阅读理解

    Anne and Joseph are talking about an interesting question. Why do some people change (改变) their names? There can be many reasons. Hanna changed her name to Anne because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. On the other hand, Joseph is thinking about changing his name to an unusual (不寻常的) name because he wants to be different.

    People have a lot of reasons for changing their names. Film stars, singers, sportsmen and some other famous people often change their names because they want names that are not ordinary (普通的), or that have special (特殊的) sound. They chose the "new name" for themselves instead of (代替) the name their parents gave them when they were born.

    Some people have another reason for changing their names. They have moved to a new country and want to use a name that is usual there. For example, Li Kaiming changed his name to Ken Lee when he moved to the United States. He uses the name Ken at his job and at school. But with his family and Chinese friends, he uses Li Kaiming. For some people, using different names makes life easier in their new country.

    In many countries, a woman changes her family name to her husband's after she gets married (结婚). But today, many women are keeping their own family name and not using their husband's. Sometimes, women use their own name in some situations (情况) and their husband's in other situations. And some use both their own name and their husband's.