Make Your Way 7, Schulbuch mit Audio-CD

Fairer sex Since the beginning of time, women have been labelled and viewed as the ‘fairer sex’ when compared to men. In some instances it means soft, smooth, beautiful etc., but in other cases it means fragile, vulnerable and less able. For hundreds of years, women have been fighting this assumption because they wanted equality and recognition in society and, in the past, many of these women failed. However, in the past hundred years or so, women in more developed countries have made advances that put them in equal standing with men and in some cases on an even more prestigious pedestal. For instance, women are now recognised as the heads of many households, whether they are breadwinners or housewives. Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel prize as early as 1903, seven years before women’s suffrage was legalised in the USA. Women in Canada, the United States and most of Europe now have rights that are equal to men’s and are only subject to discrimination from men when faced with men’s overinflated self-confidence. Yet females still throw around phrases such as “don’t hit me, I’m a girl” and “we need some strong men to lift this”. How can women ask for and even expect respect when they insist on using the disadvantages they fight against so violently to their advantage? • What do you immediately notice about the way this essay is organised? • Find the following: the introduction, the conclusion, use of examples, a topic sentence, a rhetorical question, linking words. • Does it answer the question set? • How would you improve and extend this essay so that it answers the question more fully? c) Now it’s your turn: The next issue of your school’s newspaper will focus on equality between men and women. On a board in the entrance hall you find the following call for contributions: You decide to submit an essay arguing your views on a quota system. In your essay you should: • outline the consequences of a quota system for hiring procedures • comment on possible advantages/disadvantages for women and men • express your own views on a quota system Write your opinion essay in around 350 words . Most high-level government jobs are done by men. Should a quota system be imposed to ensure that a percentage of top jobs are reserved for women? Tell us what you think! The three best essays will be published in the next issue! 24 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv