Unit 4 Gender Equality

4 Gender Equality

MEN

womev

Lead-in

Work on the following tasks.

1. Write down five words / expressions (adjectives if possible) that you would use to describe a woman.

_____

1. Write down five words / expressions (adjectives if possible) that you would use to describe a man.

_____

1. Share your answers in a group. Explain why you have written down the same or different answers.

Reading 1

Why Your Cell Phone Sounds Female

Before Reading

Read the paragraph in the box and then answer the questions that follow.

At the end of the 1990s, the car manufacturer BMW in Germany was forced to recall (召回) its GPS devices after indignant (愤怒的) drivers reached for the telephone en masse (全体地) to dial the number of the complaints hotline. "Even after the customer advisors attempted to explain that this wasn't really a woman's voice and that everyone who designed the GPS system as well as the instructions were male, people remained unmoved and insisted that the voice be changed," summarizes Clifford Nass, a professor for communication at Stanford University.

1. Do you understand their anger?

1. Why did BMW drivers call to complain?

1. What associations do people usually relate with a male voice and a female voice respectively?

1 Ask Siri if she's a woman. Go ahead; try it. She'll tell you she's genderless. "Like cacti. And certain species of fish," she might say. So is Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana, Samsung's S Voice, and Google Now. But, man, do they ever sound a lot like women. Culturally, we think of them as ladies too. (In Old Norse, Siri translates to "a beautiful woman who leads you to victory".) We assign female pronouns to them, and, in turn, they fold feminine turns of phrase into their robotic and occasionally inane answers to our requests.

2 If we prize gender diversity in other areas of daily life, why does our technology sound so female?

3 It would be easy to credit – or fault – male designers, perhaps influenced by science fiction. (Interesting fact: In the original Star Trek TV series, the voice of the Federation's onboard computers was supplied by creator Gene Roddenberry's wife, Majel Barrett.)

4 But the biggest reason for the female phone fixation rests in social science. "Research indicates there's likely to be greater acceptance of female speech," says Karl MacDorman, an associate professor at Indiana University who specializes in human-computer interaction. MacDorman and his team played clips of male and female voices to people of both genders, then asked them to identify which they preferred. The researchers also measured the way participants responded to the voices. In a 2011 paper, they reported that both women and men said female voices came across as warmer. In practice, women even showed a subconscious preference for responding to females; men remained subconsciously neutral.

5 Why the bias? Stanford University communications professor Clifford Nass, who coauthored the field's seminal book, Wired for Speech, wrote that people tend to perceive female voices as helping them solve their problems by themselves, while they view male voices as authority figures who tell them the answers to their problems. We want technology to help us, but we also want to be the boss of it, so we are more likely to opt for a female interface.

6 This inclination suggests that companies will make a better impression on a broader group of customers with a woman's voice. But not just any voice. It has to align with a brand's personality. For help with that, companies often turn to Greg Pal, vice president of marketing, strategy, and business development at Nuance Communications, which licenses its library of more than 100 voices. Pal insists that some brands choose male speakers. He turned on his iPhone and pulled up the Domino's Pizza app, which has an assistant, Dom. He sounded like my high school English teacher – educated and helpful but not overbearing. That's about right for a brand attempting to appeal to guys ordering pies before the big game.

7 As voice technology improves, though, designers say diversity will too. Many devices already let you customize a voice interface. Homer Simpson can tell you where to take a left on your GPS device. And Siri can become a sir, if you take the time to reprogram. Want to know how to do it? Ask her. She'll tell you in her uniquely warm, helpful – and female – tone.

(521 words)

New Words and Expressions

genderless /ˈdʒendəlɪs/ a. 无性别的

cactus /ˈkæktəs/ n. (pl. cacti /ˈkæktai/) a plant that grows in deserts and has thick stems and sharp points called spines 仙人掌

assign $ ^{®} $ /ə'sain/ v. give out sth.; to provide sb. with sth. 分配；分派

feminine $ ^{*} $ /'feminin/ a. of or having the qualities suitable for a woman 有女性气质的；适于女子的

turn of phrase a way of saying or describing sth.

措辞；特有的用语

inane /ɪˈneɪn/ a. stupid or silly; with no meaning

愚蠢的；无意义的

prize /praɪz/ v. value (sb. / sth.) very highly 珍视；高度重视

diversity $ ^{®} $ /dai'v3:sati/ n. the condition of being different or having differences; variety 差异; 多样性

credit $ ^{®} $ /'kredit/ v. give honor or recognition to (sb. or sth.) for doing sth. or for making sth. happen 认为是……的功劳；把……归于

fault /fɔːlt/ v. blame or criticize (sb.) 指责；批评

onboard /ˈɒnˈbɔːd/ a. carried or available on an aircraft, ship, or other vehicle or vessel 机载的；弹上的；舰载的

creator $ ^{®} $ /kri:'eɪtə(r)/ n. a person who creates 创造者；创作者

fixation /fik'seɪʃən/ n. a very strong interest in sb.

or sth., which is not normal or natural 固恋;

不正常的依恋（或偏爱）

rest in lie in 在于；存在于

acceptance /ək'septəns/ n. the act of agreeing with sth. and approving of it 同意；认可

specialize /'speʃəlaɪz/ v. limit all or most of one's study, business, etc., to a particular activity or subject专门从事；专门研究

come across as seem to have a particular quality or character; make a particular impression 看上去似乎是；给人的印象是

in practice used for talking about what really happens as opposed to what one thinks will or should happen; in fact 事实上；在实际中

subconscious /,sʌbˈkɒnʃəs/ a. (of thoughts, feelings, etc.) not fully known or understood by the conscious mind; present at a hidden level of the mind (思维、感情等)下意识的；潜意识

neutral $ ^{®} $ /'njuːtrəl/ a. without strong feelings or opinions on either side of a question or argument 中立的；不偏不倚的

seminal /'semɪnəl/ a. very important and having a strong influence on later developments（对以后的发展）影响深远的；有重大意义的

