Unit 6: The Gender Divide

Quick Check

A. Vocabulary. Complete each sentence with a word from the box.

1. The stereotype that blond-haired people are not smart is ridiculous.
2. We were bored and restless, so we decided to find something to do.
3. That film is very repetitive. It shows the same place over and over.
4. I always feel overwhelming anxiety the night before a test.
5. The intensity of the thunderstorm made the animals nervous.
6. Some people believe that animals have the capacity to feel the same emotions that humans do.
7. Luisa has a lovely temperament. She’s always happy and smiling.
8. Finding sources for an essay can be a time-consuming and tedious task.
9. The gender of an animal often has a specific name; for example, a male horse is a stallion and a female horse is a mare.

B. Comprehension. Answer the questions.

1. In what types of settings do women tend to speak more?

Women tend to speak more in formal settings.

2. What causes women to worry more than men?

Womens brains produce less of a chemical that controls anxiety than men's brains do.

3. What things do women tend to lie about? What things do men tend to lie about?

Women tend to lie to avoid hurting another's feelings. Men tend to lie to make themselves look more impressive.

4. What might explain women’s ability to deal with repetitive tasks better than men?

It is possible that women are better at keeping their thoughts and imaginations active.

5. Which gender has the longer life expectancy? Give an example.

Women have a longer life expectancy than men. In the U.S., the life expectancy for women is 79, but for men is 72.

3. Grammar

A. Circle the correct form in each sentence.

1. Did you remember (to shut / shutting) the window before it started raining?
2. He stopped (to play / playing) football after he hurt his knee.
3. If you haven’t been able to get an answer from the boss on the phone, maybe you should try (to send / sending) him an email.
4. He’ll never forget (to score / scoring) that goal in the last minutes of the game.
5. Don’t forget (to email / emailing) me the photos.
6. We regret (to inform / informing) you that your application has been declined.

B. Answer the questions about yourself.

1. What is something you remember doing often when you were a child?

I remember going to the park every Sunday.

2. What is something you forgot to do recently?

I forgot to go to my doctor's appointment.

3. What is something you tried to do, but were not able to do?

I tried to bake a cake, but it didn't turn out very good.

4. What is something you will never forget doing?

I will never forget visiting China.

5. What is something you try to remember to do each day?

I try to remember to take a vitamin every day.

6. What is something you regret doing?

I regret not buying some shoes I really liked.

C. Rewrite each sentence as a passive sentence.

1. You need to take out the trash.

The trash needs to be taken out.

2. He expects the manager to promote him soon.

He expects to be promoted soon.

3. I remember my father reading to me when I was a child.

I remember being read to as a child.

4. He waited for his boss to invite him to sit down.

He waited to be invited to sit down.

5. The mechanic needs to repair the car.

The car needs to be repaired.

6. Many celebrities enjoy having photographers take their picture.

Many celebrities enjoy having their picture taken.

D. Complete each sentence with names of classmates and the appropriate auxiliary verb. When appropriate, use too or either after the auxiliary verb.

1. John lives close to school, but Kurt doesn't.
2. Louis was in school yesterday, and George wasn't.
3. John is wearing blue today, but Mike isn't.
4. Natalie never comes to class late, and Melanie doesn't either.

E. Read about Abdullah and Faris. Then describe the similarities and differences between Abdullah and Faris, using auxiliary verbs after but or and.

FARIS
Likes: comedy shows, Indian food, football, relaxing on the beach
Dislikes: coffee, video games, waking up early, hiking
ABDULLAH
Likes: game shows, Indian food, football, waking up early, hiking, video games
Dislikes: coffee, the beach, comedy shows

1. Faris like Indian food, and Abdullah does too.
2. Faris doesn't like coffee, and Abdullah doesn't.
3. Faris likes comedy shows, but Abdullah doesn't.
4. Abdullah doesn't like the beach, but Faris does.

4. Conversation

About the Conversation

1. How do Faisal and Fahd react differently to being lost?

Fahd wants to stop and ask for direction, but Faisal doesn't.

2. Why couldn’t they find the street they were looking for?

They were looking for the wrong street name.

3. How does each of them feel about having stopped to get directions?

Fahd is glad that they stopped, but Faisal isn't.

5. Listening

Listen to the morning news show discussion about the different strategies used by new and experienced drivers. Then answer true or false. If the sentence is false, rewrite it with the correct information.

1. false Kevin Shields is the host of the show.
2. false the book they are discussing was written a long time ago.
3. true New and experienced drivers use different driving strategies.
4. true Experienced drivers seem to be better able to deal with difficult situations.
5. false older drivers’ reflexes are as fast as younger drivers.
6. true new drivers tend to get more stressed and frightened when dealing with a dangerous situation.
7. true Experienced drivers normally have lower insurance premiums than new drivers.

7. Vocabulary Building

A. You will see these words in the reading on pages 88 and 89. Match the words with their meanings.

1. d content
2. e convey
3. a feminine
4. c intimate
5. g literal
6. h masculine
7. f species
8. b witness

8. Reading

After Reading

Answer the questions.

1. What do women see as the purpose of communication? What about men?

Women see communication as a way of establishing intimacy. Men use communication to accomplish a task.

2. How are men most likely to bond with others?

Men often bond through shared activities.

3. How does the content of men and women’s talk tend to differ?

Men often talk about sports, the economy and facts. Women often talk about feelings, relationship and people.

4. How do men and women approach problems differently?

Women talk to explore problems, but men talk to solve problems.

5. What causes men and women to communicate differently?

Male and female brains are wired differently, and men and women are raised to behave differently.

10. Writing

5. Read the text and find:

The main thesis statements

Main thesis statement: the second half of the first paragraph; Language is our .... means of communication.

The supporting paragraphs

Supporting paragraphs: paragraphs 2 to 6.

The arguments used

Arguments:

• Describing as opposed to looking at a photograph of the canter of town (paragraph 2).
• Showing or telling a friend about a new gadget (paragraph 3).
• Situations where verbal language is required, for example when running into someone you haven't seen for a long time.
• Having to communicate with someone at a distance/at the airport to get his phone number (paragraph 5).
• According to studies 60% of communication is carried out through non-verbal means (paragraph 6).

11. Form, Meaning and Function

A. Ask and answer questions about the picture. It’s been raining for ten minutes. What have the people been doing during this time? Use the present perfect progressive and the present perfect simple.

• A lady has been sitting in a taxi for a long time. She looks fed up.
• Two friends have been catching up over a cup of coffee.
• They have drunk four cups.
• A man has been talking on his phone.
• A businessman has been talking on his phone.
• A man with a bag has been waiting for a taxi for a long time. He is soaking wet.

C. Tell the class about your group’s hobbies and interests.

• My hobbies are artistic activities such as painting or graphic design, community service, cooking or baking.
• My interests are exercising and healthcare, outdoor activities, playing an instrument, team or individual sports.