comprehension summative 2 2013 gender equality stalled pract 3 14

12
COMPREHENSION and SUMMARY PRACTICE 3 Name: _____________________________( ) Class: 4 ( ) Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow. WHY GENDER EQUALITY STALLED 1 2 3 4 5 THIS week is the 50th anniversary of the publication of Betty Friedan’s international best seller, “The Feminine Mystique,” which has been widely credited with igniting the women’s movement of the 1960s . Readers who return to this feminist classic today are often puzzled by the absence of concrete political proposals to change the status of women. But “The Feminine Mystique” had the impact it did because it focused on transforming women’s personal consciousness . In 1963, most Americans did not yet believe that gender equality was possible or even desirable. Conventional practice was that a woman could not pursue a career and still be a fulfilled wife or successful mother. Normal women, psychiatrists proclaimed, gave up all aspirations outside the home to meet their feminine need for dependence. It was in this context that Friedan set out to transform the attitudes of women . Arguing that “the personal is political,” feminists urged women to challenge the assumption, at work and at home, that women should always be the ones who make the coffee, watch over the children, pick up after men and serve the meals. Over the next 30 years this emphasis on equalizing gender roles at home as well as at work produced a revolutionary transformation in Americans’ attitudes. It was not instant. As late as 1977, two-thirds of Americans believed that it was “much better for everyone involved if the man is the achiever outside the home and the woman takes care of the home and family.” By 1994, two-thirds of Americans rejected this notion. But by the early 2000s, women’s emancipation seemed to stall . In 2004, the percentage of Americans preferring the male 5 10 15 20 25

Upload: ivin-lee

Post on 17-Aug-2015

213 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

Comprehensions

TRANSCRIPT

COMPREHENSION and SUMMARYPRACTICE 3Name: _____________________________( ) Class: 4()Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow. WHY GENDER EQU!"#Y $#!!ED123456THISweekisthe50thanniversaryof thepublicationof etty!rie"an#sinternational best seller$ %The !e&inine 'ysti(ue$) which has been wi"elycre"ite" with i*nitin* the wo&en#s &ove&ent of the 1+60s , -ea"ers whoreturn to this fe&inist classic to"ay are often pu..le" by the absence ofconcretepolitical proposals to chan*ethestatus of wo&en, ut %The!e&inine 'ysti(ue) ha" the i&pact it "i" because it focuse" ontransfor&in* wo&en#s personal consciousness , In1+63$ &ost /&ericans"i"not yet believethat *en"er e(ualitywaspossible or even "esirable, 0onventional practice was that a wo&an coul"not pursue a career an" still be a ful1lle" wife or successful &other, 2or&alwo&en$ psychiatrists proclai&e"$ *ave up all aspirations outsi"e the ho&eto&eettheirfe&ininenee"for"epen"ence, Itwasinthisconte3tthat!rie"ansetouttotransfor&theattitu"esof wo&en, /r*uin*that%thepersonal is political$)fe&inists ur*e" wo&en to challen*e the assu&ption$at work an" at ho&e$ that wo&en shoul" always be the ones who &ake theco4ee$ watch over the chil"ren$ pick up after &en an" serve the &eals,5ver the ne3t 30 years this e&phasis on e(uali.in* *en"er roles at ho&eas well as at work pro"uce" a revolutionary transfor&ation in /&ericans#attitu"es, It was not instant, /s lateas 1+66$ two7thir"s of /&ericansbelieve" that it was %&uch better for everyone involve" if the &an is theachieveroutsi"etheho&ean"thewo&antakescareof theho&ean"fa&ily,) y 1++4$ two7thir"s of /&ericans re8ecte" this notion, ut by theearly 2000s$ wo&en#s e&ancipation see&e" to stall , In 2004$ thepercenta*e of /&ericans preferrin* the &ale brea"winner9fe&aleho&e&aker fa&ily &o"el actually rose to 40 percent fro& 34 percent, So&e people be*an to ar*ue that fe&inis& was not about furtherin* thee(ual involve&ent of &en an" wo&en at ho&e an" work but si&ply about*ivin* wo&en the ri*ht to choose between pursuin* a career an" "evotin*the&selves to full7ti&e &otherhoo", / new e&phasis on intensive&otherin*helpe" 8ustify the latter choice,/nti7fe&inists welco&e" this shift as a si*n that &ost /&ericans "i" notwant to push *en"er e(uality too far, /n" fe&inists$ worrie" that they wereseein* a resur*ence of tra"itional *en"er roles an" beliefs$ e&barke" on a510152025306:+1011newroun"of consciousness7raisin*, ookswithtitleslike%The!e&inine'istake) an" %;et to