opt $ ^{\triangle} $/vpt/ v. make a choice (esp. of one thing

instead of another) 选择；挑选

opt for decide on 选择：挑选

interface $ ^{\triangle} $ /'intəfeɪs/ n. a system that controls the way information is shown to a computer user and the way the user is able to work with the computer（人机）界面

inclination $ ^{①} $/inkli'neifən/ n. a feeling of wanting to do sth. 倾向；意向

align $ ^{\triangle} $ /ə'lam/ v. change (sth.) slightly so that it is

in the correct relationship to sth. else 使一致

license $ ^{®} $ /'laɪsəns/ v. give official permission to (sb. / sth.) to do, own, or use sth. 批准；许可

overbearing /ˌəʊvəˈbeərɪŋ/ a. trying to control other people in an unpleasant way 专横的；飞扬跋扈的

customize /'kʌstəmaɪz/ v. make or change sth. to suit the needs of the owner 定制；定做；改制

Proper Names

Jessi Hempel /'dʒesɪ 'hempel/ 杰茜·亨普尔

Siri /'sɪri/ 西丽（苹果智能语音助手）

Alexa /əˈleksə/ 亚历克莎（亚马逊智能语音助手）

Cortana /kɔːtænə/ 科塔娜（微软智能语音助手）

Samsung /ˈsæmsʌŋ/ 三星电子（韩国电子工业企业）

Google Now 谷歌即时（谷歌智能语音助手）

Old Norse /nɔːs/ 古诺斯语（14世纪前斯堪的纳维亚人所讲的北日耳曼语）

Star Trek/trek/《星际迷航》（美国科幻影视系列）

Gene Roddenberry /dʒɪnˈrɒdənˌberɪ/ 吉恩·罗登贝瑞（美国电视制作人及剧本作家）

Majel Barrett /'ma:dʒel 'bært/ 玛婕尔·巴雷特（美国女演员及制片人）

Karl MacDorman /karl mæk'dɔmən/ 卡尔 · 麦克多尔曼

Indiana /ˌɪndɪˈænə/ University 印第安纳大学（美国）

Clifford Nass /ˈklɪfəd næs/ 克利福德 · 纳斯

Wiredfor Speech 《连线语音》

Greg Pal / greg pael/ 格雷格 · 帕尔

Nuance /njuːˈɑːns/ Communications 纽昂斯通讯公司

Domino's /'dɒmɪnəʊz/ Pizza 达美乐比萨饼（公司）

Dom/dom/多姆（达美乐比萨饼智能语音助手）

Homer Simpson /ˈhəʊmə(r) ˈsɪmpəsən/ 霍默 · 辛普森

Global Reading

Study the reading skill in the box and work on the tasks below.

Reading Skill — Understanding how a researcher is first introduced

An academic text always supports opinions / arguments with evidence to achieve objectivity. Citing authorities provides reliable and credible evidence. That is why academic texts always present researchers and their findings.

When a researcher is first introduced in a text, detailed information of the organization they serve, their title, discipline (专业领域), and / or their publications is provided, as shown in the underlined parts in the following examples.

Example 1:

"We've found that there are universal psychological characteristics amongst those who are aspiring to get to the top," says $ \underline{\text{Professor}} $ Dave Collins, $ \underline{\text{lead author of the study, as well as Chair and Director of the Institute of Coaching and Performance at the University of Central Lancashire}} $. (Reading 2, Unit 7, Book 1)

Example 2:

But $ \underline{\text{physicist}} $ Marc Barthelemy $ \underline{\text{of the Institute for Theoretical Physics in France}} $ says that is only part of the story. (Reading 2, Unit 8, Book 1)

Example 3:

David Levinson, $ \underline{\text{a transportation engineer at the University of Minnesota}} $, says it is not altogether surprising to find a relationship between population size and the number of urban subcenters. (Reading 2, Unit 8, Book 1)

Such detailed information about researchers adds reliability and credibility to the academic text. Nevertheless, when reading the text, we should put more emphasis on the researchers' opinions and their findings, which help to build up the author's argument.

The following three sentences are taken from Reading 1

a) "Research indicates there's likely to be greater acceptance of female speech," says Karl MacDorman, an associate professor at Indiana University who specializes in human-computer interaction. (Para. 4)

b) Stanford University communications professor Clifford Nass, who coauthored the field's seminal book, Wired for Speech, wrote that people tend to perceive female voices as helping them solve their problems by themselves, while they view male voices as authority figures who tell them the answers to their problems. (Para. 5)

c) For help with that, companies often turn to Greg Pal, vice president of marketing, strategy, and business development at Nuance Communications, which licenses its library of more than 100 voices. (Para. 6)

A. Fill up the table with the detailed information about the researcher.

B. Match the following three statements with the three researchers introduced in the text.

A. Karl MacDorman B. Clifford Nass C. Greg Pal

___ 1) The listener accepts a woman's voice as more positively helpful.

___ 2) It is predicted that more people will prefer women's voice.

___ 3) His organization has a large collection of different human voices.

Close Reading

Choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

a) Many voices in cell phones are genderless.

b) Male or female, it's hard to distinguish.

c) Female voices dominate electronic devices.

1. Which of the following statements is true of Para. 3?

a) Voice technology originated in Star Trek.

b) Male creators decide on the female voices.

c) The first computer voice was a woman's.

1. What does Para. 4 mainly tell us?

a) More women like female voices than men.

b) Female voices are preferred for social reasons.

c) An experiment was done to find out people's likes and dislikes.

1. Which of the following statements is the answer to the question "Why the bias" (Para. 5)?

a) People find male voices are too bossy to offer any help.

b) Male voices and female voices carry different levels of authority.

c) Female voices are understood as a mixture of both assistance and independence.

1. Why do some brands choose male speakers?

a) Male speakers represent their brand's personality better.

b) Male speakers sound more like high school English teachers.

c) Nuance Communications provides more than 100 male speakers.

1. What is the future of voice technology?

a) Voices will cater for customers' different desires.

b) People will prefer male voices to female voices.

c) Speakers of both GPS and cell phones will be male.

