Matriarchal societies - Unit 12

C2 Proficiency · Multiple Choice Cloze · Close-up C2 Workbook, National Geographic Learning

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

old-world

long-standing

ever-present

long-gone

racial

folkloric

primitive

indigenous

law

act

norm

type

follow

adhere

obey

observe

inherit

receive

obtain

gather

procedure

routine

ritual

habit

performance

ceremony

observance

execution

position

stability

balance

footing

There are a handful of cultures in the world in which women have a(n) (1) ___ tradition of holding the power in the family. The Minangkabau, a(n) (2) ___ tribe of inhabitants residing in West Sumatra, Indonesia, is the largest such tribe known today, at four million members. According to tribal (3) ___ , property is passed from mother to daughter and, in general, the mother is considered the most prominent member of society. While clan leaders are male, women can remove them from their positions if they do not (4) ___ to the community's rules. Another such group is the Mosuo, who live near Tibet. They share similarities with the Minangkabau, in that girls (5) ___ the family's possessions and, furthermore, females play the leading role in the (6) ___ of marriage. They practise what is known as a 'walking marriage', in which the marriage (7) ___ involves a woman or a man walking to their spouse's house, thereby establishing him as her spouse. In both societies, there is a separation of powers and people of both genders believe that this keeps them on an equal (8) ___ .

Matriarchal societies

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