Before Reading

Ⅰ. An English Song — See Who I am

(Directions:) Listen to the song and fill in the blanks with what you hear.

See Who I am

Is it true what they say,

are we too blind to find a way?

Fear of the _________(=unknown) clouds our hearts today.

Come into my world,

see through my eyes.

Try to ________(=understand),

don't want to lose what we have.

We've been __________(=dreaming)

but who can _____(=deny),

it's the best way of living

between the truth and the lies.

See who I am,

break through the surface.

Reach for my hand,

let's show them that we can

free our minds and find a way.

The world is in our hands,

this is not the end.

Fear is withering the __________(=soul)

at the point of no _________(=return).

we must be the change

we wish to see.

I'll come into your world,

see through your eyes.

I'll try to understand,

before we lose what we have.

We just can't stop _________(=believing)

because we have to try.

We can rise above

their truth and their lies.

See who I am,

break through the surface.

Reach for my hand,

let's show them that we can

free our minds and find a way.

The world is in our hands,

this is not the end.

I hear their _______(=silence)

preaching my ________(=blame).

Will our ________-(=strength) remain

if their ________(=power) reigns?

See who I am,

break through the surface.

Reach for my hand,

let's show them that we can

free our minds and find a way.

The world is in our hands,

this is not the end.

Ⅱ. Feminism and Women’s Liberation

ⅰ. A brief introduction to Feminism

1: The term feminism can be used to describe a political, cultural or economic   movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal protection for women.

2: It is also a movement that advocates gender equality for women and campaigns for women's rights and interests

3: The first feminist wave was in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which refers mainly to women's suffrage movements of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (mainly concerned with women's right to vote).

4: The second was in the 1960s and 1970s, which refers to the ideas and actions associated with the women's liberation movement beginning in the 1960s (which campaigned for legal and social rights for women).

5: The third extends from the 1990s to the present.

ⅱ. Two Famous Feminists

1. Betty Friedan

Influential adj. 有影响的

The Feminine Mystique《女性的奥秘》

Intellectual adj. 智力的, 有智力的

child-rearing adj. 养孩子的

1). What was Betty Friedan often called?

 (=She was often called “the mother of the modern women’s liberation movement.”)

2). What was the result of the feminist movement in the United States?

(=The feminist movement helped women gain the right to vote in the 1920s.)

3). What was the situation for female workers fifty years ago?

(= Female workers doing the same jobs as men earned much less money than men did.)

4). What was Betty’s attitude towards rearing children?

 (=Child-rearing should be the responsibility of women, men and society, not just the responsibility of women.)

5). What did Betty’s book The Feminine Mystique mainly attack?

 (=The book mainly attacked the idea that women could only find satisfaction through being married, having children and taking care of their home.)

6). What were the influences of Betty’s book?

(=More women began working outside the home. More women also began studying traditionally male subjects like law, medicine and engineering.)

2. Bella Abzug 

Directions: Listen to the following passage and fill in the blanks with the words you hear.

    Today, we tell about Bella Abzug. She was a member of the United States Congress in the nineteen seventies. She also was a well-known activist for _______(civil rights) and women's rights.
  Bella Abzug was well known for many reasons. She was a lawyer and activist. She _________(=represented) New York City in Congress. She spoke in a loud voice. And she always wore large hats.
  Miz Abzug ________(=supported) women's rights and civil rights. She had strong opinions on many ______(issues). She ________(=opposed) the American _________(=involvement) in the war in Vietnam. She made ______(=public) her opinions on most important issues. In fact, she was called one of the most ________(=outspoken) members of Congress.
  Bella Abzug also acted on her ________(=beliefs). She wrote legislation to prevent ________(=unfair) treatment of women. She ________(=presented) the first bill for equal rights for homosexuals. She often denounced the ________(=majority) of the members of Congress who were white males. She said they did not know about the lives and problems of most people in America.
 
ⅲ. International Women’s Day

1. A Brief Introduction

 International Women's Day is marked on the 8th of March every year. It is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.

2. Celebration of Women’s Day in China

mark vt. 标志

display n. 陈列

blossom vi. 开花

stray v. 漂泊游荡

quake-hit adj. 经历地震的

optimism n. 乐观, 乐观主义

1). Gifts, especially flowers are very popular on women’s day. (T)

2). Many women are choosing to travel to a nearby place with their families or friends.    (T)

3). If they don’t want to leave the city, there is no entertainment closer to home. (F)

(=There’s also entertainment closer to home, for example, women in Beijing attended a special “Cross Talk” performance.)

