Commitment

      ¹"If you have to work at a relationship, there is something wrong with it. ²A relationship is either good or it's not." ³These words capture a naïve but common belief about marital and family relationships. ⁴How often have you heard people argue that relationships should not require attention or effort? ⁵This view doesn't take into consideration the power of commitment.
     ⁶Commitment implies intense energy directed toward sustaining a relationship. ⁷It gives emphasis to one relationship, and it may limit other possibilities. ⁸Experts Knapp and Taylor in Perspectives on Close Relationships describe three kinds of commitments: (1) want-to, (2) ought-to, and (3) have-to. ⁹Want-to commitment is based on personal choice and desire, and it is usually rooted in positive feelings. ¹⁰Ought-to commitment stems from a sense of duty based on a promise, a sense of guilt, or a fear of hurting another. ¹¹Have-to commitment is based on the view that there is no good alternative to maintaining membership in this relationship. ¹²Often partnerships and families are held together by a combination of these types of commitments. ¹³In good times, members want to be connected. ¹⁴During rough times, members stick it out because they ought-to. ¹⁵Under sad conditions, they may have-to stay together.
     ¹⁶There are direct and indirect messages that communicate commitment. ¹⁷Direct talk occurs when partners share with each other their feelings and desire to grow in the relationship. ¹⁸"I love you." ¹⁹"It's so great to have a sister to go through life with." ²⁰Talk creates its own rewards. ²¹For example, trust is inspired when both partners communicate that the relationship is important.
     ²²Many factors compete for attention in life. ²³Meeting home, work, school, friendship, and community responsibilities takes tremendous time and effort. ²⁴Family relationships often get the time and energy that is left over. ²⁵In most cases, this limited attention spells disaster. ²⁶Only a conscious and shared effort to focus on the relationship can keep family ties high on one's list of priorities. ²⁷Many couples and families make an effort to seek out times and places to work on their relationships.

—Adapted from Galvin and Brommel, Family Communication, 5th ed., pp. 153-55

		1. The word naïve in sentence 3 means     a. immature.   b. stupid.   c. sophisticated.
		2. The word sustaining in sentence 6 means     a. quitting.   b. understanding.   c. maintaining.
		3. The word alternative in sentence 11 means     a. idea.   b. option.   c. variety.
		4. Based on the information in the third and fourth paragraphs (sentences 16-27), couples send direct and indirect messages about their relationships through     a. talk and effort.   b. time and trust.   c. feelings and family ties.
		5. Which is the best statement of the implied main idea of the passage?     a. Successful couples talk openly.   b. Commitment limits the possibility of forming relationships with other people.   c. Through commitment, a loving relationship remains a vital part of one's life.