21_B3_U02A

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21st Century College English Book 3
Unit 2 Part A
The Titanic Puzzle
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Unit 2 Part A

• Pre-reading Activities
• Text A Language Points
• Exercises
• Assignment

The Titanic Puzzle
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Pre-reading Activities
Thinking
For gentlemen There are many traditional ways of
showing courtesy to women gestures like
lighting their cigarettes for them or standing up
when they enter a room. What other things can you
think of? Name some of those you know!
For ladies What do you think of the womans
argument about everyday reality? What about you
view of common courtesy?
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Pre-reading Activities
Listening

• You are going to hear a conversation about
  Western traditions of courtesy towards women.
  Before you listen to the conversation, have a
  look at the questions below.
• Where do you imagine the incident the woman
  describes took place?
• What courtesy did she expect?
• What, in the man's view, is the basis of a lot
  of common courtesy?

Check-up
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Pre-reading Activities

• Where do you imagine the incident the woman
  describes took place?
• What courtesy did she expect?
• What, in the man's view, is the basis of a lot
  of common courtesy?

At the entrance to a building.
She expected the man to open the door for her.
The notion that women are not strong enough to
cope with everyday reality.
Script
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Pre-reading Activities
G Germaine H Hugh G So there I was,
struggling to get the door open without dropping
my bags, and this guy just stood there staring at
me with a look of total confusion on his face. I
don't understand. I think If it'd been a woman,
she would've opened the door for me. Or if I'd
been a man, he would've opened the door for me.
It was a simple case of one human being needing a
hand from another human being, and all this guy
could do was stare stupidly at me. H I don't
blame him. How was he supposed to know you
wouldn't bite his head off for offering help? A
lot of women get mad nowadays when a guy offers
to help them with something. Men just don't know
how to act anymore.
G That's exactly my point! Something's gone
wrong. Surely the idea of equal rights for women
wasn't meant to prevent common courtesy. H Well,
but a lot of what you call common courtesy is
based on the notion that women are too weak to
cope with everyday reality. G getting angrier
and angrier Oh yeah?! Well, maybe too much of
what you call everyday reality was designed
without thinking of women. Why is the door so
heavy? Why are the shelves in shops and libraries
so high?? Why aren't babysitters provided for
free??? wildly Why was I the one carrying all
those heavy shopping bags?!?! H Ow, don't hit me!
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Language Points
The Titanic Puzzle Should a good feminist accept
priority seating on a lifeboat? By
Charles Krauthammer
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Language Points
The Titanic Puzzle Should a good feminist accept
priority seating on a lifeboat? By
Charles Krauthammer 1 You're on the Titanic II.
It has just hit an iceberg and is sinking. And,
as last time, there are not enough lifeboats. The
captain shouts, Women and children first! But
this time, another voice is heard Why women?
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Language Points
2 Why, indeed? Part of the charm of the
successful movie Titanic are the period costumes,
the period extravagance, and the period
prejudices. An audience can enjoy these at a
distance. Oddly, however, of all the period
attitudes in the film, the old maritime tradition
of women and children first enjoys total
acceptance by modern audiences. Listen to the
audience boo at the bad guys who try to sneak on
the lifeboats with or ahead of the ladies.
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Language Points
3 But is not grouping women with children a
raging anachronism? Should not any
self-respecting modern person, let alone
feminist, object to it as insulting to
women? 4 Yet its usage is as common today as it
was in 1912. Consider these examples taken almost
at random from recent newspapers 5 The invaders
gunned down the Indians, most of them women and
children ... 6 As many as 200 civilians, most
of them women and children, were killed ...
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Language Points
7 At the massacre in Ahmici 103 Muslims,
including 33 women and children, were killed
... 8 At a time when women fly combat aircraft
and run multi-national corporations, how can one
not wince when adult women are routinely classed
with children? In Ahmici, it seems, 70 adult men
were killed. And how many adult women? Not clear.
When things get serious, when blood starts to
flow or ships start to sink, you'll find them
with the children.
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Language Points
9 Children are entitled to special consideration
for two reasons helplessness and innocence. They
have not yet acquired either the faculty of
reason or the wisdom of experience. Consequently,
they are defenseless (incapable of fending for
themselves) and blameless (incapable of real
sin). That's why we grant them special
protection. In an emergency, it is our duty to
save them first because they, helpless, have put
their lives in our hands. And in wartime, they
are supposed to be protected by special immunity
because they can have threatened or offended no
one.
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Language Points
10 The phrase women and children attributes to
women the same dependence and moral simplicity we
find in five-year-olds. Such an attitude perhaps
made sense in an era dominated by male privilege.
Given the disabilities attached to womanhood in
1912, it was only fair that a new standard of
gender equality not suddenly be proclaimed just
as lifeboat seats were being handed out. That
deference a somewhat more urgent variation on
giving up your seat on the bus to a woman
complemented and perhaps to some extent
compensated for the legal and social constraints
placed on women at the time.
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Language Points
11 But in our era of extensive social
restructuring to grant women equality in
education, in employment, in government, in
athletics, what entitles women to the privileges
and reduces them to the status of children?
12 Evolutionary psychologists might say that
ladies-to-the-lifeboats is an instinct that
developed to perpetuate the species Women are
indispensable child-bearers. You can repopulate a
village if the women survive and only a few of
the men, but not if the men survive and only a
few of the women. Women being more precious,
biologically speaking, than men, evolution has
conditioned us to give them the kind of
life-protecting deference we give to that other
seed of the future kids.
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Language Points
13 The problem with this kind of logic, however,
is its depressing reductionism. It's like a
serious version of the geneticist's old joke that
a chicken is just an egg's way of making another
egg. But humans are more than just egg-layers.
And traditional courtesies are more than just
disguised survival strategies. So why do we say
women and children? 14 Perhaps it's really
women for children. The most basic parental
bond is maternal. Equal parenting is great, but
women, from breast to cradle to reassuring hug,
can nurture in ways that men cannot. And thus,
because we value children, women should go
second. The children need them.
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Language Points
15 But kiddie-centrism gets you only so far. What
if there are no children on board? You are on the
Titanic III, and this time it's a singles cruise.
No kids, no parents. Now Iceberg! Lifeboats!
Action! 16 Here's my scenario. The men, out of
sheer irrational heroism, should let the women go
first. And the women, out of sheer feminist
self-respect, should refuse. 17 Result?
Stalemate. How does this movie end? How should it
end? Hurry, the ship's going down.
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You're on the Titanic II.
Paraphrase ?
Key Suppose you find yourself in a similar
situation to that of the Titanic.
More to learn
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Text-related information
the Titanic II
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the period costumes, the period extravagance, and
the period prejudices
Paraphrasing ?
Key the costumes, the extravagance, and the
prejudices of that time in history
More to learn
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the period costumes, the period extravagance, and
the period prejudices
period a. typical of an earlier time in
history, either dating from that time or
deliberately made in the style of that time

