2.1 Overview of Unit 7 (5M)
This 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 hve played an important role at the management level, along with their challenges and frustrations. Text B portrays a happy full-time housewife who considers her job at home absolutely important. The implication of it is that the job of a housewife 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 two texts is very different as well.
Main ideas of the text A Text A is a feature report on female bosses in the workplace. It has brought us various scenarios where female managers show their unique working styles toward their employees, coupled with male managers‘ contrastive way of performance. Aim of Text A
1.To know the names of common occupation
2. To be acquainted with characteristics of feature story
3. To be able to express ideas concerning women‘s role at management level
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Text B portrays a happy full-time housewife who considers her job at home absolutely important. The implication of it is that the job of a housewife should be respected.
2.2 Cultural notes (5M)
Q1: What do you think about women‘s role in today‘s workplace? ? Be a strong force in the workplace;
? Filling the ranks in many professions and many top companies; ? Gone are the days of men working outside and women staying at home; ? Many of today‘s global business leaders and powerful entrepreneurs are women.
Q2: Do you agree that the cooperation of men and women can bring benefits at the workplace?
? The data supports the benefits of gender diversity at the workplace. ? The survey shows: companies with the highest percentages of women in their executive ranks achieved 35% higher returns on equity and 34% better total return to shareholders than comparable companies with fewer females.
2.3 Difficult Language Points (25M)
1. When Monica applied for a job as an administrative assistant in 1971, she was asked whether she would rather work for a male or a female attorney. (Para. 1) Meaning: Monica was asked if she would like to work for a male or a female
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lawyer when she applied for a managing job at a law firm in 1971. 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。
2) 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 felt 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 compromise in a relationship between a male boss and a female employee since it was more natural.
3 But 20 years later,when she was asked the same question,she said,―Iwas pleasantly surprised that female bosses are much more accessible to their employees; they‘re much more sensitive 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 surprise to find out that female bosses had been
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much easier to approach, more understanding, and closer to their workers. Meaning beyond words: Her answer was entirely different from what she had responded 20 years before. It can be assumed that she gained this particular feeling gradually.
4. Female bosses today are still finding they face subtle resistance.(Para.2) Meaning beyond words: Female bosses today are still experiencing gender discrimination, though it may not always be obvious or noticeable.
5. There is still a segment of the population, both men and, surprisingly, women who report low tolerance for female bosses.(Para.2)
Meaning: A portion of people,men and, unexpectedly, even women state that they can hardly bear working with female bosses.
6. The growing presence of female bosses has also provoked two major questions that revolve around styles: Do men and women manage differently, and, ifso, is that a good thing?(Para.2)
Meaning: With the number of female bosses increasing, two questions have been raised in terms of styles:Do men and women work differently?Are the differences good for management if there are any?
7. Monicais disposed to think so,on both counts.Now a 40-year-old mother of four, she is president of a public sector labor union with45,000 members.(Para.3)
Meaning: Monica,a 40-year-old motherof four children and president of a public sector labor union with 45,000 members, is inclined to look at these two
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points positively: Women do manage differently from men and that is a good thing.
Note: ―A public sector labor union‖(also public sector trade union) refers to a labor union which primarily represents the interests of employees within public sector (government-owned,supported or regulated) organizations.
8. ―Relations with my employees are probably different from those 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 becoming in.I have a more flexible style—not soft, just more understanding.‖(Para.3)
Meaning: She said that she was perhaps different form the previous male managers in relation with the employees because 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.
9. The man who is Monica‘s assistant agrees,―She tends to delegate more and is always looking for a consensus. People are happy and flourish because they have an inputin to decisions and they are not mere bystanders; their energies are harnessed. On the other hand, consensus takes longer.‖(Para.3)
Meaning: The man who is Monica‘s assistant holds the same opinion that she usually gives people more rights and is always seeking 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.
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