Unit 4: Men And Women

     Are little boys more aggressive than little girls? Do girls cry more than boys? Think over. First, make sure that you understand the meaning of the adjectives in the box. Then, put a (√) next to the statements you think are true.
     Có phải các cậu bé trai hung hăng hơn các cô bé gái? Có phải các cô bé gái khóc nhiều hơn các cậu bé trai? Hãy suy ngẫm. Đầu tiên, hãy chắc chắn rằng bạn nắm vững nghĩa của những tính từ trong bảng sau. Sau đó, đánh dấu (√) vào câu mà bạn nghĩ là đúng.

1. Girls are more sensitive than boys. 2. Girls need more attention than boys. 3. Boys are more selfish than girls. 4. Boys are more athletic than girls. 5. Girls are more talkative than boys. 6. Girls are more cooperative than boys. 7. Boys are louder than girls. 8. Boys make better leaders than girls. 9. Girls start talking sooner than boys. 10. Girls start reading sooner than boys. 11. Boys are better at math than girls. 12. Boys have more accidents than girls. 13. Girls are sneakier than boys. 14. Girls are bossier than boys.

15. Boys are more aggressive than girls. 16. Boys are more competitive than girls. 17. Girls are better listeners than boys. 18. Girls are more sociable than boys. 19. Boys are more analytical than girls. 20. Boys are more intelligent than girls. 21. Girls cry more than boys. 22. Girls are shyer than boys. 23. Boys are more confident than girls. 24. Boys are more ambitious than girls. 25. Girls are more affectionate than boys. 26. Girls are more manipulative than boys. 27. Boys are more critical than girls. 28. Boys are more stubborn than girls.

Think over.
Hãy suy ngẫm.
1. Fill in this questionnaire by yourself.

What sex are you?	Male	Female
If you grew up with both parents, which one did you feel closest to?
What was your favourite toy when you were a child?
What was your favourite subject at school?
What subject did you dislike most at school?
What was your hobby when you were a child?
What did you expect of your future when you were a teenager?

2. Compare your answers.
i) with someone of the same sex.
ii) with someone of the opposite sex.

Text adapted from Jackie Annual 1982

Present your opinions.
Hãy trình bày ý kiến.
1. Do girls brag as much as boys do?
2. Do girls mature physically and emotionally earlier than boys do?
3. Do you agree that girls should not do “boy” stuff such as:

	Agree	Disagree
Mountain climbing
Computer games (Nintendo)
Smoking
Going to night-clubs
Fighting
Getting drunk
Riding motorbike
Flying kites
Wrestling
Boxing

4. Discuss the differences between boys and girls in terms of:

Weight Height Cleanliness

Appearance Intelligence Natural ability (e.g. music)

5. Do you think the following types of behaviour are learned or in-born? Explain your answers.

	Learned	In-Born
Boys boast, girls gossip.
Girls like dolls, boys love toy trucks.
Girls are more sensitive emotionally than boys.
Boys do woodwork and metalwork, girls cook and knit.
Girls excel in art and humanities, boys in sciences.
Boys are career-oriented, girls family-oriented.

     Here is a quiz about some of the differences between men and women. Do you think these sentences are true or false?
     Dưới đây là những câu đố về sự khác nhau giữa nam và nữ. Theo bạn những ý kiến này đúng hay sai?

1. Men have bigger brains than women. 2. On average, men live longer than women. 3. More women are color-blind than men. 4. A woman’s heart beats more slowly than a man’s heart. 5. Men suffer from more broken bones than women do. 6. Generally speaking, women earn as much money as men. 7. Men commit more murders than women. 8. More women than men consider themselves attractive. 9. Men are more likely than women to say that they would marry the same person all over again. 10. More women than men say they are happier after their divorce. 11. In most households, it’s the man who apologizes first. 12. In most households, the man takes out the garbage.

Brainstorm.
Hãy động não.
     Write down the things that need to change in your country for women to be equal. Use the points in the left hand column to help you. In the right hand column, write down the barriers to these changes happening.

	Changes needed	Barriers to change
Image of women
Education
Language
Workplace
Children’s upbringing
Family roles
Other

Think over.
Hãy suy ngẫm.
1. Working Women: Talk about who can do these jobs best – men or women:

	Men	Women		Men	Women
• Leader of a country			• Comedian
• Soldier			• CEO
• Chef			• Religious leader
• Racing car driver			• Nurse
• Teacher			• Clown
• Pilot			• Miner
• Secretary			• Beautician

2. World Women: Write a score of 1 (very bad) to 10 (wonderful) based on what you think it is like to be a woman in these countries:
• USA
• China
• India
• Brazil
• Saudi Arabia
• Russia
• Thailand
• Japan

Discuss.
Hãy thảo luận.
a. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
b. Do you think Kofi Annan does enough for women?
c. Do you think the UN is s good place to work for women?
d. What do you think the United Nations should do about women’s issues?
e. What do you know about International Women’s Day?
f. Do you think there should also be an International Men’s Day?
g. Do you think the world is moving towards greater equality between the sexes?
h. What do you think Kofi Annan will say about the letter from the coalition of women’s groups?

Share ideas about these points with the others.
Chia xẻ ý kiến về những đề tài sau với các bạn.
1. Do you think that girls and boys are born with certain personality traits? Or does society teach girls to be like girls and boys to be like boys?
2. Many parents try to treat their sons and daughters equally and in a non-sexist way. However, they often report that their daughters prefer to play with dolls, and that their sons prefer to play with trucks. Why do you think that is?
3. In the world today, is it easier to be male or female? Why do you think so?
4. Write down the names of five women who are or have been important in your life. In pairs / groups, talk about the strengths of these women. What have you learned from them? What would you like to thank them for?
5. Talk about what you think must be the best things and the worst things about being a member of the other sex in your country.