Critical Thinking

Do you agree with the following statement? Explain your opinions.

The explanation for the dominance of female voices when it comes to GPS can be reduced to a simple formula: Male equals evil and dominant whilst female equals submissive and good.

Language Enhancement

1. The words in the box below are either active words or academic words marked in the Academic Word List (AWL). Choose the most suitable one to complete each sentence. Change the form where necessary.

1. After winning the championship, the team's players all _____ their coach for helping them succeed.

1. All of the options offered here are reasonable ones; therefore, no one could be _____ for picking one over the other.

1. In writing to inquire into the matter, he kept the _____ of the letter formal and businesslike.

1. Scientists studying the species of marine life said the _____ of life in the deep sea was much greater than previously believed.

1. The food company _____ their good reputation and always places top priority on food security.

1. We've _____ Chris to the advertising campaign and Steve to the marketing.

1. Both sides have agreed to attend a peace conference on the condition that it is held in a $ \underline{\text{country}} $.

1. My $ \underline{initial} $ _____ was to say no to their terms, but I finally decided to give in and continued the negotiation.

1. When a daycare center is _____ you can be assured at least to some degree that the center itself is inspected with some regularity.

1. Being the _____ of a successful cartoon series, he has been an idol among children through the ages.

A. Scan Reading 1 and fill in the blanks with the prepositions used in the collocations.

1. A preposition can be very useful in forming a collocation.

1. But the biggest reason for the female phone fixation rests _____ social science. (Para. 4)

1. … an associate professor … who specializes _____ human-computer interaction. (Para. 4)

1. … both women and men said female voices came across _____ warmer. (Para. 4)

1. _____ practice, women even showed a subconscious preference _____ responding _____ females ... (Para. 4)

1. … we are more likely to opt ___ a female interface. (Para. 5)

1. ... companies will make a better impression _____ a broader group of customers ... (Para. 6)

1. It has to align _____ a brand's personality. (Para. 6)

1. For help with that, companies often turn ___ Greg Pal, ... (Para. 6)

1. That's about right for a brand attempting to appeal _____ guys ordering pies ... (Para. 6)

B. Complete the sentences with the collocations from Step A. Change the form where necessary

1. Rural things always _____ me. I like the fresh air, the country roads, even the smells of the soil.

1. The problem of mismanagement _____ the fact that they do not have a competent leader.

1. After I did my engineering degree, I began to _____ computer technology and I even had my own company for a while.

1. If you _____ something, you choose it or decide to do it in preference to anything else.

1. Urban residents often picture rural life as leisurely and comfortable, but _____, that may not be the case.

3. Study the word building skill in the box and work on the tasks below

Word Building Skill — Synonymy (同义关系) (I): various sources of vocabulary

The state of being a synonym of other words is called synonymy. A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language. For example, the words "begin", "start", "commence", and "initiate" are all synonyms of one another.

The English language is rich in synonyms because its vocabulary has come from various sources, e.g. Latin, Greek, and French, etc. In most cases, the native word is more informal and ordinary, while the loan word (外来语) has an educated and academic value in lexical meaning. For example, the native words like "answer" and "rise" are simpler and more casual than the Latin words "reply" and "ascend".

In academic learning, especially in speaking and writing, a good knowledge of synonyms will help you to enrich your vocabulary and use words correctly.

A. Match the English native words with their synonyms in the Loan Words column

English Native Words

— 1) good

— 2) broad-minded

— 3) cling

— 4) cluster

— 5) gloomy

— 6) hinder

— 7) holy

— 8) mood

— 9) shape

Loan Words

a) collection

b) sacred

c) suppress

d) liberal

e) depressed

f) beneficial

g) spirit

h) figure

i) obstruct

$ \underline{—} $10) withhold j) adhere

B. The underlined words in the following sentences are from Reading 1. Choose the synonym of each of them from the given choices

1. You can't appreciate how much I $ \underline{\text{prize}} $ the friendship between us.

a) judge b) value c) award

1. It is very essential to maintain cultural $ \underline{\text{diversity}} $ and integrity in a healthy community.

a) variety b) similarity c) unity

1. The invention of the industrial robot is $ \underline{\text{credited}} $ to this enterprising team.

a) praised b) directed c) attributed

1. Urban planners $ \underline{\text{in practice}} $ have to take account of many interest groups in society.

a) with possibility

b) in conclusion

c) in reality

1. The report to the general conference should be a $ \underline{neutral} $ one and be based on facts.

a) prejudiced

b) unbiased

c) mature

1. Optimism, as an essential personality trait, is an individual's cognitive and emotional $ \underline{\text{inclination}} $ toward the current and future condition.

a) tendency b) involvement c) opinion

1. The whole $ \underline{tone} $ of the president's speech was one of continuity and stability.

a) expression b) pitch c) attitude

1. The State Department spokesman said that the domestic oil price has been $ \underline{\text{aligned}} $ with that of the world market.

a) cooperated b) accompanied c) coordinated

4. Study the translating skill in the box and work on the task below

Translating Skill — Translating negation (I): as negation

Both in Chinese and English, negation comes in three forms: full negation, partial negation and double negation.

Some negative constructions in Chinese can be conveniently rendered into negative constructions in English.

Source text: 二氧化碳不能燃烧。

Translation: Carbon dioxide does not burn. (full negation $ \rightarrow $ full negation)

Source text: 不是所有的金属都具有同样好的导电性能。

Translation: All metals do not conduct electricity equally well. (partial negation $ \rightarrow $ partial negation)

Source text: 没有足够的加速度，地球卫星是不能进入太空的。

Translation: The earth satellite could not get into space without enough acceleration. (double negation $ \rightarrow $ double negation)

But the negative indicator in some negative constructions in Chinese may have to be transferred to a different position in the English translation. For example, a Chinese sentence with a negative predicate may need to be translated into an English sentence with a negative subject or object, while a complex sentence in Chinese with a negative predicate in the object clause needs to be translated into an English sentence with a negative predicate in the main clause.