• Examples
• period furniture
• a period cottage

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at / from a distance from a place that is not
very close a long time after sth. happened

• Examples
• It's wise to stay at a distance from the cobras.
• Some people are more respectable if admired from
  a distance.
• Remembering the disaster at a distance, I now
  feel sure that it was not his fault.

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Should not any self-respecting modern person, let
alone feminist, object to it as insulting to
women?
let alone (to indicate that a particular
situation is even less likely or possible) not to
mention without considering

• Examples
• I was too tired to walk, let alone running.
• There wasn't enough room for us, let alone three
  dogs and two cats.

More to learn
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Should not any self-respecting modern person, let
alone feminist, object to it as insulting to
women?
object to oppose be against

• Examples
• The embassy objects to their requests to take
  refuge there.
• Professor Hawking objects to being treated like
  someone special.

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usage n. the way sth. is used the way words
are used in a language
Note Usage is different from use in that it
often implies the degree to which something is
used or the way in which it is used.

• Examples
• The manual describes the proper usage of the
  appliance.
• The expression has come into common usage.
• the environmental effects of energy usage
• Sports equipment is designed to withstand hard
  usage.

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wince vi. suddenly and briefly show pain in
one's facial expression (???????)?????,??????

• Examples
• David winced when the dentist touched his sore
  tooth.
• It makes me wince even thinking about eye
  operation.

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Children are entitled to special consideration
be entitled to (do) sth. be given the right to
have or do (sth.)

• Examples
• You are entitled to high praise for handling this
  difficult situation successfully all alone.
• I'm entitled to know how my own money is being
  spent.

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faculty n. 1. any of the powers of the body or
mind a particular ability for doing sth.
?????? 2. all the teachers and workers of a
university or college (?????)???????

• Examples
• Even at the age of 100, she still had all her
  faculties.
• Mary has a remarkable faculty for adding large
  numbers in her head.
• Jane is a member of the faculty at the local
  university.

