Unit 7 Women: making a difference today
RART 1 UNDERSTANDING AND LEARNING
Overview
The unit aims at exploring a current social issue: gender roles, a topic that could spark a lot of debates and arguments. Text A gives students a big picture of a how women have played an important role at the management level, along with their challenges and frustrations. Text B portrays a happy full-time houwife who considers her job at home absolutely important. The implication of it is that the job at a houwife should be respected. The two articles are theme-bound since both relate the topic of the role played by women, though one is at work and the other at home. The writing style of the tow texts is very different as well. One is a featured article on female working styles by way of prenting various scenarios at work, blended with many direct speeches and prent verb tens such as says, report, agrees, proclaims, feels, paus when referring to the past; the other is a narrative about the author’s personal experience of being a houwife. Though the language ud in both texts is somewhat casual, the tone of the first one is more rious and in a report style. Women’s working style and way of thinking are clearly depicted, which will surely provoke an interesting debate on gender issues as a s
pringboard for in-depth class discussion. Activities may revolve around the main theme of the unite: Should women stay home or work outside.
Section A Women at the management level
Background information
Women leaders
In today’s econ omy, women are a strong force in the workplace. Gone are the days of men working outside and women staying at home. Women are filling the ranks in many professions and many top companies. Many of today’s global business leader and powerful entrepreneurs ar e women. Indeed, women are increasingly working in upper management roles, rving as leader in a variety of ttings. Interestingly, rearch says women behave more emotionally in certain work situations.
Regardless of what the studies says, the data support the benefits of gender diversity at the workplace. So what does such diversity in the workplace mean? It means that it is beneficial to not only hire but also retain female employees. The text vividly unfolds how females are working in different business ctors at the management level.
Detailed study of the text
1 when Monica applied for a job as an assistant in 1971, she was asked whether she would
attorney. (para.1)
administrative
Meaning: Monica was asked if she would like to work for a male or a female lawyer when she applied for a managing job at a law firm in 1971.
Administrative: a.relating to the work of managing a company or organization 行政的；管理的Although administrative positions may pay more than teaching salaries, they often require more hours on the job. 虽然行政工作的薪金比教学工作的更多，但它们却往往需要更多的工作时间。
Sentence structure NOTE
“would rather”句型
1 would rather的意思是“宁愿；宁可；更；最好；还是…为好”，后接动词原形，表示优先选择的一种
方式。其否定形式是would rather not do sth. would rather没有人称和数的变化，所有的人称一律用would rather。例如：
If you/he would rather be alone, we’ll all leave here. 如果你/他宁愿独自呆着，那我们会都离开这儿。
would rather 后接从句时，从句中的谓语动词用一般过去时，表示希望或宁愿某人按某特定的方式做某事，这个结构常常表达的是现在或将来的行为。例如：
I’d rather you didn’t make any comment on the issue for the time being. 我想目前你还是不要对此事发表任何评论。
2 ”I fel t that a male-boss/female-employee relationship was more natural, needing no personal accommodation whatsoever.”(para.1)
Meaning: I felt that there was no need to compromi in a relationship between a male boss and a female employee since it was more natural.
employee: n. [C] sb. Who is paid to work for sb. el 受雇者；雇员
knowing what an employee is looking for in a potential employee can help someone to prepare for an interview. 了解雇主在寻找什么样的潜在雇员可以帮助人们准备面试。accommodation：n
1）【sing.,U】(fml) a change in behavior or attitude that helps people work together or end a disagreement迁就；通融；调和
The two sides failed to agree on every point, but they ttled on an accommodation for their differences. 双方未能对所有的意见都达成一致，但对他们的分歧达成了和解。
1）[U] a place for sb. To stay, live, or work 住处；工作场所
Having decided to find an appropriate accommodation,we t about contacting all the rental agencies in the city. 我们决定要找一个合适的住处之后，就开始联络这个城市所有的租赁公司。
3. But 20 years later, when she was asked the same question, she said, ”I wa s pleasantly surprid that female boss are much more accessible to their employees; they’re much more nsitive and intimate with their employees.” (para.1)
Meaning: However, when she was asked the same question 20 years later, she responded that it was a nice surpri to find out that female boss had been much easier to approach, more understanding, and clor to their workers.
