“Before you fall in love, you'd better get a job”
As told by Lee Joon-ho, 20, a senior in law at Seoul National University
Korean TV dramas have shown a lot of rebellious(反叛的) youth, but in fact most students still live a traditional life.
Confucianism has a great influence on us. For instance, Confucius said that we should be dutiful to our parents and value the family. Thus we prefer a school that's close to home so we can go back every day.
Also as a result of Confucianism, teachers enjoy a high status in Korea. The other day, my professor was flying to Vienna on a business trip. Instead of waiting for hours in the queue, he was told to check in first and didn't have any problem with overweight luggage.
When it comes to important decision-making, such as choosing a university, a job, and a wife, we listen to our parents' suggestions. Most parents seem liberal in study decisions, but they take a firmer attitude towards their children's love and marriage choices. Often, a man has to have his own business or a solid career before he's allowed to pursue romance.
Male chauvinism is popular among our parents' generation, since they had to support the whole family through hard work. We need to shoulder the same responsibility, but we've also learned to respect women, as they're doing outstanding work in lots of areas. But to be honest, my friends and I still prefer a traditional woman as a girlfriend and future wife. We want her to be elegant and thoughtful in taking care of a family.
Our sense of tradition is also reflected in our buying habits. In my house, you see only Korean appliances. Although European cell phones are available in ROK, we favor LG and Samsung, which are suited more to our tastes and widely promoted in TV dramas and films.
小题1:The professor was told to check in first because _________.
A．His luggage was overweight.
B．He had waited for hours.
C．People respect teachers in Korea.
D．He was on a business trip.小题2:Which of the statements is true according to the passage?
A．Generally speaking, men need to support the whole family in Korea.
B．Korean women have no freedom in choosing husbands.
C．Male chauvinism is popular among young people now.
D．Young people are out of control of their parents.小题3:From the last paragraph we can learn that _________.
A．You can not find European cell phones in Korea.
B．You can see advertisements for LG and Samsung in Korean TV dramas and films.
C．Korean cell phones are traditional.
D．The Korean people have a sense of tradition.小题4:What is the passage mainly about?
A．Korean youth are rebellious.
B．Korean youth will not love anyone until they find a job.
C．Most Korea students live a traditional life.
D．Confucius has a great influence on the Korean people.