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immunity n. 1. protection or freedom (from
sth.) ?????(?) 2. ability to resist infection,
disease, etc. ???

• Examples
• He was told that he would be granted immunity
  from prosecution (??) if he confessed the names
  of the other spies.
• diplomatic immunity (?????)
• Most people have no immunity against that virus.

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threaten vt. 1. make a threat against (sb.)
??,?? 2. give a warning (of sth. bad) ??

• Examples
• They threatened their son with punishment.
• The dark clouds threaten a storm.

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The phrase women and children attributes to
women the same dependence and moral simplicity we
find in five-year-olds.
dependence and moral simplicity another way
of saying helplessness and innocence
Paraphrase ?

• Key
• By classing women with children, we think that
  women are as helpless and innocent as little
  kids.

More to learn
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The phrase women and children attributes to
women the same dependence and moral simplicity we
find in five-year-olds.
attribute (a quality, feature, etc.) to sb./sth.
say or think that sb./sth. has got (that
quality, feature, etc.)

• Examples
• He tends to attribute mean motives to other
  people.
• I wouldn't dream of attributing such a lack of
  judgment to you.

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given prep. considering ??? a. 1.
???,???2. ??????

• Examples
• Given their inexperience, they've done a good
  job.
• Given (the fact) that she is interested in
  children, I am sure teaching is the right career
  for her.
• The work must be done within the given time.
• under a given condition
• The given radius (??) being 4 ft., find the
  circumference (??).

More to learn
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given used as a preposition

• Examples
• Given his age, he is a remarkable fast runner.
• I'm sure teaching is the right career for her,
  given (the fact) that she is interested in
  children.
• She could have done just as well as you have,
  given the chance.
• Given imagination, anything is possible.

The word given can be used as a preposition
followed by a noun phrase or noun clause. If you
say given something or given that something is
true, you mean what is mentioned is considered or
is taken into account. In formal English, given
the chance, given the opportunity, etc. mean if
one has the chance, the opportunity, etc.
More to learn
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given
Complete the following sentences by translating
the Chinese into English, using given clauses
appropriately.(Ex. VIII, p. 208)
1. _______________(?????????????), their chances
of winning the election look poor. 2. __________
___(????????,????), adults are responsible for
granting them special protection.
? Given the government's record on unemployment
? Given children's helplessness and
defenselessness
More to learn
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given
Complete the following sentences by translating
the Chinese into English, using given clauses
appropriately.(Ex. VIII, p. 208)

• ________________(???????), our ship will reach
  Yantai tomorrow morning.
• 4. ___________(??????), children and old people
  are advised not to stay in an air-conditioned
  room for too long.

? Given good weather
? Given poor immunity
More to learn
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given
Complete the following sentences by translating
the Chinese into English, using given clauses
appropriately.(Ex. VIII, p. 208)
5. _______________(??????????????????), it is not
surprising to find such new words as chairperson
and Ms. in widespread use. 6. (?????????????),
I would choose to study engineering rather than
mathematics.
? Given that feminists have been fighting for
gender/sexual equality for years
? Given one more chance to go to college
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attach (to) vt. 1. consider that sb. has a
certain quality 2. fasten or join

• Examples
• The panel of scientists attaches great importance
  to his research on genes.
• Chinese movies used to attach every good quality
  to a hero.
• A label is attached to each piece of luggage.
• Bill attached a big bow (???) to the birthday
  present.

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, it was only fair that a new standard of gender
equality not suddenly be proclaimed just as life
boat seats were being handed out.

• Examples
• The job is open to any suitably qualified person
  regardless of age, gender or race.
• Sociologists believe that gender differences in
  voting will gradually disappear as women become
  more politicized.
• In German, the gender of the word "Hund", meaning
  "dog" , is masculine (???).

gender equality sex equality n. 1. (????)?2.
(???????)? Gender means sex but is especially
used in job advertisements, in writing about
politics and society, as well as in grammar,
while sex is a general word.
More to learn
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, it was only fair that a new standard of gender
equality not suddenly be proclaimed just as life
boat seats were being handed out.
proclaim vt. make known officially or
publicly declare Note Proclaim implies a clear,
forceful, authoritative oral declaring of
something, often of national importance.

• Examples
• The president proclaimed a day of mourning.
• The American colonies proclaimed their
  independence in 1776.

More to learn
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, it was only fair that a new standard of gender
equality not suddenly be proclaimed just as life
boat seats were being handed out.
hand out distribute ??, ??

• Examples
• Make a list of names, see if they're all present,
  and hand out the books.
• Would you hand the cake out while I pour the
  coffee?

