交际英语热门话题206（在线收听）

Unit 6

At Times of Loss and Grieving

Conversation 1

A : Are you ready to pay your last respects to the deceased?

B : Yes, Is the service being held at the church?

A : I'm just not sure. I'll have to confirm the location with the funeral director.

B : There would be of odd if the service is held anywhere else.

Conversation 2

A : What is an appropriate gift to give the bereaved family?

B : It really depends upon personal taste. I usually give money at most funerals.

A : Perhaps I should bring a book in case the service does not start on time .

B : That might seem insensitive to the other mourners.

Conversation 3

A : Who may stop by a funeral home to pay his respects ? Who attends a funeral?

B : Anyone who wishes to express his sympathy to the family of the deceased may stop by a funeral home and pay his respects . People who do not feel they are close enough to intrude on the privacy of the bereaved may stop in at times other than those during which the family is there and sign the register.

A : Does everyone wear black when attending a funeral?

B : No, it is no longer considered necessary to wear black unless you sit with the family or have been asked to be one of the honorary pallbearers. On no account should children be put into black at any time . They wear their best conservative clothes to funerals.

Conversation 4

A : Does everyone who attends a funeral also attend the burial?

B : Only if the burial is in the churchyard or within walking distance of the church does the congregation follow the family to the graveside. Otherwise, those attending the funeral , wherever the services are held , do not go to the interment unless they are family members or close friends.

A : What is a memorial service? How does it differ from a funeral? Does a memorial service replace a funeral service?

B : A memorial service takes the place of a funeral, after the deceased has been buried or cremated privately or when the deceased has died in another country or perhaps in an airplane accident or accident at sea. If it takes place very shortly after the death, the service is very much like a funeral service, If it takes place much later, however, it is more often very brief.