商务英语综合教程3Gender differences (Key torcises).doc

Unit 6Gender DifferencesText IExercisesIReading ComprehensionAnswer the following questions based on the text.1. What is masculinity usually characterized by?Masculinity is usually characterized by dominance and aggression. 2.What is femininity usually characterized by?Femininity is characterized by passivity and submission.3.What happens when a person succeeds in performing the tasks considered not appropriate for his/her own gender? If they succeed adequately, or even well, at their endeavors, they may be rewarded with ridicule or scorn for blurring the gender dividing line.4.What are thought to be intrinsic to the female facility for? Feminine characteristics are thought to be intrinsic to the female facility for childbirth and breastfeeding.5.According to the text, what drives women to dress, move, speak and act in ways appeal to men? A heterosexual orientation requires women to dress, move, speak, and act in ways that men will find attractive.6.In what way does a person appear feminine? Body postures and demeanors which communicate subordinate status and vulnerability to trespass through a message of “no threat” make people appear to be feminine. People also look feminine when they point their toes inward and use their hands in small or childlike gestures. Other people also tend to stand closer to people they see as feminine, often invading their personal space, while people who make frequent appeasement gestures, such as smiling, also give the appearance of femininity.7.In what fields do women tend to excel over men? Women tend to excel over men at the ability to correctly interpret, and effectively display, nonverbal communication cues.8.When speaking, who may be considered more masculine? People who attempt to control the direction of conversations seem more masculine. Those who tend to speak more loudly, use less polite and more assertive forms, and tend to interrupt the conversations of others more often also communicate masculinity to others.9.According to the text, what do gender role characteristics reflect? Gender role characteristics reflect the ideological contentions underlying the dominant gender schema in North American society.10.According to the text, why does author say gender roles may be the result of systematic power imbalances based on gender discrimination? People believe that female and male behaviors are the result of socially directed hormonal instructions which specify that females will want to have children and will therefore find themselves relatively helpless and dependent on males for support and protection. The schema claims that males are innately aggressive and competitive and therefore will dominate over females. The social hegemony of this ideology ensures that we are all raised to practice gender roles which will confirm this vision of the nature of the sexes. IIParaphrase1. Other people determine our gender based on the masculine or feminine characteristics implied by our action or behaviors, rather than the physical differences that are usually covered by the clothes we wear. 2.Generally, masculinity and femininity are more reliable evidence for telling ones gender; people with masculine characteristics tend to be dominant and aggressive, whereas the feminine ones tend to be passive and submissive. 3.Sometimes, some people may ignore that man and woman communicate in such a different way as they do in their single gender circle, so they may find both masculine and feminine characteristics shown in an individual. 4.Activities also have gender identity; some jobs are set for man, while some are for woman, for example, cooking at home may be seen as womens job. A woman would be expected to be incapable of a mans job. However, if she carries out a task that is intended for a man successfully, she may not be positively recognized. Instead, she may be considered strange, or even be blamed for doing a job that is not for her. 5.The idea that man is superior to women naturally comes from the long existing worship of males capabilities in aggression and dominance, and such abilities are passed down through evolution and biological changes brought by competitions. 6.Therefore the social notion, female position and facility implied the role female plays in a society: their tasks are mainly concerning with having relations with the opposite sex and giving birth to and nurture the next generation. 7. The traditional notion of femininity have set a lot of authoritative rules for female: it determines what they should and should not be like. 8.Seen from the body postures and demeanor, people may seem not threatening, tend to follow others directions and easy to be hurt, and thus they appear to be feminine. 9.It is lucky that we have no complete or unique perception of what role a gender should play in the society; opinions of gender role are diversified and varied. QuizIDictationWomans WorkMom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, Im tired, and its getting late. I think Ill go to bed. She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next days lunches, rinsed out the bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes into the dryer, put a load of clothes into the wash, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the newspapers on the floor, picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. Then She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse. Mom then creamed her face, put on moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and trimmed her nails. Dad called, I thought you were going to bed. Im on my way, she said. She put some water into the dogs dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her list of things to do for tomorrow. About that time, the hubby turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular Im going to bed, and he did. Text II Exercises ISpeed Reading Comprehension 1.C2.C3. D 4. B5. DIIVocabulary1.superior 2. sobbing3.sanitation4.laid-off 5.breed6.consists 7.assumed8.stereotypes9.co-workers10.buffetedIIIOral Activities Task 1 (for reference)Suggestion 1 Plan ahead: The key to freeing a working mothers time for more meaningful endeavors is cutting down on unnecessary chores and doing what she can in advance.Suggestion 2 Give children chores: Encourage the children to help.Suggestion 3 Share with her husband: encourage her husband to help. Suggestion 4 Work out a schedule with the children: discuss with them what time she can spend with them and stick to the schedule as promised.Task 2略Text III Language Points Exercises IReading Comprehension1. C2. D 3. D4. D5. CII Organization1. Thesis statement: Gretchen Adams has more than a few bones to pick with Wal-Mart, but she figures its treatment of women is a good place to start.2.What evidence is presented in the text to support the following ideas? u Gretchen is capable but unfairly treated: She is a mother of four kids and took an hourly job at a Wal-Mart. She was quickly promoted to head the deli department. Soon she was managing 60 workers and flying around the country to train hundreds more. But a man she had trained was earning $3,500 more than she was and other male colleagues leapfrogged past; her salary never rose above $60,000 and she never landed the promised job of store manager.u Wal-Mart is experiencing a maelstrom of bad press about its employment practices:1) In a case in Oregon, the company was found to have forced employees to punch out and then return to work off the clock. 2) In dozens of stores Wal-Mart used contractors that hired illegal immigrants. 3) A sex-discrimination lawsuit filed in 2001 by six women can be proceed as a class action on behalf of all Wal-Marts current and former female employees.u Wal-Mart is confronting other complaints in addition to sex-discrimination:1) The average wage for hourly workers barely exceeds the federal poverty level; 2) the companys health-care plan is so expensive that only half its workers choose to be covered. 3) Workers have charged that they were locked inside stores at night and that managers secretly shaved their time sheets to meet budgets.u Wal-Mart makes changes to its employment practices responding to the criticism: 1) In June the company adjusted pay for many jobs; 2) later this year its electronic job-posting system will notify workers of desirable openings; 3) It created a department to promote diversity. 4) Executives will see their bonuses reduced if they fail to meet diversity goals.Optional activities: A) Vocabulary Write out the word or phrase according to the explanation provided.Word/PhraseExplanationfigurethink; believeheadto be in charge offlukesomething good that happened as a result of chance leapfrogto progress by large jumpsweatherto face or endure with couragemaelstroma situation in which there is great confusion, vi