More to learn
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, it was only fair that a new standard of gender
equality not suddenly be proclaimed just as life
boat seats were being handed out.
Paraphrase ?

• Key
• , the traditional gender inequality should
  naturally continue at that critical moment when
  the ship was sinking it was fair that women
  should have been given seats on the lifeboats
  first.

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That deference a somewhat more urgent variation
on giving up your seat on the bus to a woman
complemented and perhaps to some extent
compensated for the legal and social constraints
placed on women at the time.
variation n. (on) one in a group or set
which is different in some way from the normal or
most common

• Examples
• His books are all variations on a basic theme.
• It was the same TV programme with only nightly
  variations.

More to learn
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That deference a somewhat more urgent variation
on giving up your seat on the bus to a woman
complemented and perhaps to some extent
compensated for the legal and social constraints
placed on women at the time.
Paraphrase ?

• Key
• That respect for women (i.e. offering priority
  seating on a lifeboat) was very similar to, but
  somewhat more urgent than, offering your seat to
  a woman on the bus. This helped to improve, and
  perhaps more or less made up for the disabilities
  attached to womanhood (para.10) by law and by
  society at that time.

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..., what entitles women to the privileges and
reduces them to the status of children?
reduce sb. to bring sb. to (a specified, usu.
worse, state or condition)

• Examples
• We were reduced to selling the car to pay the
  rent.
• He ran out of cigarettes and was reduced to
  smoking the butts left in the ashtrays.

More to learn
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..., what entitles women to the privileges and
reduces them to the status of children?
Paraphrase ?

• Key
• ..., why should women be given the same
  privileges, and be brought to the same
  insignificant status, as children?

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ladies-to-the-lifeboats is an instinct that
developed to perpetuate the species
Paraphrase ?
giving priority to ladies to enable them to
survive a shipwreck is a natural tendency formed
in order to prevent the extinction of mankind
Translate the sentence ?
????????????????????
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Women being more precious, biologically speaking,
than men, evolution has conditioned us to give
them the kind of life-protecting deference we
give to that other seed of the future kids.
Paraphrase ?

• Because women are more important than men in the
  perpetuation of mankind, the law of evolution has
  influenced our attitude, so that we give women
  the same kind of priority of survival as we give
  children, on whom, too, mankind relies for
  perpetuation.

Translation ?

• ????????????????????,???????????????????????????
  ?????????????

More to learn
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Women being more precious, biologically speaking,
than men, evolution has conditioned us to give
them the kind of life-protecting deference we
give to that other seed of the future kids.
Women being more precious ... than men Present
participle phrase used in the absolute
construction, which functions as an adverbial of
cause in the sentence.
Use of the present participle in the absolute
construction

• Examples
• No further discussions arising, the meeting was
  brought to a close.
• A small boy, his satchel (??) trailing behind
  him, ran past.
• Weather permitting, we'll start tomorrow.

The adverbial present participle phrase has no
overt (???) subject and its understood subject
provides a link with the main clause, while the
absolute construction using the present
participle has its own logical subject and is not
overtly bound to the main clause, even on a
semantic (???) level, by any shared element. In
grammatical functions, however, the two forms are
similar.
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depress vt. 1. sadden and discourage
???,??? 2. cause to sink to a lower level of
position ????, ???

• Examples
• The cold, gray weather depressed Anne.
• High interest rates are continuing to depress the
  economy.

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And traditional courtesies are more than just
disguised survival strategies.
more than just not just not simply
Paraphrase ?

• Key
• And traditional polite behavior to women is not
  just a false display intended for the survival of
  the human race.

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Equal parenting is great, but women, from breast
to cradle to reassuring hug, can nurture in ways
that men cannot.
breast breast-feeding ??
Paraphrase ?

• Key
• It is pretty good for father and mother to be
  equal in their relationship with children, but
  many duties in the rearing and caring of children
  can be performed only by women in their special
  ways, and never by men.

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But kiddie-centrism gets you only so far.
kiddie-centrism the notion that children are
most important ?????
Paraphrase ?

• The explanation that women are given priority to
  survive just because children need them is
  convincing up to this point only.

Translation ?

• ??????????????????

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sheer a. 1. pure nothing other than (often
used in descriptions of sth. surprising,
outrageous, inexplicable, etc.) 2. (of
fabric) very thin, light and almost transparent
(???) 3. very steep

• Examples
• It is a sheer waste of time.
• John peered through the sheer curtain.
• The climbers slowly inched (????) up the sheer
  cliff.