Source text: 如果没有太阳，什么也不能生存。

Translation: Without the sun, nothing could live. (negative predicate $ \rightarrow $ negative subject)

Source text: 我们全然不了解这件事。

Translation: We knew nothing about the matter. (negative predicate $ \rightarrow $ negative object)

Source text: 我相信他们是不会反对你的建议的。

Translation: I don't believe they will oppose your proposal. (negative predicate in the object clause $ \rightarrow $ negative predicate in the main clause)

Translate into English the following paragraph, paying attention to the translation of negative constructions.

在组成经济合作与发展组织（OECD）的富裕和中等收入国家，全职女性的平均工资是男性的85%。这并不是因为雇主付给女性的薪水要低于男性。一家咨询公司收集的25个国家的数据显示，女性在同一份工作上的收入是男性的98%。真正的原因有两点。第一，在薪水较低、晋升机会不大的岗位上，女性的数量超过男性。第二，男女在工作及行业方面被隔离（segregate）；而那些女性占主导地位的工作及行业薪酬更低。

Translation:

2

Reading 2

Men's Looks Matter More Than Women Admit

Before Reading

The following are said to be the top ten factors that make a man attractive. Which three factors do you think are the most important for a desirable man? Discuss your choice in a group.

1. A desirable man is well-spoken.

1. A desirable man pays attention.

1. A desirable man has goals and ambitions.

1. A desirable man is kind towards everyone.

1. A desirable man has compassion.

1. A desirable man is comfortable in multiple roles.

1. A desirable man has a strong identity.

1. A desirable man is flexible and open-minded.

1. A desirable man presents himself well.

1. A desirable man is comfortable in all situations.

Men's Looks Matter More Than Women Admit Cari Nierenberg

1 Even if a guy has a great personality, a woman looking for a date still hopes he's at least a little cute, a new study suggests.

2 Researchers asked young women (ages 15 to 29) to choose potential dates from a series of photographs and descriptions, while the women's mothers (ages 37 to 44)

to 61) were asked to select possible boyfriends for their daughters using the same information. Results showed that a man's looks influenced both groups of women more strongly than his personality profile. This held true even if a man's profile was filled with highly desirable personal qualities, such as being respectful, honest and trustworthy.

3 Both daughters and mothers rated the attractive and moderately attractive men as more desirable dating partners than unattractive men, said the findings, published online in March in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science.

4 The study suggests that women value physical attractiveness in a potential mate far more than they say they do, said study author Madeleine Fugère, a professor of social psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic.

5 Previous research on this subject has given conflicting results. Some studies have suggested that both parents and their adult children (especially daughters) may say that personality is more important than looks in a potential state, with these individuals typically ranking physical attractiveness lower on a list of personality characteristics. However, in real life, that's not how people seem to make these romantic decisions, Fugère told Live Science. For example, data from speed-dating research shows that a man's physical attractiveness has a strong impact on women's mate preferences, Fugère said.

6 So, this new study attempted to put the looks-versus-personality decision to the test in women.

7 Minimum level of attractiveness

In the new study, researchers looked at 80 daughters and 61 mothers. In one experiment, each woman was shown color photographs of three men. One of these men was considered “attractive”; one was considered “moderately attractive”, and one was “unattractive”, as determined based on data from previous research.

8 Each photograph came with one of three trait profiles, which included personality characteristics and attributes that prior studies had determined to be one of three different levels of attractiveness to women looking for potential romantic partners. These were “highly desirable”, “desirable” and the lowest-rated category, which the researchers called “moderately desirable”.

9 The profile of the highly desirable traits contained three qualities: respectful, trustworthy and honest. The traits for desirable were friendly, dependable and mature, while the moderately desirable traits described the man as having a pleasing disposition and being ambitious and intelligent.

10 After looking at the three photographs and personality profiles, the women were asked to rate how attractive they found each man, how favorable they thought his personal description was and how desirable he was as a date (or, for the moms, how desirable he was as a date for their daughters).

11 The results showed that as long as a man was considered attractive or moderately attractive, both mothers and daughters would pick the guy who had the

most desirable personality traits. But when an unattractive male was paired with the most highly desirable personality profile, neither daughters nor mothers rated him as favorably as a potential romantic partner, compared with better-looking men with less desirable personalities.

12 Both young women looking for men and mothers seeking boyfriends for their daughters consider a minimum level of attractiveness to be an important criterion in a potential mate, the researchers concluded.

13 Looks matter to women

The study suggests that if a man is considered at least moderately attractive, then his personality matters to women, Fugère said. If a man is viewed as less than moderately attractive, it doesn't seem to matter as much to women what his personality is like, Fugère explained. But Fugère also added that “different people have different perceptions of what they consider to be moderately attractive”.

14 In addition, the findings demonstrated that “a moderate level of attractiveness is a necessity to young women and to their moms, and they are not willing to give that up in favor of personality”, Fugère said.

15 She explained that physical attractiveness appears to act as a gatekeeper for potential mates. If a man meets a required level of physical attractiveness, then women are willing to consider his personality characteristics, the study revealed.

16 However, the new findings, combined with previous research in which women have reported that personality is more important to them, suggest that women tend to underestimate the true importance they place on a man's physical attractiveness, Fugère said.

17 This is not true of men, she said. Men are more consciously aware – or more willing to admit – that good looks in a woman are more important to them than personality, Fugère said. Men's emphasis on looks in a mate choice may have a biological basis, because men may associate a woman's physical attractiveness with her fertility, Fugère said.

18 In the next stages of her research, Fugère will do a similar experiment with fathers and sons as participants (and using women's photos) to see if this study produces similar findings, she said. She will also conduct another trial with mothers and daughters and include both positive and negative personality characteristics in the personality profiles of potential mates, because her current findings included only positive attributes, she said.

