TOEFL® writing: best way to choose a marriage partner

[Leuleu]

What is your best way to choose a marriage partner?

In Western countries like China, Korea, or Vietnam, in which I am living, there are some traditional ways of choosing a marriage partner, most popular among which is that the parents introduce some men or women as candidates for their children to select. However, it is an old-fashioned pattern and now people are more independent and active in finding partners and getting married, and I prefer this way. But, in order to successfully choose a suitable person, we should prepare ourselves carefully. For me, the following points are the best way.

Firstly, we should be true to ourselves. It means that always be truthful in our thoughts, words and actions. Normally, people try to hide their weaknesses or pretend to be their own real selves when they communicate with others. They think it is a good way to be perfect in front of their partner to attract them. But if they do so, they will create a fake image of themselves and this will result in wrong expectations from their future wife or husband, and later it will become conflicts between them.

Also, considering which is the environment where we meet our partner helps us a lot in finding a good partner. We know that a sustainable marriage will be the result of a good and long-lasting friendship. So, that will be a big fortune if we can choose partners among colleagues at our company, our friends or classmates at college or extra classes that we take part in… There will be more chances for us to understand each other's habits, strengths, characteristics and even weaknesses.

Finally, when we seek for an ideal marriage partner, we should observe very carefully the person we meet so that we can see or feel by our senses whether she or he matches with our selection criteria or not. Of course, to do that, we need a list of requirements of qualities. Though this is a good strategy but do not be too strict with that.

To sum up, I cite a very nice saying that is “no preparation means preparing for failure”. So, we need to identify our own way to choose the right partner for us.

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Please help me check this essay. Thank you.

TOEFL listening lectures: A university lecture by a professor of Animal Behaviour