新时代基础英语 1

Gender

Warm-upPartAReadingStrategiesPartBContentsFeministmovementsinhistory:seekingpoliticalrights,equalityineducationandemployment,protectionagainstdiscrimination,andharassmentintheworkplace…Thecultivationofgenderroles:Whatkindofbooks/toyswouldyourecommendtochildrentoday,gender-neutralorgender-specific?

12Warm-upDoyouthinkthereisstillinequalitybetweenmenandwomeninoursociety?Doyouthinkthepromotionoffeministideaswouldresultinagenderdivide?Warm-up43

PartA

PartA(para.1)WhatistheusualwayoftalkingaboutwomeninWollstonecraft’stime?Flatteringtheirfascinatinggraces;Treatingthemasiftheyweredependentchildren;Complimentingtheirdelicatesensibilityandrefinedtaste.InwhatwaydoesWollstonecraftwanttotreatwomen?Treatingthemlikerationalcreatures;Encouragingthemtoacquirephysicalandintellectualstrength;

12

PartAWhydoesWollstonecraftchooseto“treatthemlikerationalcreatures”ratherthanflattertheirfascinatinggraces?(para.2)Thefirstobjectoflaudableambitionistoobtainacharacterasahumanbeing,regardlessofthedistinctionofsex.WhydoesWollstonecraftdisdaintocullherphrasesorpolishherstylewhentalkingaboutthesubjectofwomen?(para.3)aimsatbeinguseful;wishestopersuadebytheforceofherarguments(insteadofflowerydiction)43

PartAWollstonecraft’sstylisticchoice(usingforcefulargumentinsteadofafloweryprosestyle)isconsistentwithhervindicationofwomen’srights:Lookingdownonfalsesensibilityand“sicklydelicacy”(associatedwithfalsestandardsoffemininity);Upholding“rationality,”“truedignity,”and“noblepassions”;Celebrating“simpleunadornedtruth.”

5

PartAWollstonecraft’sdisdaintocullherphrasesorpolishherstyleisalsoaprotestagainstgenderstereotypes:Reason,facts,forcefularguments—malequalities;Feelings,emotions,imagination,polishedstyle,elegantlanguage,andexquisitesensibility—femalequalities6

PartA(para.5)Theeducationofwomen:Asmatteringofaccomplishments;Itspurposeisnotwomen’sself-improvement,butconformingtomen’s“notionsofbeauty”andhelpingwomenestablishthemselvesbymarriage;Inadequate,unabletohelpwomenacquire“strengthofbodyandmind.”7

PartA(para.5)“Whentheymarry,theyactassuchchildrenmaybeexpectedtoact.”Whatdoesthismean?Women“educated”insuchawaymayneverdevelopintoamature,rationalpersons.Theirstatusinafamilywouldbesimilartothatofchildren:preoccupiedwiththeirfrivolousinterests,limitedinunderstanding,andcompletelydependentonthemeninthefamily(para.1,“asiftheywereinastateofperpetualchildhood”)

.8

PartAWollstonecraftmentionsthat,inthe18thcentury,marriagewas“theonlywaywomencanriseintheworld.”Inthe1950sand60sAmerica,findingaproperhusbandstillseemedtobetheprimaryconcernforwomen.ReadtheextractofTheFeminineMystiqueandfindexpressionsrelatedtothis.9

PartA“Expertstoldthemhowtocatchamanandkeephim”;“devotetheirlivesfromearliestgirlhoodtofindingahusbandandbearingchildren”;“girlswenttocollegetogetahusband”;“Girlsstartedgoingsteadyattwelveandthirteen”;“jointheman-trap”…10

PartATheFeminineMystique(lookupthemeaningof“mystique”)(para.1and2)Whatistheimplicationofthe“silentquestion”(“Isthisall?”)?Women’squestforsignificanceandfulfillmentbeyondtheprescribedrolesofwivesandmothers.11

PartA(para.2)“Theylearnedthattrulyfemininewomendonotwant…theindependenceandtheopportunitiesthattheold-fashionedfeministsfoughtfor”.Friedanpointsoutthedishearteningfactthat,despitetheprogressofsocietyingeneral,women’ssocialstatusunderwentaregression.Theyweretoldtogiveupthoserightsthat“old-fashionedfeminists”hadoncefoughtsohardfor.12ReadingStrategiesOneofthemainobstaclesinreadingistheexistenceofunfamiliarwordsanddifficultexpressions.Thoughconsultingdictionariesorreferencesmaybeaneasywayout,overrelianceonthemwouldsignificantlyslowdownthereadingspeed.Mostofthetime,weusecontextcluestodecipherthemeaningofnewwordsandexpressions.UseContextCluesAword’scontextualmeaningmaydifferfromitsdictionarymeaning.Forinstance,“Iwishtoshowthateleganceisinferiortovirtue…”Dictionaryelegance:noun.refinedgrace,tastefuldesign,orornamentation,restrainedbeautyofstyle,neatness,scientificprecision…ContextWeknowthatWollstonecraftdisapprovesof“weakelegancyofmind,exquisitesensibility,andsweetdocilityofmanners”,sowemayinferthenegativeconnotationof“elegance”here.ReadingStrategiesUsecontextcluestoguessthemeaningof“paean”inthelastsentenceofFriedan’sessay.SorejoicedLifemagazineina1956paeantothemovementofAmericanwomenbacktothehome.ReadingStrategies

PartB

PartBWhatdoyouknowaboutVirginiaWoolf

andARoomofOne’sOwn?Doyouthinkhavingaroomofherownisimportantforawoman?Whatotherthingsareimportantaswell?12

PartB(para.1)Whatdoes“I”wanttofindinTrevelyan’shistory?

Accountsofwomen’ssocialpositioninEnglishhistoryWhatdoesTrevelyan’shistorytellusaboutwomen’sposition?34

PartB(para.2-4)Whatdoes“averyqueer,compositebeing”referto?Whyisitqueerandhowisitcomposite?Womenaresignificantandvariousinfictionalworks,butinsignificantinpracticalexistence.Women’simportanceinliteraturewrittenbymen:“womenhaveburntlikebeaconsinalltheworksofallthepoets”;“shepervadespoetryfromcovertocover”…Women’sabsenceinhistoricalandsocialaccounts:“sheisallbutabsentfromh