Min Huang is a banker in a small city in China. She surprised her new in-laws by including a computer in her dowry. It was alongside the traditional items like furniture, dishes, and linens. When the family asked about the computer, she explained that she wanted to improve her professional skills as her office had already been computerized. She told her parents that she wanted a computer for her dowry. They didn’t hesitate to buy her one. They knew a computer would be important to her, and to her new family’s future.
People who study Chinese marriage customs are very interested in this story. According to those customs, the groom’s parents are responsible for the couple’s housing. The bride’s family supplies the daily necessities. But, the contents of the dowry have changed over time. In the past, when rural people lived in fairly harsh conditions, they usually chose grain and clothing for a daughter who would soon be married. This showed their desire to protect her from hunger and cold.
In the 1950s, farm equipment and animals became popular items. Parents hoped that the daughter’s life could be improved through hard work. Modern times, however, bring the need for VCRs, stereos, and computers. Through these dowry items, parents hope that their daughter will be part of a successful, modern world.
Min’s parents said, “We want our daughter to be a success. We want her to be part of a new world. A computer is part of that world.” Min completely agrees, and she is grateful for having such generous and intelligent parents. 【題組】
46. What is a dowry?
(A) What a man gives his wife when they are married.
(B) What the groom’s parents provide for the bride.
(C) What a woman brings with her for the home when she gets married.
(D) What the wife’s parents keep for the wife in case of divorce.
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