A Cinderella story

Once upon a time there lived a small girl whose name was Cinderella. She was an ordinary 11-year-old child but for the fact that she kept (1) _____ going. No, she was not an orphan, as you might have thought – she had a father, a stepmother and two sisters. Nevertheless, it was Cinderella who (2) _____ burden and did the lion’s (3) _____ . Her stepmom apparently had difficulty in (4) _____ , that’s why she constantly humiliated Cinderella by giving her more and more housework that was boring and (5) _____ . Cinderella was usually (6) _____ cooking, ironing, sewing, doing the washing-up and other odd jobs around the house. If someone of the household faced a problem, it was Cinderella who (7) _____ out. Year by year, she gained more and more (8) _____ per week.

From modern perspectives, Cinderella’s example shows the many disadvantages (9) _____ experience. However, such a heavy workload would be considered socially (10) _____ today. No woman would agree to have (11) _____ to performing household chores. Modern (12) _____ wives also do much (13) _____ work around the house, but they try to (14) _____ home, career and their free time. So, should Cinderella live in the 20^th century, she would definitely have much more (15) _____ only being a (16) _____ housewife.

1. balance

2. degrading

3. employed

4. finding new interests and activities

5. full-time

6. her identity tied

7. hours of household chores

8. ironed everything

9. options than

10. share of housework

11. shouldered the main

12. stretched between

13. the whole household

14. unacceptable

15. unpaid

16. women may

Task 7. Paraphrase the underlined vocabulary units in the text in the written form. Make up 5 fresh-context sentences with the word combinations you like most.

Task 8. Write a summary of the text “Balancing home and work”.

Task 9. Discuss the following questions with the group:

1. Do you agree that spouses should be paid for their work? If yes, how should this payment be calculated? Who should get paid?

2. Would families benefit from getting paid for housework? In what respects?

3. Would you like to get paid for doing housework?

4. Whose role (that of a husband or that of a wife) is more difficult?

5. Have you ever come across any men’s tactics to avoid housework? Did they work?

Task 10. Fill in this chart for the household of your parents and grandparents by checking the appropriate column.

In your household who mainly does each job?	Male	Female	Shared equally
General straightening up of the house
Vacuuming
Cleaning bathrooms
Washing floors
Shopping for food
Cooking meals
Cleaning up after meals
Childcare
Taking children to school, sports, etc.
Doing household repairs
Paying bills
Laundry
Organizing social events

Compare your answers with a small group and discuss:

1. Who does the most housework - males or females?

2. What jobs do males usually do?

3. What jobs do females usually do?

4. What jobs are usually shared?

5. Are duties shared similarly in the household of your parents and grandparents? What has changed? Why?

6. What factors influence who does certain jobs?

 WRITING

Task 11. Write an essay titled “Balancing study and home life”. Remember to use your active vocabulary.