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stalemate n. a stage of a dispute, contest,
etc. (esp. chess) at which further progress is
impossible for both sides ????

• Examples
• The players reached a stalemate, so a draw (??)
  was declared.
• Negotiations have come to a stalemate.

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Unit 2 Exercises

• Comprehension
• Vocabulary
• Listening

The Titanic Puzzle
56
Exercises Comprehension
???? III Ex. II, p. 43
57
Exercises Comprehension
Answer the following questions
1. What period attitude from the movie Titanic
does the author focus on? 2. Why does he
consider the audience's acceptance of this
attitude odd?
The attitude that women should be grouped with
children in getting priority seating on
lifeboats.
Because it is so clearly contrary to modern view
of womens rights Because it is insulting to
women.
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Exercises Comprehension
Answer the following questions
3. What examples does the author give to show
that this attitude is found not only in the
movies?
He gives examples from recent newspapers The
invaders gunned down the Indians, mot of them
women and children. As many as 200 civilians,
most of them women and children, were
killed At the massacre in Ahmici 103 Muslims,
including 33 women and children, were killed
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Exercises Comprehension
Answer the following questions
4. How does the author view the special
consideration granted to children? 5. What is
his argument against granting the same sort of
consideration to women?
He considers it appropriate, because children are
both helpless and innocent.
He sees it as attributing to women the same
dependence and moral simplicity we find in
children.
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Exercises Comprehension
Answer the following questions
6. Why does he consider that this attitude
perhaps made sense in 1912 but not any
longer? 7. What is the author's argument
against evolutionary psychologists viewpoint?
Special consideration in times of emergency was a
form of compensation for the inequality of
women in 1912. But now there is no justification
for giving women special privileges.
Its depressing and wrong to treat women as if
they were merely egg-layers.
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Exercises Comprehension
Answer the following questions
8. What does he mean by equal parenting?  9.
What is his argument against kiddie-centrism?
Fathers and mothers sharing equally in the
responsibilities of bringing up children.
Its applicable only in a limited number of
situations and therefore fails to resolve the
whole problem.
62
Exercises Comprehension
Answer the following questions
10. What are the possible endings for the
author's scenario for Titanic III?
The authors vision is that everyone might drown
out of stubborn idealism.
63
Exercises Vocabulary
The Titanic Puzzle
64
Exercises Vocabulary
???? III Ex. III, p. 44
65
Exercises Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given
below. Change the form where necessary.
entitle constraint complement strategy
privilege instinct depress survival indispensa
ble urgent faculty random
1. In a healthy relationship, the partners'
strengths and abilities ___________ each other,
rather than being identical.
complement
2. Millions of dollars and lots of famous actors
are not ____________ to the production of a
successful film, but they help!
indispensable
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Exercises Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given
below. Change the form where necessary.
entitle constraint complement strategy
privilege instinct depress survival indispensa
ble urgent faculty random
3. I never felt I had a right to expect any
special ___________ because of my university
education.
privileges
4. The marketing ____________ that Edward
proposed would be brilliant if only he hadn't
forgotten about good business ethics.
strategy
67
Exercises Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given
below. Change the form where necessary.
entitle constraint complement strategy
privilege instinct depress survival indispensa
ble urgent faculty random
5. It's true that not having a car imposes some
___________, but owning one also complicates life
in many ways.
constraint
6. According to the Chinese law, every child is
___________ to nine years of free education.
entitled
68
Exercises Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given
below. Change the form where necessary.
entitle constraint complement strategy
privilege instinct depress survival indispensa
ble urgent faculty random
7. Life should consist of more than just a
struggle for ___________.
survival
8. The sight of the helpless child aroused her
maternal ___________.
instinct(s)
69
Exercises Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given
below. Change the form where necessary.
entitle constraint complement strategy
privilege instinct depress survival indispensa
ble urgent faculty random
9. The winners of the contest were chosen
___________ no consideration was given to age,
gender or income.
randomly
10. He has lost the use of his limbs but he is
still in possession of all his ___________.
faculty
70
Exercises Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given
below. Change the form where necessary.
entitle constraint complement strategy
privilege instinct depress survival indispensa
ble urgent faculty random
11. Please give the highest priority to this very
___________ matter.
urgent