4). Women in Sichuan province celebrate their holiday with the theme of reconstruction. (T)

5). In Mianzhu, hundreds of videos are displayed showing women’s hard working. (F)

  (=Hundreds of photos show women taking part in reconstruction efforts.)

China has joined the rest of the world in marking International Women's Day. And people from all walks of life have been taking part in activities.

Flowers are especially popular on Women's Day. And a colorful display of flowers is on show in various flower markets of the country

People are also marking the day with short trips. Since "Women's Day" falls on Sunday this year... many women are choosing to travel with their families or friends.

A tourist from Qingdao said, "Cole flowers blossom in March and some of my family members like taking pictures. So I wanted to take my mom and other family members on a fun, short trip."

But for those who don't like to stray too far from the city, there's also entertainment closer to home. Women in Beijing attended a special "Cross Talk" performance for women.

One audience member said, "We booked tickets online. It's quite a different feeling watching it on TV."

People in the quake-hit areas of Sichuan province celebrated the day with the theme of reconstruction. Residents of Deyang city hosted a yangge dance competition to express their hopes for a better tomorrow.

And in the city of Mianzhu, hundreds of photos showing women participating in reconstruction efforts also express the optimism of the local population.

3. Obama’s Speech on American Women  

peaks and valleys 高潮和低谷

upward 向上的

daring 大胆的

indomitable不屈不挠的

ridicule 嘲笑, 奚落

assumption 臆断

crack 裂缝

reflect on 思考

statistics 统计数据

victim 受害人

domestic 家庭的

bend 弯曲

1). In Obama’s opinion, what does the story of America look like?

(=The story of America is one of hope and progress, of an upward journey.)

2). What is the reality of American women’s life at present?

 (=It is a reality marked by unfairness, by hardship for too many women.)

3). What is the fundamental truth reflected by the facts and figures?

(=The fundamental truth is that full gender equality has not yet been achieved.)

4). Can you mention some famous women in Chinese history?

 (=Open-ended.)

5). What is the reality of Chinese women’s life at present?

(=Open-ended.)

  The story of America’s women, like the story of America itself, has had its peaks and valleys.  But as one of our great American educators once said, if you drew a line through all the valleys and all the peaks, that line would be drawn with an upward curve.  That upward curve –- what we call progress –- didn’t happen by accident.

  It came about because of daring, indomitable women. Women like Abigail Adams, who brought on the ridicule of her husband John by advising him to “remember the ladies” in our founding documents.  Women like the pioneers and settlers who, in the words of one, said, “I thought where he could go, I could go.”  Women like Dorothy Height and Sylvia Mendez and Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem and Sandra Day O’Connor and Madeline Albright, upending assumptions and changing laws and tearing down barriers.  Women like Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, throughout her career, has put millions of cracks in America’s glass ceiling. It’s because of them –- and so many others, many who aren’t recorded in the history books –- that the story of America is, ultimately, one of hope and one of progress, of an upward journey.

  But even as we reflect on the hope of our history, we must also face squarely the reality of the present -– a reality marked by unfairness, marked by hardship for too many women in America.  The statistics of inequality are all too familiar to us -- how women just earn 77 cents for every dollar men make; how one in four women is the victim of domestic violence at some point in her life; how women are more than half the population, but make up only 17 percent of the seats in Congress, and less than 3 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs.

  These, and any number of other facts and figures, reflect the fundamental truth that in 2010, full gender equality has not yet been achieved; that the task of perfecting America goes on; and that all of us, men and women, have a part to play in bending the arc in America’s story upward in the 21st century.

Ⅲ. Barbie and Ken Dolls  

ⅰ. A Brief Introduction

Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. Ken (also known as Ken Carson) is a Mattel toy doll introduced in 1961 as the fictional boyfriend of toy doll Barbie. Similar to his female counterpart, Ken had a fashionable line of clothing and accessories. Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries.

ⅱ. Celebration of Barbie’s 50th Birthday

    Barbie, the blond bombshell with the minuscule waist and long plastic legs, turned 50 on Monday. Barbie fans around the world celebrated their idol's birthday with various activities.

  The city of Hamburg in northern Germany marked Barbie's big day in style. The birthday cake came in Barbie's favorite color, and a Barbie doll looking like German chancellor Angela Merkel was unveiled at the event.

  In Tokyo, Mattel Inc, the world's No. 1 toy company and maker of Barbie, threw a birthday bash for the 50-year-old icon as part of the company's extensive worldwide campaign to promote Barbie.

  Candles were lit on Barbie's birthday cake and Japanese girls dressed up in Barbie-inspired outfits formed another highlight of the celebrations.

   The famed F.A.O. Schwartz toy store in Manhattan also marked Barbie's 50th birthday.

