Taiwan bans find-a-foreign-bride firms
Taiwan is getting ____________ on mail order brides. Starting from August 1, 2009, there is a ban on companies that ____________ international marriages. Taiwan’s Immigration Agency says it wants to stamp out the practice of Taiwanese men choosing Chinese or South-East Asian brides ____________. Companies can no longer take Taiwanese men on blind-date tours of Asian countries to ____________ a bride. All Taiwanese men hoping to marry a foreign woman must now ____________ to an approved government agency. These organizations cannot ____________ a matchmaking fee. The only money that can now change ____________ is for airfares and hotels for overseas visits. Companies that attempt to charge for arranging marriages will be ____________ up to $US 30,000. The new regulations are ____________ of Taiwan’s new Immigration Act. The island nation wants to ____________ the number of fraudulent marriages. The ____________ laws meant many women entered the country after marrying Taiwanese men, only to work as prostitutes. There were many other ____________ such as insurance scams. The number of foreign brides arriving in Taiwan has ____________ dramatically. Immigration officials report that around 420,000 foreign ____________, mainly brides, entered Taiwan in the first half of 2009. This figure ____________ with 410,000 for the whole of 2008. Taiwan’s men are finding it hard to find a Taiwanese bride. Many women are putting their ____________ ahead of marriage, marrying at a later age, or not marrying at all.
C. AFTER LISTENING
Answer the following questions.
1) What did you think when you read the headline?
2) What springs to your mind when you hear the word ‘bride’?
3) What do you think of the idea of mail order brides?
4) Do you have a different image of mail order brides and mail order grooms?
5) What do you think of international marriages?
6) Could you marry someone from another country?
7) What are the good and bad points about arranged marriages?
8) Would you like to go on a “blind-date tour” to meet a potential partner?
9) Is there anything wrong with looking for a spouse online?
10) Is it good that Taiwan is now regulating the finding of a foreign bride?
11) Are thousands of international marriages good or bad for a country?
12) How can authorities stamp out marriages for criminal purposes?
13) What should happen to the bride and groom if the foreign bride becomes a prostitute?
14) Do children of international marriages have any problems?
15) Do you think most marriages will be international in the future?
16) Is it good that women are deciding not to get married?
17) What is more important for a woman, career or marriage?
18) Is marriage changing in your country?
19) What questions would you like to ask a foreign bride going to Taiwan?