Anger at the practice of demanding dowries, which can lead to violence against brides, has caused a takeoff of "Angry Birds" called "Angry Brides" that aims to highlight the illegal practice still common in many South Asian countries.
Dowries -- such as jewelry, clothes, cars and money -- are traditionally given by the bride's family to the groom and his parents to ensure she is taken care of in her new home.
The custom was outlawed more than five decades ago. But it is still widely practiced, with the groom's family demanding even more money after marriage, leading to mental and physical abuse that can drive the woman to suicide.
"The Angry Brides game is our way of throwing a spotlight on the nuisance (陋习) of dowry," said Ram Bhamidi, senior vice president and head of online marketing for Shaadi.com, a matrimonial (婚姻的) website with two million members.
"According to a 2007 study, there is a dowry-related death every four hours in India. We condemn this and have consistently run campaigns on social media to help create awareness of the issue."
The name of the app, available on the group's home page, is a spinoff from the globally popular "Angry Birds" game. Its home page shows a red-clad, eight-armed woman resembling a powerful female Hindu goddess. Underneath, there is a caption: "A woman will give you strength, care and all the love you need ... NOT dowry!"
To play the game, users have to try and hit three dodging grooms -- a pilot, builder and doctor. There is a wide array of weapons to choose from, including a stiletto shoe, a frying pan, broomstick, tomato and loafer.
Each groom has a price tag, starting at 1.5 million rupees ($29,165). Every time the player hits a groom, his value decreases and money is added to the player's Anti-Dowry Fund, which is saved posted on their Facebook page.
"Since we launched the game last week, more than 270,000 people have liked the app. Both men and women seem to be playing it," said Bhamidi.
小题1:What caused "Angry Brides" to appear online?
A．Women's rights' being seriously abused．
B．Anger at the practice of demanding dowries．
C．The bride's giving a great many dowries．
D．The popularity of Angry Birds online．小题2:Which of the following is True about "Dowries"?
A．The custom of giving dowries has been in practice for five decades．
B．Lack of abundant dowries may lead to the bride's being in violence．
C．The illegal practice of dowries is still popular in many African countries．
D．More dowries the bride gives mean a high social status of her family．小题3:The underlined word "spinoff” probably means_____________．
A．relation
B．connection
C．copy
D．fake小题4:Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the game "Angry Brides"?
A．There are a variety of weapons to choose from．
B．Ram Bhamidi thinks highly of the game．
C．Men players don't find the game enjoyable．
D．The game character looks like a Hindu goddess．小题5:What is the text mainly about?
A．Women's unfair treatment in the marriage．
B．The popularity of the game "Angry Brides"．
C．The groom's demanding too many dowries．
D．How to build an equal relation in the marriage．