New Words and Expressions

profile /'prəufaɪl/ n. a brief written description that provides information about sb. or sth. 概述；简介

moderately /'mɒdərətli/ ad. to an average extent; fairly but not very 适中地；一般地

mate /meɪt/ n. a person's husband, wife, or romantic partner 配偶；伴侣

speed-dating /spiːdˈdeɪtɪŋ/ n. an event at which single people looking for a partner divide into pairs and have short conversations with each other and decide who among those they have met they would like to meet again 快速约会；速配

put ... to the test cause (sb. or sth.) to be in a situation that shows how strong, good, etc., that person or thing really is 使经受考验；检验；试验

attribute $ ^{®} $ /'ætrɪbjuːt/ n. a usually good quality or feature that sb. or sth. has 特性；属性

prior $ ^{①} $ /ˈpraɪə(r)/ a. happening or existing before sth. else or before a particular time 先前的；较早的

disposition $ ^{\star} $ /,dispə'zifən/ n. the natural qualities of a person's character 性格；性情

pair /peə(r)/ v. put (two people or things) together 使成对

moderate /'mɒdərət/ a. average in size or amount; neither too much nor too little 适度的；中等的

necessity /nɪˈsesəti/ n. a thing that one must have and cannot manage without 必需的事物；必需品

gatekeeper /'geit,kiːpə(r)/ n. a person, system, etc. that decides whether sb. / sth. will be allowed to reach a particular place or person 看门人；把关系统

underestimate $ ^{*} $ $ ^{①} $ /ʌndər'estimert/ v. not realize how good, strong, determined, etc. sb. / sth. really is 对……认识不足（或重视不够）；低估；轻视

fertility /fəˈtɪləti/ n. a woman's ability to have babies 生育力

Proper Names

Cari Nierenberg /ˈkæriˌnɪərənbɜːɡ/ 卡里·尼伦贝格

Evolutionary Psychological Science 《进化心理科学》（美国学术期刊）

Madeleine Fugère /'mædəln fjuːʒer/ 玛德琳 · 菲热尔

Eastern Connecticut/kəˈnektɪkət/ State University 东康涅狄格州立大学（美国）

Willimantic /wɪlɪˈmæntɪk/ 威利曼蒂克（美国地名）

Live Science 生命科学网（美国）

Global Reading

1. Skim Paras. 1–5, and answer the following question.

What is the repeated idea in all five paragraphs? Underline the sentences expressing the same idea in every paragraph.

1. Scan and mark the two subheadings in the text.

1. What is the main argument of this text?

Close Reading

1. Study the reading skill in the box and complete the notes below.

Reading Skill — Understanding key research information

An academic text always includes some research as credible evidence to support the author's arguments.

The following information will help a reader to understand how the research is carried out and in what way the author's arguments have been supported:

Who conducts the research?

Who / What has been investigated?

How has the research been carried out?

What are the results / findings?

● Is there any conclusion made by the researchers?

1. Answer the following questions.

1. How different are the findings of previous research and the new study?

1. According to Fugère, are men ready to admit that women's physical attractiveness matters to them? What may be the reason for their preference?

1. What are the two studies Fugère is going to do?

Critical Thinking

In Reading 2, the author says "The profile of the highly desirable traits contained three qualities: respectful, trustworthy and honest". (Para. 9)

Now read what Sherrie Campbell describes as highly desirable traits in the box below. Then discuss in a group: Regardless of gender, what people do you think are highly desirable people?

1. They are real. They do not hide behind a superficial persona (人格面具). They live authentically as who they really are; not wasting any time or energy on having to pretend they are someone they are not ...

1. They treat people with respect. First and foremost, highly desirable people deeply respect themselves. They have standards of treatment they expect from others and apply those same standards in their treatment of others...

1. They love people. Highly desirable people do not see other people as the enemy, even when those people are their competition. In a highly desirable person's mindset, competition is friendly and inspiring ...

1. They work to make a difference. Highly desirable people do not stay in careers they dislike or in companies where no one cares about what they offer or what they contribute. Highly desirable people have a burning desire to build, establish and grow their work into something significant in the world...

1. They value their support system. Highly desirable people know that the quality of their lives resides in the supportive network of love, comradery and friendships they hold close ...

1. They are leaders. Highly desirable people choose their own trajectory (轨道) in life and career. They ignore the quick-fix-get-rich (quick fix: 应急解决办法) distractions and commit to their own unique journey and vision ...

1. They are risk takers. For the highly desirable person it is a core belief that if there is no risk, there can be very little reward. To achieve the levels of success that are in their aspirations they know it will take great risk, and they expect to experience hardship along the way...

1. They have a life strategy. Highly desirable people have a life plan. They think deeply about what they want out of life and do not live haphazardly (随意地)...

1. They are resilient (有承受力的). Highly desirable people don't get off track when things don't go as planned. They are resilient and expect things to bring a certain amount of stress, lack of predictability and challenge. They get up and suit up, rather than getting down when they have a failure ...

1. They live to have an impact. Highly desirable people have a deep desire to have a positive impact on the world at large. These types of people are not self-centered, only thinking about “having” or “wanting” for themselves, alone. They want to be a part of changing the lives of others for the better...

Language Enhancement

1. Complete the sentences with words and phrases from Reading 2. Their meanings and paragraph numbers have been given in brackets.

1. Remember that when a woman gets your _____, she will read it immediately to see if it catches her attention. (brief written description; Para. 2)

1. The interviewer asked me what I considered to be my best _____, and I replied "trustworthiness and dedication". (quality; Para. 8)

1. Even though Fryer's data is not made public, _____ research by psychologists allow us to make an educated guess about what the results might be. (earlier; Para. 8)

1. Each bee in the three groups was _____ with a new arrival it had never met and their interactions were observed for two hours. (put together; Para. 11)

1. It seems as if most American boys between the ages of 8 and 15 like to play video games, but such games gain only $ \underline{\text{}} $ popularity among girls of the same age group. (average; Para. 14)

1. All we took with us on our hiking trip was one backpack with the bare _____.

(something necessary; Para. 14)

1. The leafy trees _____ a source of shade in summer and protection from the wind in winter. (serve as; Para. 15)

1. Please do not _____ our opponents' strength; they won the championship last year. (undervalue; Para. 16)

1. Study the word building skill in the box and work on the tasks below.

Word Building Skill — Synonymy (II): distinguishing synonyms

In English, few words are fully identical in meaning. In most cases, synonyms differ from each other in semantic meaning, stylistic meaning, emotive meaning, or collocation, etc. These synonyms are relative synonyms (相对同义词).

