I. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the point of Rachel’s story?
a that you should not work full-time if you are a woman with children
b that it can be difficult to combine full-time work and raising a family
c that women do most of the housework even if they work full-time
2. What does research tell us about the way most men and women share housework?
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3. What information can you find in the text to suggest that governments will never pay people to do housework?
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4. Make a list of all the disadvantages and advantages of being a woman mentioned in the text.
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5. How do some men try to get out of doing housework?
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II. Compare your answers with a partner.
Task 2 LANGUAGE FOCUS: FIGURES OF SPEECH
When writers are using
language in a way that goes beyond its normal, literal meaning, they
often put these words or expressions in quotation marks
(‘. . .’). This indicates that it is a figure of speech, not the
normal
usage.
Work with a partner. Find these figures of speech in the text and work out what they mean from the context and the words themselves. Then complete the sentences below using one of the words or expressions.
a stretched
b the lions share
c shoulder the main burden
d iron out
e want it both ways
1. Kathy and Jim fought about the housework again. I hope they can _________________ their differences.
2. She’s working at two jobs, raising a son, and going to night school. She must feel so _________________________.
Julia wants to be successful, and she wants to be a perfect mother. Women like Julia ____________________.
4. In traditional families, the man is expected to __________________ of supporting his wife and children.
5. Mark and Lola decided to switch roles in their marriage. Now she does most of the gardening and repair tasks, and he does ___________________ of the cooking and cleaning.
Task 3 PERSONALIZING THE TOPIC
Fill in this chart for your household (current or past). Check () the appropriate column.
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In your household who mainly does each job? |
Male |
Female |
Shared equally |
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General straightening up of the house |
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Vacuuming |
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Cleaning bathrooms |
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Washing floors |
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Shopping for food |
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Cooking meals |
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Cleaning up after meals |
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Childcare |
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Taking children to school, sports, etc. |
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Doing household repairs |
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Paying bills |
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Laundry |
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Organizing social events |
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Compare your answers with a small group and discuss:
Who does the most housework - males or females?
What jobs do males usually do?
What jobs do females usually do?
What jobs are usually shared?
What factors influence who does certain jobs?
Text 8.