12. She enjoyed parts of her trip to India, but
said she found the poverty she saw there rather
___________.
depressing
71
Exercises Vocabulary
???? III Ex. IV, p. 45
72
Exercises Vocabulary
IV. Rescue these sentences! Remember our
underachieving student? He's up to his old tricks
again He tried to use an expression from the
text in each of the sentences below, but he got
all the prepositions or adverbs mixed up. Correct
all the sentences, using expressions from the
text, then put definitions or synonyms of the
corrected expressions in the spaces provided.
73
Exercises Vocabulary
IV. Rescue these sentences!
1. This report is based on a survey of one
thousand readers chosen by random.
correct form _______________________ definition
_______________________ 2. The Titanic hit an
iceberg and went under with a loss of more than
1,500 lives. correct form
________________________ synonym
________________________
at random
without any plan or criteria for selection
went down
sank
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Exercises Vocabulary
IV. Rescue these sentences!
3. Before we start our discussion, I'd like to
hand around some extra materials containing
background information. correct form
_______________________ synanym _______________
________ 4. The explosion was heard by startled
citizens in a distance from ten miles.
correct form ________________________
synonym ________________________
hand out
distribute
at a distance of ten miles
ten miles away
75
Exercises Vocabulary
IV. Rescue these sentences!
5. As soon as baby birds are able to fend to
themselves, their parents lose interest in them.
correct form _______________________ syno
nym _______________________ 6. The whole country
was horrified when a 13-year-old boy gunned at
two teachers and seven students. correct
form ________________________ synonym
________________________
fend for themselves
take care of themselves
gunned down
shot
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Exercises Vocabulary
IV. Rescue these sentences!
7. I can't find the pictures that were attached
with the documents. correct form
_______________________ synonym _______________
________ 8. Everyone is entitled by his or her
own opinion. correct form
________________________ definition
________________________
attached to
fastened to
is entitled to
has a right to
77
Listening Practice
???? III Part 2.2, p.18
78
Listening Practice
Conversation
While listening, please think about the following
questions. 1. What is A planning to do? 2. What
do the two women prefer to be called? Why do they
spell women in a different way? 3. What is the
problem with As question about genuine equality
with men? 4. What does B imply by using
acknowledged instead of achieved? 5. Does C
agree that their superiority has been recognized
by men? 6. How does B explain womyns superiority
to men? 7. Do you think B and C like to be called
ladies? Why? 8. Does A find out anything about
current attitudes toward feminism in the end?
Check-up
79
Listening Practice
Comprehension questions
1. What is A planning to do?
? He is planning to take an opinion poll about
current attitudes towards feminism.
2. What do the two women prefer to be called? Why
do they spell women in a different way?
? Womyn. Because they think women are special.
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Listening Practice
3. What is the problem with As question about
genuine equality with men?
? The two womyn believe women are superior to
men.
4. What does B imply by using acknowledged
instead of achieved?
? She implies that womens superiority is very
obvious.
5. Does C agree that their superiority has been
recognized by men?
? No. She says women are trained to accept their
suffering.
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Listening Practice
6. How does B explain womyns superiority to men?
? Men fear womyn, so they make unfair laws.
7. Do you think B and C like to be called ladies?
Why?
? Yes. A called them ladies twice towards the
end.
8. Does A find out anything about current
attitudes toward feminism in the end?
? No.
Script
82
Listening Practice
A Good afternoon, ladies I am taking an
opinion poll about current attitudes toward
feminism and Im hoping you might have a few
minutes to answer some questions. B Ladies?
Did you call us ladies? A Eryes? B You
clown! We are womyn and you can write that
down. Its spelled with a y. A Y? Why? C Womyn
are not some sort of strange version of men! We
are separate, special creatures and were
entitled to our own spelling! A Uh, okay.
W-o-m-y-n. Is that right?
B Right. Now what are your questions? A
UhWell, the first one is Do you feel that women
have achieved genuine equality with
men? B Achieved? Equality? Are you asking
whether I think womyns superiority to men has
been generally acknowledged? A Er, well, maybe
Im not really sure. C Womyn just need to assert
themselves for their natural superiority to be
recognized. B Not true. First of all, being
assertive is a male strategy. Second, our
natural superiority has always been
recognized. C How can you say that?! Womyn
suffer from legal and social
injustice in every society in the world mainly
because we are trained from birth to accept such
suffering. B But where did the laws and customs
that treat womyn unfairly come from? From mens
fear of womyn. Why do men fear womyn? because
of our obvious superiority. A Ladies C ignorin
g A But womyns strengths have been distorted by
so- called civilization B But only if you
regard womyn as A LADIES! Forget it. Im sorry
I asked.
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(No Transcript)