【B1】______ 【B9】______

Why do people marry? People divorce often, but they remarry soon enough after they divorce. Now many of them divorce at a much younger age than before. But what many sociologists find difficult to understand is that they seem to be more eager to (26) rush into marriage than get out of it.
     In the old days there was every reason to marry young--(27)especially among the working class. In Chinese (28) communities, unmarried men and women seemed to be (29) disadvantaged in many ways. Women were in a more difficult (30) position than men since in earlier times, girls were not allowed to be (31) educated. They also did not enjoy social freedom.
      For men, they often led an (32) unpleasant or uncomfortable life as they did not have a wife to do the (33) sewing, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the husband and children. Both sexes needed marriage far more than now.
     Many sociologists believe that the material conveniences (34) that are provided by modern appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines reduce the usefulness of marriage.  But such conveniences have also weakened the bonds of family life. (35) Though we seem to be meeting more people, our relationships are few. We are close to crowds but we feel more alone than before. One feels lonely in the midst of crowds. (36) It is just like being at a party where, when left alone, one would feel some sort of emptiness. All of a sudden, one is living in a world one does not understand. Thus one feels the need for somebody that one can be close to! Then one can share body and soul.