The Hawking Story

Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

Hawking's illness prevented him from working. T/F

The Hawkings were initially unable

to afford full-time professional nursing. T/F

Jane Hawking gave up working when she had children. T/F

Jane Hawking is dubious about her husband's work. T/F

Jane Hawking and her husband share

the same fundamental beliefs. T/T

There are certain beliefs that Hawking

does not discuss with his wife. T/F

Theme three Two Women

A. On January 1988 last century Mrs Margaret Thatcher be­came the longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Quickly read the three extracts that follow, which are taken from newspaper reports of that time.

Extract A

Speaking on the day she passed Asquith's record as the longest serving Prime Minister last century, Mrs Thatcher said that in 1979 the nation was known for suffering the British disease, but now the world was coming to Britain for a cure. «There is so much more to do», she said on the steps of Number Ten before going on to describe in self-consciously historic terms «the great programme of legislation that lies ahead».

Singled out in that programme were the intentions to extend op­portunity in housing, education and local authority finance. Mrs Thatcher saw herself playing a foremost part in world peace-making and in restoring traditional British standards. «Britain's reputation», she said, «used to be based on fairness, honesty and courtesy towards others. Young people are longing for that to be restored».

However, Mrs Thatcher's celebrations were soured by news of some critical assessments from former colleagues and supposed allies. The criticisms - which were balanced by praise for Mrs Thatcher from President Reagan - came in a BBC programme which did little to ease the strained relations between Downing Street and the BBC.

The fiercest critic emerged as Sir John Nott, whose assessment jarred with the image of courtesy and fairness conveyed by the Prime Minister at Number Ten. Sir John said: «Some of those around her, some of those that served in the Heath government, provided very necessary restraint. The Prime Minister was capable of going over the top and she needed people around her who restrained her from going over the top». Asked for examples, Sir John said 'No, because the number of times she would have possibly gone over the top with­out the restraint of her colleagues are too numerous to mention.' He also said the government was becoming more centralist and authori­tarian. Asked to comment on Sir John's assessment, Mrs Thatcher said: «I have no idea what he said. John Nott was a very vivid and vi­tal member of me Cabinet and so full of new ideas».

Lord Havers also admitted to the Prime Minister's famous ruthlessness. «If you are going to talk about disposing of ministers, to use a neutral word, yes, she is. If she thinks a minister is no longer up to it then he is out. When you are sitting near to her you think, my God, I have really got to be on top of this one, she knows it all». Sir John Hoskyns recalls: «She was deliberately unreasonable, emotional and excitable - instead of being calm and consensus-seeking. She used the fact that she was a woman very powerfully to get her way».

(Patrick Wintour, The Guardian)

Extract В

…asked about what her greatest disappointment in office had

been, she said: «It always takes longer to achieve things than you thought, and you get a little bit impatient. If you want changes, you have to get the changes in policy agreed, then the legislation through, and it takes a year to get the legislation through and a year or two years to implement it. I am very pleased that one has been here for eight years and 244 days, but difficult to believe because it has gone so quickly. There are not so many years ahead as you always as­sumed there were. So it becomes even more important to do the things you want to do». Asked about the state of Britain, Mrs Thatcher picked out selfishness as a problem, but said the govern­ment was not to blame,

«You see graffiti on walls. It is horrid. You cannot blame gov­ernments for this... We ought to restore the beautiful Britain which is part of the standard of courtesy to one's neighbour,' she said. 'We have the most fantastic countryside, lovely villages, very nice towns. Let us keep them nice and clean and tidy. We should take as much pride in that as keeping your own house nice and clean as a bright new pin».

(Andrew Man; The Independent)

Extract С

... it was a former Conservative Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, who uttered the cruellest and perhaps the aptest epitaph of the late Thatcher Cabinets. Out it came at a private meeting of a Tory philosophy group. «A brilliant tyrant surrounded by mediocrities», the old statesman said and his words spread round the gossip circuit like a contagion.

(Peter Hennessy, The Independent)

B. Find a word or phrase in the texts which, in context, is similar in meaning to:

Extract A

Paragraph 1 1. Prime Minister's residence	Paragraph 2 2. leading		Paragraph 3 3. spoiled
Paragraph 4 4. contrasted unpleasantly 5. held back 6. going too far 7. dictatorial		Paragraph 5 8. lack of pity 9. getting rid of 10. dismissed 11. in full command of 12. looking for agreement

Extract В

Paragraph 1 - 13. put a policy into action

Extract С

Paragraph 1 - 14. most appropriate 15. people without special talent

C. Now read the texts again and answer the following questions.

1. Of what significance was the date 3 January 1988 to Mrs Thatcher?

2. In what areas did Mrs Thatcher state that her future work lay?

3. According to Mrs Thatcher, what values do young people want to see in British society?

4. What major criticism of Mrs Thatcher's character was made by Sir John Nott, and how did Mrs Thatcher react to this criticism?

5. What was Lord Haver's view of Mrs Thatcher?

6. In Extract B, Mrs Thatcher talked about a source of frustra­tion. What was it?

7. What aspects of Britain did Mrs Thatcher see as worth main­taining?

8. Comment on the implications of the phrase 'clean as a bright new pin.'

D. Work in groups of three. Using the information from the texts, write three paragraphs of about 50 words each.

Your first paragraph should be in praise of Mrs Thatcher.

Your second paragraph should express a critical view of her.

Your third paragraph should give a balanced view, with both good and bad points.