For example, both "abolish" and "cancel" mean "to bring something to an end", but they have slightly different semantic meanings and should be used properly according to different contexts, e.g.

Slavery was abolished in the US in the 19th century. (to officially end a law)

The bank agreed to cancel all the company's debts. (to end an agreement)

Therefore, it is important to distinguish between words of similar meanings. A good knowledge of the difference of synonyms will help you choose the correct and suitable words in a particular context.

A. "Moderate" in Reading 2 has several synonyms in the following box. Put them into the suitable sentences

moderate average acceptable reasonable gentle modest

1. He was always _____ about his role in the tremendous success of the company.

1. The doctor recommended that the patient take _____ exercise, such as walking.

1. Children must learn socially _____ behavior.

1. What impressed me most in the music class was that teacher's _____ voice.

1. I don't believe that any _____ person could object to this constructive plan.

1. The employees of the company are young and energetic with a(n) _____ age of below 35.

B. There is a pair of synonyms in brackets after every sentence. Fill in the blanks with the suitable words. Change the form where necessary.

1. The team's work involves waste ___, pollution inspection and prevention. (category / classification)

This book clearly falls into the _____ of fictionalized autobiography (自传体小说). (category / classification)

1. Heavy rain is a distinctive _____ of the weather near the equator. (trait / attribute)

His speech is mainly about the mental illness associated with some particular personality _____. (trait / attribute)

1. When learning academic writing, students should be trained to write a(n) _____ for their essays. (profile / outline)

We firstly need to build up a detailed ___ of our customers and their requirements. (profile / outline)

1. After hearing this terrible news, the professor was in no $ \_\_\_\_\_\_ $ to continue his lecture. (disposition / mood)

When seeking longevity, I consider a bright _____ more important than good genes. (disposition / mood)

1. During the economic crisis, many families couldn't even afford to buy the basic _____ of life. (necessity / requirement)

The new computer system will definitely meet all our ___. (necessity / requirement)

1. The rich countries seemed to _____ the risks that fiscal austerity (财政紧缩) poses to domestic demand. (underestimate / downgrade)

The seemingly destructive hurricane has been _____ to a tropical (热带的) storm. (underestimate / downgrade)

1. Their work includes the identification of genes that govern the growth rate and ___.

(fertility / richness)

For many parents, it was an opportunity to make their children familiar with the ___ and beauty of their native culture. (fertility / richness)

1. The scientist showed great ___ in his assessment of the current economic situation. (perception / awareness)

It is urgent now to raise public ___ of environmental protection. (perception / awareness)

1. Study the translating skill in the box and work on the task below.

Translating Skill — Translating negation (II): as affirmation

Some negative sentences in Chinese can be translated into affirmative English sentences. This is achieved by using English words or expressions affirmative in form but negative in meaning (including verbs like fail, deny, miss, lack, ignore, refuse, overlook, exclude, nouns like absence, omission, neglect, scarcity, adjectives like missing, ignorant, adverbs like otherwise, conjunctions like unless, before, until, prepositions like but, above, except, beyond, instead of, etc.), thus resulting in a sentence with an affirmative predicate.

Source text: 她抱怨名单上没有她的名字。

Translation: She complained about the omission of her name from the list.

Source text: 在收据尚未签字以前不得付款。

Translation: Before the receipt has been signed, the money must not be paid.

Translate into English the following paragraphs, paying attention to the translation of negative constructions.

神经生物学家现在知道，男性和女性的大脑在出生时并没有明显区别，进入青春期时，通常会有明显的差异。传统上，心理学家往往假设这是因为男人和女人天生有别。

这种假设没有考虑到的是“神经可塑性”（neuroplasticity）现象。大脑的发育取决于我们所做的事情，因此，如果成人根据孩子们的性别引导他们进行某些活动，就会在生理层面上影响他们的大脑发育。因此性别偏见变成了自我实现的预言（self-fulfilling prophecy）。

Translation:

Part II LISTENING AND VIEWING

Listening:

Emma Watson's UN Speech on Gender Equality

Before Listening

Discuss the following questions.

1. What do you know about feminism (女权主义)?

1. Is a man's or a woman's behavior usually based on gender stereotypes (性别角色定型)?

New Words and Expressions

Emma Watson /'eməˌwɒtsən/ 艾玛·沃森（英国女演员）

feminism $ ^{\triangle} $ / 'feminiszəm/ n. 男女平等主义；女权主义

synonymous $ ^{\triangle} $/si $ ^{n} $nims/ a. having the same, or nearly the same, meaning 同义的

sexualize /'seksjuəlaɪz/ v. 使有性别；性别化

muscly /'mʌsli/ a. having large strong muscles 强壮的；肌肉发达的

on sb.'s behalf /br'haːf/ 为了某人的利益；代表某人

Listening Comprehension

Study the listening skill in the box and work on the tasks below.

Listening Skill — Recognizing attitudes

While giving a lecture or speech, a speaker generally holds a positive or negative attitude towards people, events, ideas, and so on. In other cases, one's attitude or evaluation can be neutral, uncertain, or ambivalent (持矛盾心态的). Therefore, in academic listening, recognizing the speaker's attitude can help you understand a talk or lecture.

To express uncertainty, a speaker uses "perhaps", "It's true, but ...", "we'll wait and see", etc.

In some passionate speeches, a speaker expresses very strong emotions and enthusiastic attitude by using "have to", "this is very important", "I think it is right", etc.; sometimes a speaker repeats the similar words or expressions to enhance the strong attitude. This strong attitude can also be felt in the intonation of the speaker's voice.

