I LOVE YOU LETS SIGN AN AGREEEMENT

Until recently, most couples in the modern Western world simply fell in love and got married.
However, some people are now following a trend originally started by celebrity couples by signing
a prenuptial agreement before the wedding. A quick look a some of these contracts shows that
some couples are no longer willing to leave any detail of their married life to chance.
Today, many prenup agreements contain what are called lifestyle clauses. These may deal with
any aspect of the couples married life which they want to clarify in advance. One agreement, for
example, stated that the husband could only watch one football match with friends on a Sunday.
Another husband has to keep working until he is 65. Sometimes the contracts also state the
punishment that can be given for breaking the rules. Fines reaching sums as high as $100,000 can
be imposed for bad behaviour. This may include drug use, weight gain (with a specific amount set
for each kilo gained over a predetermined maximum) or rudeness to the wifes parents.
In fact, many of the lifestyle clauses deal with family matters, and in-laws are a popular subject.
One contract does not allow the wifes mother to make overnight visits to the marital home, while
another limits in-law visits to a maximum of two consecutive days. Children are also often
mentioned by couples in the prenup. In addition to traditional concerns, such as the religion of the
children, where the partners belong to different faiths, these agreements may specify whether the
children will be vegetarian or which school they will attend. Sometimes they even deal with the
living arrangements and visitation rights for a couples pets in case of a divorce. And where good
domestic help is hard to find, one partner may demand to keep the services of the gardener or the
nanny.
If this trend continues, couples may routinely look not only for a band and a caterer but also for a
lawyer when planning a wedding!
1. Choose the best answer according to the text.
1. A recent trend for prenuptial agreements
a. means that most moder couples fall in love and marry
b. was first established by some well-known couples
c. can ensure that details of married life are left to chance
2. Family matters discussed in prenups
a. often set rules for contact with in-laws
b. never deal with the husbands parents
c. forbid staying overnight at the mothers home

2. Decide if the sentences below are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence in the text to support
your answers.
1. Lifestyle clauses is another name for todays prenuptial agreements.
....
2. Prenups often deal with traditional child-rearing issues.
...
3. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the original meaning.
1. One contract does not allow the wifes mother to make overgnight visits
In one contract, the wifes
mother...
2. Children are also often mentioned by couples in the prenup.
Couples
.....
4. Why do some prenuptial agreements mention the nanny or the gardener?

5. Find words in the text that mean the same as:

1. precise (2)
2. impolite behaviour (2)
3. restricts (3)
4. referred to (3)
5. as a matter of course (4)