Meaning beyond words: her answer was entirely different from what she had responded 20 yaers be
直下看山河fore. It can be assumed that she gained this particular feeling gradually.
小孩子怎么画4.Female boss today are still finding they face subtle resistance. (para.2)
Meaning beyond words: Female boss today are still experiencing gender discrimination, though it may not always be obvious or noticeable.
5. There is still a gment of the population, both men and, surprisingly, women who report low tolerance for female boss.(para.2)
Meaning : A portion of people, men and, unexpectedly, even women state that they can hardly bear working with female boss.
Segment: n. [C] a part of sth. that is different from or affected differently from the whole in some way 部分；段；片
Black people constitute the poorest gment of society in the country.黑人在该国社会中构成了最贫穷的阶层。
tolerance：n.
1)[U] Willingness to allow people to do, say, or believe what they want without criticizing or
punishing them 忍受；容忍；宽容
Tolerance is the quality of allowing other people to say and do as they like, even if you do not agree with it or like it . 宽容是一种素质，它允许其他人说和做他们喜欢的事，即使你不同意或不喜欢。
sunflower吉他谱2）[C,U] the degree to which sb. can suffer pain, difficulty, etc. without being harmed or damaged (对痛苦，困难等的)忍受程度，忍耐力
The students tend to have a poor tolerance for frustration and give up easily when takes become difficult. 这些学生往往对挫折的承受力差，在任务变得困难时会轻易放弃。
6. The growing prence of female boss has also provoked two major questions that resolve around styles. Do men and women manage differently, and, if so, is that a good thing? (Para2) Meaning: With the number of female boss increasing, two questions have been raid in terms of styles: Do men and women work differently? Are the differences good for management if there are any?
7. Monica is dispod to think so, on both counts.Now a 40-year-old mother of four, she is president
of a public ctor labor union with 45,000 members.(Para.3)
一桥大学Meaning: Monica, a 40-year-old mother of four children and president of a public ctor labor union with 45,000 members, is inclined to look at the two points positively: Women do manage differently from men and that is a good thing.冷调
dispo : vt
1）（~sb. to / toward sth.）(fml.) make sb. more likely to particular or thoughts 使（某人）较倾向于
The body releas a chemical that dispos you toward sleep. 体内释放出一种令人昏昏欲睡的化学物质。
2)(~of) get rid of sth., csp. Sth. that is difficult to get rid of 丢弃，处理（尤指难以处理的东西）Litter should be dispod of thoughtfully. 废弃物应该仔细的处理。
dispod: a. likely to behave or think in a particular way 有… 倾向的
He was a man of good character and was not dispod to violence. 他人品很好，没有暴力倾向。be dispod to do sth.: be willing to do sth. 愿意做某事；乐意做某事
His father was a large, comfortable-looking man who wasn’t dispod to make a fuss. 他父亲各自高，看上去很舒服，不想是会大惊小怪的人。
on both counts: in both ways 在两个方面
I thought he was a kind and honest person, but I was wrong on both counts. 我原以为他是个善良，诚实的人，但这两点我都想错了。
ctor: n. [C] a part of an area of activity. esp. of business, trade, etc. (尤指商业、贸易等的)部门，行业
In the financial ctor, investors in banks and insurance companies both have lost a lot of money. 在金融行业，银行和保险公司的投资者都损失了很多钱。
Note“A public ctor labor union ”(also public ctor trade union) refers to a labor union which
primarily reprent the interests of employees within public ctor (government-owned, supported or regulated) organizations. Public ctor unions have become some of the larger or more influential union in certain area of the world in recent times as private ctor union membership has declined sharply.
8 “Relations with my employees are probably different from tho of male managers preceding me,” she says, “I know what it’s like to have to call and say my kid got the mumps so I won’t be coming in. I have a more flexible style –not soft, just more understanding. ”(para.3) Meaning: She said that she was perhaps different from the previous male managers in relation with the employees becau she knew what it meant when someone had to make a phone call telling her that he or she wouldn’t go to work due to the illness of their child. She added that she was more flexible and understanding but not weaker in terms of working style.