1. Listen to the speech and fill in the blanks with the exact words you have heard. Then figure out what strategies the speaker uses to express her positive attitude and strong feeling

1. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that _____.

1. I think it is right that I am _____ as my male counterparts.

1. I think it is right that I should be able to ___

1. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in _____ that will affect my life.

Strategies: ___

2. Listen again and choose the correct answer to each of the following questions

1. What does the speaker imply by saying “man-hating”?

a) Some people misunderstand the true meaning of feminism.

b) Some people begin to hate men very much.

c) Some people have to stop fighting for women's rights.

1. Which of the following events is true about the speaker's teen years?

a) She started being thought of as a feminist at 14.

b) Her girlfriends dropped out of sports teams due to muscle problems.

c) Her male friends found it difficult to express their emotions.

1. Which is NOT the reason why the speaker feels very uncomfortable with the situation of feminism?

a) Feminism has become an unpopular word.

b) Some women choose not to be identified as feminists.

c) The decision of being a feminist was uncomplicated to her.

Viewing: Gender Equality

Before Viewing

Discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think that women study harder than men?

1. What do you know about the "glass ceiling"?

New Words and Expressions

GDP gross domestic product 国内生产总值（指国民生产总值中减去国外投资的净收益）

per capita /ˈkæpɪtə/ 按人口平均计算

OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 经济合作与发展组织

Czech /tʃek/ Republic 捷克共和国

Slovak /'sləuvæk/ Republic 斯洛伐克共和国

pay-slip /'peɪslɪp/ n. 工资单；工资条

glass ceiling 玻璃天花板；无形顶障（虽无明文规定却实际存在的对妇女等在职务升迁上的无形限制）

boardroom /ˈbɔːdruːm/ n. 董事会会议室

mandatory $ ^{\triangle} $ /'mændətəri/ a. required by rules or law 强制的；必须履行的

quota* /'kwəʊtə/ n. 配额；限额

entrepreneurship $ ^{*} $ /ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜːʃɪp/ n. 工商企业家的身份（或职能、活动）

Viewing Comprehension

Study the listening skill in the box and work on the tasks below.

Listening Skill — Recognizing problem and solution

In a lecture, the speaker usually puts forward a problem or several problems in the beginning, and provides the solution or suggestion in the end. Sometimes, the solution or expectation will be offered closely with or amid the presentation of the problem. In order to better understand the information in a lecture, you need to concentrate on the strategy the speaker adopts to present the problem and the solution.

1. Watch a video clip about gender equality. It's evident that the problem and the solution are presented close to each other. Fill in the blanks with the exact words you have heard.

Problem: How to ensure that more women work and those who want to can 1 ___.

Solution: That will require 2) _____ and more 3) _____

Problem: Education is a good start, but what about 4) ___ and entrepreneurship?

Solution: The next step must be to 5) _____ in the job market. Giving men and women the same chance to contribute both at home and work will boost 6) _____ for everyone.

1. Watch again and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

☐ 1) Women's education is good for the increase of GDP.

1. In Sweden, there are almost twice as many male students as female in higher education.

1. Among top wage earners, the gap between men's and women's wages rises to 21 percent.

☐ 4) In France, about 40 percent of board members are women.

Critical Thinking

Discuss the following questions.

1. Do you know any gender discrimination in the job market? Do some related search online and share your findings with your classmates.

1. What can be done to eliminate gender discrimination?

Part III SPEAKING

You have learnt how to develop and present an academic argument in seminar discussions in Unit 3. However, a good discussion does not mean each participant simply taking turns to put forward his / her argument. They also need to respond to each other's contributions and link all the ideas together to form a global understanding of the topic. In this unit, you will learn the skills and language patterns of responding and linking to other participants' contributions in a seminar discussion.

Seminar discussions (IV): responding and linking to others' contributions

There are many ways to respond to other participants' arguments. First, asking questions is an effective approach. Clarifying questions can be used to ask for more information in order to clarify the argument of the prior speaker. Critical questions challenge the validity and relevance of the contributions of other students. The following examples show the useful language patterns to ask various types of questions in a seminar discussion:

Clarifying questions

What do you mean by "gender discrimination"?

Does it mean that you believe women's voice sounds more friendly?

You seem to be saying that women are “visual animals”. Is that right?

Critical questions

I'm sorry, but how does your idea relate to our topic?

Do you think your points may be too limited?

Is there any evidence for your claim?

Second, you can show your agreement or acknowledgement of the prior participant's argument, and add more information to reinforce his / her point. It means that you have achieved a consensus on the topic under discussion. In such cases, you can use the language patterns illustrated below.

Yes, exactly. I think that's an important point...

Yes, you are right, and like you said...

Yeah, I can provide more evidence / examples to support your idea, such as...

Third, you may show your acknowledgment of the previous speaker's point, but then you add a different opinion. Out of politeness, even if you disagree with other participants, you can acknowledge their contributions first before presenting your own arguments, for instance:

Yes, of course we need to consider women's physical qualities, but...

Sure, that's right, but I have something more significant / prominent to say ...

Well, I completely agree about that matter, but I think there's a bigger picture we need to look at.

By using the above three techniques, you can effectively help a seminar discussion move forward. Listen attentively to other participants and then respond timely and appropriately. You also need to link what you want to say to a prior speaker's contribution so as to make the discussion flow naturally.

1. Work in pairs. Take turns to ask a question in response to the following statements. Suppose these statements are given by your partner. You may ask him / her a clarifying question or a critical question.

1. Men have more power in the workplace, while women are the “boss” at home.

1. Girls tend to care about their looks from a very young age.

1. Women usually shoulder the responsibility to look after the relationship in a marriage.

1. Men and women are so unlike that it's as if they came from different planets.

1. Suppose you and your partner express the following three pairs of ideas. Try to link the two ideas in each pair of arguments by using appropriate language patterns that you have learnt in this part.