   "Growing up she was anything you wanted to be. Growing up, that was so neat to see her in so many different things. She wasn't just pretty. She is so smart that it makes me think I can do anything too, just like Barbie did."

   "I just think she's fun. She's a good toy for kids. There are so many different kinds of Barbies. Every type of girl you were, you could always find the Barbie that matched you."

   Barbie hit toy stores in 1959 as a miniature teenage fashion model, wedged into a zebra-striped bathing suit, with her strawberry blond hair tied up in a pony tail and her eyes painted with sapphire blue shadow.

   Over the years, Barbie has tried to ditch the blond model stereotype. She's been reinvented as a modern career woman, and has held more than 75 jobs in addition to being an Olympic athlete, an astronaut and a U.S. presidential candidate.

ⅲ. A Song—Barbie Girl

Hi? Barbie
Hi Ken!
do you wanna go for a ride?
Sure ken.
Jump in.

I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic.
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere.
Imagination, life is your creation.
Come on Barbie, let's go party!

I'm a blond bimbo girl, in a fantasy world,
Dress me up, make it tight, I'm your dolly.
You're my doll, rock'nd roll, feel the glamour in pink,
Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky panty.
You can touch, you can play, if you say:” I’m always yours"

I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic.
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere.
Imagination, life is your creation.
Come on Barbie, let's go party!

Make me walk, make me talk, do whatever you please,
I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees.
Come jump in, bimbo friend, let us do it again.
Hit the town, fool around, let's go party
you can touch, you can play, if you say:” I’m always yours"
you can touch, you can play, if you say:” I’m always yours"
Come on Barbie, let's go party!

I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic.
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere.
Imagination, life is your creation.
Come on Barbie, let's go party!

Oh, I'm having so much fun!
Well Barbie, we are just getting started.
Oh, I love you Ken.

Ⅳ. Wiffle-ball

 Wiffle-ball is a variation of the sport of baseball designed for indoor or outdoor play in confined areas. The game is played using a perforated, light-weight, rubbery plastic ball and a long, plastic bat. The Wiffle ball was invented by David N. Mullany of Fairfield, Connecticut in 1953 when he designed a ball that curved easily for his 12-year old son.

Ⅴ. Hybrid electric vehicle

  A hybrid vehicle combines a conventional propulsion system with a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle. Ferdinand Porsche in 1900 developed the first hybrid automobile in the world. The hybrid-electric vehicle did not become widely available until the release of the Toyota Prius in Japan in 1997, followed by the Honda Insight in 1999. While initially perceived as unnecessary due to the low cost of gasoline, worldwide increases in the price of petroleum caused many automakers to release hybrids in the late 2000s; they are now perceived as a core segment of the automotive market of the future.

Global Reading

Ⅰ. Part Division of the Text   

Ⅱ. Further Understanding

For Part 1

Questions and Answers

1. What toys did the author have in her childhood?

(=She had a complete miniature kitchen, a herd of toy ponies and several Barbie and Ken dolls.)

2. What did the author experience in order to get her college degree?

(=She had to take a lot of math and science classes. She also had to work with a team of students as part of a national competition.)

3. How were her school performances?

(=She got A's in all her classes, including multivariable calculus and differential equations.)

4. What was the summer program mainly for?

(=The summer program was mainly to interest girls in engineering.)

5. Why did the author apply for the summer program?

(=The author applied for the summer program because she wanted to be away from her parents and be independent for a while.)

6. What do some of the studies say about women?

(=Studies say that in the aspect of math, women are inferior to men.)

For Part 2

True or False  

1. The author was educated to do what she is best at. (T)

2. The author’s experience showed that people could learn better if they are good at it. (F)

(=The author found out that if a subject is difficult to learn, she would try her best to be good at it, and she would enjoy it more.)

3. The algebra teacher in middle school often judged students by their academic performance. (F)

   (=The teacher didn’t judge students by their scores and he considered bad scores as indications that students should learn more.)

4. The author felt comfortable while sitting in the engineering library. (F)

  (=The author often felt panic and worried.)

For Part 3

Blank Filling

(Directions:) In this part, there are several comparisons or contrasts. Fill in the blanks with necessary information to make logic sentences showing comparison or contrast.

1. Little girls loving dolls is just the same to _________________. (=little boys loving videogames.)

  2. Some people favor the right side of the brain, while others _____________. (=the left side)

  3. We should ignore ______________________. (=hard and fast conclusions about the human brain) Instead, incredible flexibility should be focused on.

4. In spite of agreeing that women can’t learn physics well, _________________________ should be considered. (=the possibility that our brains are more powerful than imagined.)