Unit 15: Women In Society - Reading

Exercise 1: Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer. It has been thought that women are the second class in citizen, and men are the first. There is not a real equality of opportunity for men and women. Years ago, people were living in a man-dominated society. Women had to obey their husbands and fathers absolutely. Women's place was in the kitchen and women's work was housework. In many places, women were not even' allowed to go to school. Women had no rights, even the right to choose husband for themselves. Men usually occupied high positions in society so they thought they were more intelligent than women. Men often considered women as their property. Sometimes, they were mistreated by their husbands and suffered the problem as a fate. Many parents did not even want to daughters. Despite the progress, there remain outdated beliefs about women's roles, traditionally passed down from generation to generation. Men are commonly seen as the strong bodies, bread-winners in the family and key leaders in society, while women are restricted to being housewives and child bearing and care, and housework such as washing and cooking. According to social surveys, many women in the 21st century still have to work over 12 hours a day including working in offices and doing countless household chores without any help from their husbands. In some regions, the labor of women is not recognized despite the hardships they endure to support the whole family. Moreover, women are the direct victims of family violence, especially in rural areas. Thanks to the women's liberation movement, nowadays women have proved that they are equal to men in every aspect. An average woman has weaker muscles than an average man but she may be as intelligent as he is. Women can do everything that men can, and women can do one thing that no man can: they produce children.

Exercise 2: Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase. In the 1960s the women's liberation movement (6) _____ suddenly into the public consciousness and quickly grew into (7) _____ largest social movement in the history of the United States. Women's liberation movement was a continuation of the 19th-century women's rights movement. The movement's major (8) _____ has included not only legal, economic, and political gains (9) _____ also has changed the ways in which people live, dress, dream of their future, and (10) ___ a living. About health, for example, many male physicians and hospital have made major improvements in the (11) _____ of women; more and more women have become doctors and succeeded (12) _____ their medical research; and diseases such as breast cancer, which affects many women, now receive better funding and treatment, thanks to women's (13) ___. Feminists have insisted that violence against women become a political issue. The women's liberation movement has also made changes in education: curricula and (14) _____ have been written to promote equal opportunity for girls and women; more and more female students are admitted to universities and professional schools. The women's liberation movement brought about a radical change in society (15) _____ it took a decade for the movement to reach women's awareness.