11. Discussion

1) What did you learn about Pauline’s family? What did she mean by “a new life”? Can you say that the gender roles in this family are traditional?

2) Would you say that Pauline had strong feminist views? Find evidence in the text to prove your point of view.

3) What do you think of George? Can you call him a typical New Man?

4) How can you explain Pauline’s approval of her husband’s new interests? Why was George’s mother worried? Which opinion do you support?

5) Which occupations will you call typically male and female?

6) How do you see the future of Pauline’s family?

7) Why do you think the story is entitled Taking Over?

12. Read the text BEING A HOUSEHUSBAND (Reader) and bring out its message. Compare it with the main idea expressed in the text TAKING OVER. Do you think the authors suggest the same approach to the stated problem? State your own opinion about the issue under discussion. Make use of your active vocabulary.

13. Complete the text below using the linking devices: for example, in practice, nevertheless, actually, what is more, specifically, as a result, in fact, of course.

Afterwards do the assignments that follow.

The labour-saving lifestyle of modern women is making them sedentary and overweight, according to research. They burn up about half as many calories a day as their mothers and grandmothers did.

Fifty years ago, the average woman spent much more time doing the housework. ___ she walked to the shops, cooked for her family from scratch every day, washed clothes by hand, used mangles and much elbow grease overall. Even when mid-20^th century households had consumer luxuries like fridges – which meant fewer visits to shops – or washing machines and vacuum cleaners, those early appliances were cumbersome and heavy.

A contemporary woman may spend time in the gym, an option that barely existed in 1950s, but labour-saving devices, the car, convenience food and on-line shopping bring its effect to naught. ___, owing to ‘drive-through windows’ one does not have to even leave the car while shopping – one needs only to drive up and place the order over a speakerphone along the way.

___, we are so keen on convenience that we’ll put up with almost any inconvenience to achieve it. And it seldom occurs to people that the things that are designed to speed up and simplify our lives often have the opposite effect. ___, it would be much quicker if a driver parked and gone in and got his food himself, but he would never think that way because the drive-through window is supposed to be speedier and more convenient.

___, man has always looked for ways to increase comfort: escalators, automatic doors, refrigerators, washing machines, convenience food – were all invented to take the difficulties out of life. ___ we are surrounded by various appliances and gadgets that do things for us to an almost absurd degree: automatic cat-food dispensers, automatic car windows, disposable toothbrushes that come with their own ration of toothpaste and such like – only seem to make life easier. ___, all they do is add expense and complication to your existence. Some of them turn out to be even disastrous – like an electric pencil sharpener that can consume an entire pencil (including the tips or your fingers if you weren’t quick) in less than a second.

___ we are so addicted to convenience that we have got entrapped in a vicious circle: the more labour-saving devices we buy, the harder we have to work; the harder we work, the more labour-saving appliances we feel we need to relieve our burden or just to ‘keep up with the Joneses’.

___, this does not mean that we should return to the mangle, but things must not get out of control.

Assignments