General English Level 5 GELEV5 Unit 01 Topic 02.doc Since 1950, there has been a slow and steady rise in the number of people getting a divorce around the world. Currently, 43% of all marriages in Australia end in divorce. Dr Raymond explains this: "The increase in the divorce rate has resulted from changes in the law which make it easier for people to get a divorce. I don't think this is necessarily bad. I don't think people should be made to stay in a bad relationship, especially when they have children." Children In 1950 women in Australia were having on average 3.6 children, whereas now the average is 1.76. This may be because of the increasing number of women working and studying. Society's attitudes towards family size are changing in many countries. Women are also starting to have children at a later age. In Australia, the average age when women have their first child has increased from 24.6 in1950 to the present average of 29.5 years. There has been a fall in the number of babies born to teenage mothers but an increase in the number of babies born to women who are older than 40. Many modern couples are choosing not to have children at all, and there has also been a dramatic rise in the number of one-parent families.  LANGUAGE FOCUS 03 Describing trends Learn the language for describing trends. The article says: We are marrying later, having fewer children, and divorcing more often. Since 1950, the number of people getting married has been steadily decreasing. "It is much more socially acceptable for people to live together before they get married." Society's attitudes towards family size are changing in many countries. The average age when women have their first child has increased from 24.6 in 1950 to the present average of 29.5 years. There has been a fall in the number of babies born to teenage mothers but an increase in the number of babies born to women who are older than 40. The article "Family life - past and present" talks about trends in marriage and family life. A trend is a current style. We describe trends in the following ways. 12 QUESTLANGUAGE