Pair 1:

a) People may still notice the discrimination against women in many aspects, such as the pay in jobs and the chances to work.

b) The discrimination against men is often ignored. When people see a man wearing colorful clothes, or polishing his nails, they will laugh at him.

Pair 2:

a) Men and women begin to differ in personality very early in life. A study found that the boys at 3 were rated as more active, on average, than the girls of the same age.

b) Gender differences in personality also seem to persist into the elder years.

Pair 3:

a) Men and women are born different. Their differences are innate and biological.

b) Perhaps society and culture help shape and deepen the differences between genders.

1. Work in groups. You are going to participate in a seminar discussion on the question: In which aspects and to what extent are men and women different? Follow the guidelines below.

Do some research and reading beforehand, and try to include different perspectives in your arguments.

Each student should ask at least one question in response to others' contribution.

• Link appropriately what you want to say to the prior speaker's contribution.

Interrupt and speak politely; avoid someone dominating the discussion.

Part IV WRITING

Although you may use all kinds of cohesive devices to formally (形式上) and superficially (表面上) link your sentences, it does not necessarily mean that these sentences make sense. In order to make your writing easy to follow and understand, you also have to achieve coherence — making your argument flow logically and meaningfully. In this unit, you will learn how to write smoothly by achieving coherence in academic writing.

Writing smoothly (II): coherence

Coherence is a quality of an essay that all the parts fit together well and ideas develop clearly and logically from one to another. Whether a text is coherent or not cannot be easily and directly evaluated. Sometimes it may be determined by the knowledge and understanding of the reader. Basically speaking, there are four strategies to make your writing coherent.

Firstly, the appropriate use of cohesive techniques (i.e. grammatical and lexical links) can help reveal the logical relationship between sentences or ideas, making the text easier to follow. For instance, the conjunctive expressions (e.g. transitional words and phrases) explicitly show the logic between two parts; the repetition of key terms / concepts displays the consistency of the topic, etc. These devices can indeed enhance the coherence of a text to a great extent if they are used correctly and properly.

Besides, you can use transitional sentences to summarize the meaning of the former paragraph and introduce the new one. A transitional sentence is always the last sentence of the prior paragraph or the first sentence of the following paragraph, which helps readers easily understand the writer's interrelated points, as shown in the following example:

Some scholars and commentators are uncomfortable with such a biological account of human behavior, however, which they feel underestimates the influence of the social and cultural forces that shape who we are and how we behave.

It's almost certainly true that these social forces play a part. But all three large, cross-cultural studies by Costa, McCrae and others actually found men and women differed in average personality more in ...

The first paragraph implies the importance of social and cultural influence on human behavior. In order to show the close relationship between this paragraph and the following one, the writer uses a transitional sentence at the beginning of the second paragraph, "It's almost certainly true that these social forces play a part", to acknowledge what is conveyed previously. Then the writer uses a "but" to introduce some evidence that counters (反驳) this claim.

Thirdly, you need to follow the basic structure of academic writing exactly, i.e. introduction–body–conclusion, because such organization entails the coherence of a whole text to a certain degree. In the introduction, you are supposed to: 1) get readers prepared for the topic under discussion; 2) put forward your main idea, i.e. the thesis statement, of the essay. Then the main body part supports and develops your main idea by going deeper or into more detail. The conclusion part finally summarizes your ideas, bringing your essay full circle. If you write your essay by strictly following such structure, you are in fact showing a clear connection and logical relationship among different parts.

Finally, stick to the rule that you have to organize your ideas in a logical sequence. Typical examples are: opinions first, then evidence, examples or reasons; questions first, then answers; problems first, then solutions; claims first, then counter-claims. When presenting any aspect, such as problems or evidence, start from the most important / general to the least, or vice versa. Do not randomly put things together.

1. Match the logical sequence of ideas in the following texts with four types: a) opinion → evidence; b) question → answer; c) problem → solution; d) claim → counter-claim.

1. ___

If we prize gender diversity in other areas of daily life, why does our technology sound so female?

It would be easy to credit — or fault — male designers, perhaps influenced by science fiction. (Interesting fact: In the original Star Trek TV series, the voice of the Federation's onboard computers was supplied by creator Gene Roddenberry's wife, Maje $ \underline{\text{l}} $ Barrett.)

1. ___

Opponents (反对者) of additional laws to increase protection of women's equal pay argue that this may be due to women working less over their lives, instead making a choice to remain at home and raise children.

Women's rights activists often cite this argument as part of the overall gender bias of modern society, suggesting that women are financially punished for choosing to rearch children, despite the fact that this action is vital to the continuance of the state.

1. ___

It's been said that men and women are so unlike each other, it's as if they're from different planets — a claim that continues to amuse and irritate. John Gray's original mega-selling book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, first published in the early 1990s, has sold millions, producing numerous parodies (戏仿作品) and even comedy stage shows.

1. _____

Gender bias in education is an insidious (隐伏的) problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. Therefore, departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through the process of teaching.

1. Add a transitional sentence between the following two paragraphs to make them more coherent.

In America, you can find that women hold half of all state and federal service jobs. It is now not difficult for a woman to get a job in government professions, such as law enforcement, engineering and technology, education and healthcare.

The analysis by the Contently Foundation, a non-profit organization for investigative journalism, found that women earn 10% less median income than men in the public sector. The employee earnings records also show that 73% of government workers making \$100,000 or more each year are men.

1. Complete the following outline for an essay on the topic: Do you find the word "princess" offensive for adult women? Note that the title, the thesis statement, body paragraphs and the conclusion should be closely and logically related to each other.

Title: ___

Thesis statement: ___

Body paragraph 1:

Topic sentence: ___

Body paragraph 2:

Topic sentence: ___

Body paragraph 3:

Topic sentence: ___

Conclusion: ___

1. Based on the outline that you have worked on in Task 3, write a complete essay. Follow the guidelines below.

Follow an essay writing procedure from pre-writing, while-writing, to post-writing.

Use various cohesive devices to connect different parts.

• Write in a coherent way, i.e. ideas should be sequenced and developed logically and meaningfully.