the ARTICLE (for teachers)

Transcription

1 the ARTICLE (for teachers) Many kinds of online businesses come and go these days. Some of these businesses are legitimate, some are scams, and some are unusual. Olu O. Eniwaye, a professor at Daytona State College in Ohio, thought of a new idea. He wanted to sell marriage insurance online. After all, in the US, 50% of marriages end in divorce. Relationships are more complex these days because couples continue to marry later in their lives. Both men and women bring more assets and debt to the marriage. Surprisingly, the idea of marriage insurance isn't a new one. In England of the 1600s, insurance policies were regularly written for marriages and births. However, from today's viewpoint, many of these policies were more like wagers. This sort of insurance disappeared for about three hundred years because England outlawed the practice in the early 1700s. Eniwaye's insurance policy offers financial remuneration for policy holders whose marriages end in divorce. Figures show that the combined wealth of couples increases about 16% for each year of marriage. Therefore, marriage insurance offers some financial safety. It provides a minimal amount of the wealth lost if a marriage ends. Claim amounts range from $250 to $10,000. Annual premiums cost $ to $610. The idea of marriage insurance developed as a result of Eniwaye's background in counseling. Some people have questioned the honesty of the idea. Is it real or is it a scam? John Logan filed a consumer- fraud complaint. Eniwaye doesn't have a license to sell the insurance, which makes it a felony punishable by a fine and/or prison time. Eniwaye has denied the charges. Teacher's Notes: * Underlined words in red typeface are the recommended vocabulary for this lesson.

2 STUDENT HANDOUT (the article) January, Thursday 12, 2012 Many kinds of online businesses come and go these days. Some of these businesses are legitimate, some are scams, and some are unusual. Olu O. Eniwaye, a professor at Daytona State College in Ohio, thought of a new idea. He wanted to sell marriage insurance online. After all, in the US, 50% of marriages end in divorce. Relationships are more complex these days because couples continue to marry later in their lives. Both men and women bring more assets and debt to the marriage. Surprisingly, the idea of marriage insurance isn't a new one. In England of the 1600s, insurance policies were regularly written for marriages and births. However, from today's viewpoint, many of these policies were more like wagers. This sort of insurance disappeared for about three hundred years because England outlawed the practice in the early 1700s. Eniwaye's insurance policy offers financial remuneration for policy holders whose marriages end in divorce. Figures show that the combined wealth of couples increases about 16% for each year of marriage. Therefore, marriage insurance offers some financial safety. It provides a minimal amount of the wealth lost if a marriage ends. Claim amounts range from $250 to $10,000. Annual premiums cost $ to $610. The idea of marriage insurance developed as a result of Eniwaye's background in counseling. Some people have questioned the honesty of the idea. Is it real or is it a scam? John Logan filed a consumer- fraud complaint. Eniwaye doesn't have a license to sell the insurance, which makes it a felony punishable by a fine and/or prison time. Eniwaye has denied the charges. Notes:

3 STUDENT HANDOUT (fill in the blank) Fill in the blank with the correct word. assets complex remuneration denied outlawed scam viewpoint births minimal online legitimate background wagers complaint Many kinds of (a. ) businesses come and go these days. Some of these businesses are (b. ), some are scams, and some are unusual. Olu O. Eniwaye, a professor at Daytona State College in Ohio, thought of a new idea. He wanted to sell marriage insurance online. After all, in the US, 50% of marriages end in divorce. Relationships are more (c. ) these days because couples continue to marry later in their lives. Both men and women bring more (d. ) and debt to the marriage. Surprisingly, the idea of marriage insurance isn't a new one. In England of the 1600s, insurance policies were regularly written for marriages and (e. ). However, from today's (f. ), many of these policies were more like (g. ). This sort of insurance disappeared for about three hundred years because England (h. ) the practice in the early 1700s. Eniwaye's insurance policy offers financial ( ) for policy holders whose marriages end in divorce. Figures show that the combined wealth of couples increases about 16% for each year of marriage. Therefore, marriage insurance offers some financial safety. It provides a ( ) amount of the wealth lost if a marriage ends. Claim amounts range from $250 to $10,000. (k. ) premiums cost $ to $610. The idea of marriage insurance developed as a result of Eniwaye's (l. ) in counseling. Some people have questioned the honesty of the idea. Is it real or is it a (m. )? John Logan filed a consumer-fraud (n. ). Eniwaye doesn't have a license to sell the insurance, which makes it a felony punishable by a fine and/or prison time. Eniwaye has (o. ) the charges.

4 VOCABULARY Select one of the following vocabulary acquisition activities. 1: Vocabulary match: Individually or in pairs/groups, match the words in column A (from the article) with the best choice in column B. a. legitimate q. bet b. complex r. real c. asset s. opinion d. viewpoint t. yearly e. wager u. payment f. outlaw v. difficult to understand g. remuneration h. minimal w. challenge x. ban deny y. very little z. money 2: Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the blank with the correct word. assets remuneration legitimate denied wagers complex outlawed minimal viewpoint a. Some of online businesses are ( b. Relationships are more ( c. Both men and women bring more ( ), some are scams, and some are unusual. ) these days because couples marry later in their lives. ) and debt to the marriage. d. From today's ( ), these policies weren't like modern insurance policies. e. These policies were more like ( ). f. England ( ) the practice in the early 1700s. g. Eniwaye's insurance offers financial ( ) for people whose marriages end in divorce. h. It provides a ( ) amount of the wealth lost if a marriage ends. ( Eniwaye has ( ) premiums cost $ to $610. ) the charges. 3: Define: Define each word, correctly pronounce it, explain the meaning and/or usage, and offer an example sentence to the class. a. legitimate b. complex c. asset d. viewpoint e. wager f. outlaw g. remuneration h. minimal deny

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