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The custom of paying a bride price before marriage is still a well-established part of many African cultures. In paying a bride price, the family of the groom must provide payment to the family of the bride before the marriage is allowed. The bride price can vary greatly from culture to culture in Africa. In the Zulu and Swazi tribes of southern Africa, the bride price often takes the form of cattle. In Western African, kola nuts, shells, and other goods are often used for the payment of the bride price. The actual payment of money sometimes takes place, but the payment of goods is more frequent. The amount of paid in a bride price can also vary. In modern times, the bride price is occasionally quite small and its value is mainly symbolic. However, the bride price can still be quite high, especially among prominent or highly traditional families.

 

There are a number of justifications used to explain the payment of bride price. The first is that the bride price represents an acknowledgement of the expense the bride's family has gone in order to raise her and bring her up as a suitable bride for the groom. It also represents payment for the loss of a family member, since the bride will officially become a member of her husband's family and will leave her own. On a deeper level the bride price represents payment for the fact that the bride will bring children into the family of the groom, thereby increasing the wealth of the family. This concept is reinforced by the fact that the bride price must often be returned if the bride fails to bear children.

 

The payment of the bride price has quite a number of effects on African society. First, the payment of bride price acts to increase the stability of African family structures. Sons are dependent on their fathers and older relatives to help them pay the bride price of their wives, and this generally leads to greater levels of obedience and respect. The negotiations between the two families concerning the bride price allow the parents and other family members to meet and get to know one another before the marriage. Finally, since the bride price must often be repaid in case of divorce, the bride's family often works to make sure that any marital problems are solved quickly. Bride prices also work as a system of wealth distribution in African cultures. Wealthier families can afford to support the marriage of their son, and thus their wealth is transferred to other families.

Question:The phrase "The first" in paragraph 2 refers to the first _________.

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I'm going on business for a week, so I'll be leaving everything _________.

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My father hit the roof when he found that I'd damaged the car.

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If the prisoners attempt to escape from prison, _________  immediately.

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Archaeologists think that massive floods could have _________  the dinosaurs.

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The Netherlands, with much of its land lying lower than sea level, have a system of dikes and canals for controlling water.

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_______  they've already made their decision, there's nothing much we can do.

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- Peter: "My parents gave me no choice but to study business." 

- Danny: “_______.”

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_________, the town does not get much of an ocean breeze.

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The symptoms of diabetes in the early stages are too slight that people do not notice them.

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Perhaps, the violence was provoked by the fans of the visiting team.

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Most people indulge _________  harmless fantasies to relieve the boredom of their lives.

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The police have concluded tentatively that the explosion was caused by a bom