Before You Read

Work in pairs. Look at the pictures and answer the questions that follow.

(Làm việc từng đôi. Nhìn vào các hình và trả lời câu hỏi kèm theo.)

1. How many roles does this woman have?

(Phụ nữ này đóng bao nhiêu vai trò?)

While You Read

Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

(Đọc đoạn văn và làm bài tập kèm theo.)

Throughout much of the history of human civilization, deep-seated cultural beliefs allowed women only limited roles in society. Many people believed that women’s natural roles were as mothers and wives. These people considered women to be better suited for childbearing and homemaking rather than for involvement in the public life of business or politics. Widespread doubt about women’s intellectual ability led most societies to deny education, employment and many legal and political rights to women. It was men who controlled most positions of employment and power in society.

The struggle for women’s rights - the rights that establish the same social, economic, and political status for women as for men - began in the 18^th century during a period known as the Age of Enlightenment. During this period, political philosophers in Europe began to argue that all individuals, male or female, were born with natural rights that made them free and equal. These pioneer thinkers advocated that women should not be discriminated against on the basis of their sex.

Today, although their status varies in different countries, women in most parts of the world have gained significant legal rights. The most important of these are: the right to have equal work opportunities and pay to men, the right to vote, and the right to formal education.

Task 1: Give the Vietnamese equivalents to the following words and phrases.

(Cho  từ tiếng Việt tương đương với những từ và cụm từ sau.)

1. human civilization: ___________

2. childbearing: ___________

3. involvement: ___________

4. Age of Enlightenment: ___________

5. deep-seated cultural beliefs: ___________

6. homemaking: ___________

7. intelleclual ability: ___________

8. equal work opportunity: ___________

Task 2: Choose the best option A, B, C or D to answer the following questions.

(Chọn câu trả lời đúng nhất A, B,C hay D  đề trả lời những câu hỏi sau.)

1. According to the text, what was the main role traditionally accorded to women?

A. working in education

B. building houses

C. taking care of the house and family

D. working in factories

2. Before the 18^th century, what was the attitude of societies towards women’s intellectual ability?

A. respectful

B. supportive

C. resentful

D. disbelieving

3. According to the text, what is the purpose of the struggle for women’s rights?

A. to free women from housework

B. to establish a friendly relationship between men and women

C. to bring equality between men and women

D. to argue that women have better intellectual ability

4. What do “these pioneer thinkers’” at the end of paragraph 2 refer to?

A. 18th century European people

B. 18th century European political philosophers

C. 18th century European women

D. 18th century European politicians

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the last paragraph as one of women’s legal rights today?

A. the right to hold property

B. the right to equal pay

C. equal employment opportunity rights

D. the right to vote

Task 3: Choose the best title for the passage.

(Chọn tựa đề đúng nhất cho đoạn văn.)

A. Intellectual Ability (Khả năng Trí tuệ)

B. The Age of Enlightenment (Thời kỳ khai sáng)

C. Women’s Rights (Quyền của phụ nữ)

D. Women’s Role in Education (Vai trò của phụ nữ trong giáo dục)

After You Read

Work in pairs. Summarize the reading passage by writing ONE, sentence for each paragraph.

(Làm việc từng đôi. Tóm tắt đoạn văn đọc bằng cách viết một câu cho mỗi đoạn văn.)