B2 – Upper Intermediate
There are more couples getting divorce at a much later stage in their married life. When we thought that twilight divorces probably won’t affect a couple’s grown children, surprisingly, it does.
Read the article about the effects grey divorce have on adult children.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250912-how-grey-divorce-affects-adult-children
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “smoke and mirrors” mean? “Reflecting on the memories shared with their family, adult children may wonder: Was it all smoke and mirrors? Were they ever really happy?” Use the idiom in a sentence and give a synonym.
- What does “the bottom falls” mean? “All of a sudden, their parents are divorcing, and they feel like the bottom has fallen out of their lives.” Use the idiom in a sentence and give a synonym.
- What does “to become like an island in the sea” mean? “Women are basically the social directors of family life. When that goes away, men become like islands in the sea.” Use the idiom in a sentence and give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- Share your thoughts on this, “Adults aged 65 and older are now the only age group in the US with a growing divorce rate.” Do you think there is a similar trend in your country?
- What might be reasons for later-in-life divorces?
- What is your opinion about how grey divorce affect adult children?
- Share your insight on this, “A parental divorce can be a difficult experience for any individual […] no matter the age, no matter the marriage duration.”
- What do you make of this, “Women are basically the social directors of family life still in 2025, and when that goes away men become like islands in the sea.”?