Meaning beyond words: In a broad n, female boss are better than make boss in boss-employee relations becau they are more understanding and tend to show more consideration to their employees.
preccde: v t.(fml) happen or exist before sth. or sb. or come before sth. el in a ries 先于…(发生或存在)
A planning ssion at 11:30 will precede the lunch discussion. 11:30召开计划会议，随后是午餐讨论。
9 . The man who is Monica’s assistant agrees, ”She tends to delegate more and is always looking for
a connsus. People are happy and flourish becau they have an input into decisions and they are not mere bystanders; their energies are harnesd. On the other hand, connsus takes longer. ”(para.3)
Meaning:The man who is Monica’s assistant hold s the same opinion that she usually gives people more rights and is always eking agreement. Since people have their voice heard in decision-making and are not playing the role of a witness only, they feel happy and successful. In this way, their energies are utilized. However it takes more time to reach an agreement.
Meaning beyond words: Again, female boss would ek more accommodation and agreement than male boss, which helps to bring employees’ initiative into full play.
Flourish: vt
1)develop well and be successful 繁荣；兴旺；成功
Honesty is one of the bas of any good relationship and no real relationship can flourish without it. 诚信是任何良好关系的基础之一，离开它没有一种真正的关系能蓬勃发展。2）grow well and be very healthy 茁壮成长
Very few plants will flourish without enough water. 没有足够的水，极少有植物能茁壮成长。Harness vt. Get control of sth. in order to u it for a particular purpo 利用；控制
The private business ctor was to be harnesd to stabilize and to increa local employment. 私营企业将被用来稳定和增加当地就业。
10. So, are the difference symbolic or real?
Plausible studies suggest that men are typically hierarchical, goal-oriented and feel entitled. Women, by contrast, manage diplomatically, and share power. (para.4)
Meaning: So, the question is whether the differences between male and female managers are reprentative or real? According to acceptable studies, men like to ek social status, work for goals and be given authority. On the other hand, women manage with skill and flexibility and like to share authority.
Meaning beyond word: In terms of management skill, this part highlights the differences between male and female boss. The plausible reasons may possibly be traced to the respective character traits of both xes.
Symbolic: a. important but not having any real effect 象征的；象征性的
People threw flowers into the river between the two countries as a symbolic act of brotherhood.
人们把花扔进两国间的那条界河，这象征着两国之间的兄弟情义。
Plausible: a reasonable and likely to be true 可能正确的；有道理的
A more plausible explanation would em to de that people are fed up with the conrvative government.一个更合理的解释似乎是人们已厌倦了保守党政府。
hierarchical: a dividing people or things into levels of importance 按等级划分北京大观园
清江引A hierarchical structure merely defines who is in charge of what and is accountable to whom.
按等级划分的结构仅仅能定义谁负责什么和谁对谁负责。
diplomatic: a
1）dealing with people politely and skillfully without uptting them 讲究手腕的；灵活变通的He managed to beat me at every argument as he was more than my match in diplomatic shrewdness.他
成功的击败了我的每一个论点，因为他比我更灵活变通。
2)relating to or involving the work of diplomats 外交的；从事外交工作的
To avoid a possible invasion by its neighbor, the country is eking help through diplomatic channels.为了避免其邻国可能的入侵，该国正在寻求通过外交途径获得帮助。diplomatically: ad.讲究手腕地；灵活变通地；外交地
You can say it diplomatically and with love by telling your kids the reasons why you had to cancel the plan for a party.你可以灵活地，满怀爱心地告诉你的孩子为什么你不得不取消聚会计划。
Note Goal-oriented is a compound adjective. A goal-oriented person or team works hard to
可爱颂achieve good results in the tasks that they have been given; a goal-oriented plan or activity is bad on a number of things that must be achieved. The word oriented means giving a lot of time, effort and attention to one particular thing. It can be combined with different nouns to derive
