Lisa: From my point of view, successful marriages are an endangered societal species. It seems that it is very common that couples get divorced. It’s a pity because marriage is of great importance. If people focus more on their marriages, there would be fewer divorce cases. Certain qualities make marriage a success, such as responsibility and a sense of humor. When partners understand this, more happy marriages can be maintained. Wendy: What I think that helps to maintain a successful marriage is that you should not only think of yourself. My husband and I have married happily for about ten years. His generous nature makes me want to do things for him. I understand that sometimes he would rather be reading, relaxing, or working on the car, but he only does these for himself when all the housework are done and the children have been taken care of. In return, I bake him all his favorite home-made cookies and try to do special things for him. I feel very fortunate to have married him. Catherine: My husband is also my best friend. I share most of my thoughts with him. It is easy for us to talk about most things, so we don’t have a lot of secrets from each other. If my friends make him upset, he tells me about it. Things like that are easier to cope with when they’re out in the open than when they’re kept inside. Therefore, we have a very open, comfortable relationship. Arlene: I feel very sorry for my divorced friends. The continuity of their lives has been broken no matter how eagerly the former spouses try to keep in touch, and how generous the visiting privileges for the parent who does not get the custody of the kids. The years they spent together have been cut off from the rest of their lives. They are an isolated memory, no more integral to their past than a snapshot. Keller: The first skill to maintain a happy marriage is not to be a person who imagines a husband is necessary to make you extremely complete. Those who cannot live without each other can hardly have a nice partnership. There is no room even in daydreams for idea that there is only one mate intended for another, since it is really stupid. Now match each of the persons to the appropriate statement. Note: there are two extra statements. Statements A Being unselfish is essential to maintain a marriage. B Lack of responsibility results in divorce. C Being able to communicate with each other makes our marriage successful. D The quality of independence and pride contributes to successful marriage. E Marriage is the result of extended love. F Divorced people often live an incomplete life. G Divorces can be avoided. Keller