. And because they are continuing to rise, some people are worried. They are afraid that the numbers mean that marriage is becoming less important.

What helped the government better understand marriage age?