Workinsmallgroupstobrainstormatleastthreecharacteristicsforbothboysandgirls.Writetheminthetablebelow.Thinkofthe2questionsbelow.Questions：1.Towhatdegreedoesthegenderdeterminethesecharacteristics?2.Whatadvantageswouldthesecharacteristicsgivetotheboysandgirlsrespectivelyinoursociety?Readthesentences,andputthemintoappropriatepositionsinthepassagebelow.A.Evenmoreimportantthanscrappingfoolishpoliciesisretoolingtheeducationalsystem,whichwasdesignedinanagewhenmostmenworkedwiththeirmuscles.B.Otherpeopleworryaboutthecollapseofthefamily.C.Policymakersalsoneedtolendahand,becausefoolishlawsaremakingtheproblemworse.D.Sothissituationcausestheproblemsofworking-classfamilies.E.Moregenerally,schoolsneedtobecomemoreboy-friendly.F.Yetthereisplentyofcausesforconcern.G.Whatcanbedone?H.Onegroupinparticularissuffering.I.Somepeopletendtofocusoneconomics.WeakerSexintheDevelopedWorldIntoday'sdevelopedworld—therichcountriessuchastheUS,UKandmanyotherEuropeancountries,menapparentlyseemtoberulingthesociety.Morethan90%ofpresidentsandprimeministersaremale,asarenearlyallbigcorporatebosses.Mendominatefinance,technology,films,sports,musicandevenstand-upcomedy.InmuchoftheworldtheystillenjoysocialandlegalprivilegessimplybecausetheyhaveaYchromosome.Soitmightseemoddtoworryabouttheplightofmen.(1)

Menclusteratthebottomaswellasthetop.Theyarefarmorelikelythanwomentobejailed,estrangedfromtheirchildren,ortokillthemselves.Theyearnfeweruniversitydegreesthanwomen.Boysinthedevelopedworldare50%morelikelytoflunkbasicmaths,readingandscienceentirely.(2)

Poorlyeducatedmeninrichcountrieshavehaddifficultycopingwiththeenormouschangesinthelabormarketandthehomeoverthepasthalf-century.Astechnologyandtradehavedevaluedbrawn,less-educatedmenhavestruggledtofindaroleintheworkplace.Women,ontheotherhand,aresurgingintoexpandingsectorssuchashealthcareandeducation,helpedbytheirsuperiorskills.Aseducationhasbecomemoreimportant,boyshavealsofallenbehindgirlsinschool(exceptattheverytop).Menwholosejobsinmanufacturingoftenneverworkagain.Andmenwithoutworkfindithardtoattractapermanentmate.Theresult,forlow-skilledmen,isapoisonouscombinationofnojob,nofamilyandnoprospects.FHWeakerSexintheDevelopedWorld(3)

Shrinkingjobopportunitiesformen,theysay,arecreatingpovertyanddestroyingfamilies.InAmericapayformenwithonlyahigh-schoolcertificatefellby21%inrealtermsbetween1979and2013;forwomenwithsimilarqualificationsitroseby3%.Aroundafifthofworking-ageAmericanmenwithonlyahigh-schooldiplomahavenojob.(4)

Thevastmajorityofwomenwouldprefertohaveapartnerwhodoeshisbitbothfinanciallyanddomestically.Buttheywouldratherdowithoutonethanteamupwithalay-about,whichmaybeallthatisonoffer:Americanmenwithoutjobsspendonlyhalfasmuchtimeonhouseworkandcaringforothersasdowomeninthesamesituation,andmuchmoretimewatchingtelevision.(5)

Thetwo-parentfamily,stillthenormamongtheelite,isvanishingamongthepoor.Inrichcountriestheproportionofbirthsoutsidemarriagehastrebledsince1980,to33%.Insomeareaswheretraditionalmanufacturinghascollapsed,ithasreached70%ormore.Thesetwosidesoftentalkpasteachother.Buttheirexplanationsarenotcontradictory:botheconomicsandsocialchangearetoblame,andthetwocausesreinforceeachother.Moreover,theseproblemsarelikelytogetworse.Technologywilldisruptmoreindustries,creatingbenefitsforsocietybutrenderingworkerswhofailtoupdatetheirskillsredundant.Someexpertspredictthattheabsolutenumberofsingle-parenthouseholdswillcontinuetoriseinnearlyallrichcountries.Boyswhogrowupwithoutfathersaremorelikelytohavetroubleforminglastingrelationships.IBDWeakerSexintheDevelopedWorld(6)

Partofthesolutionliesinachangeinculturalattitudes.Overthepastgeneration,middle-classmenhavelearnedthattheyneedtohelpwithchildcare,andhavechangedtheirbehavior.Working-classmenneedtocatchup.Womenhavelearnedthattheycanbesurgeonsandphysicistswithoutlosingtheirfemininity.Menneedtounderstandthattraditionalmanualjobsarenotcomingback,andthattheycanbenursesorhairdresserswithoutlosingtheirmasculinity.(7)

Americareducesthesupplyofmarriageablemenbylockingupmillionsofyoungmalesfornon-violentoffencesandthenmakingithardforthemtofindworkwhentheygetout(inGeorgia,forexample,felonsarebarredfromfeedingpigs,fightingfiresorworkinginfuneralhomes).Anumberofrichcountriesdiscouragepoorpeoplefrommarryingorcohabitingbycuttingtheirbenefitsiftheydo.(8)

Politiciansneedtorecognizethatboys'underachievementisaseriousproblem,andsetaboutfixingit.Somesensiblepoliciesthataregoodforeverybodyareparticularlygoodforboys.Early-childhoodeducationprovidesboyswithmorestructureandabetterchanceofdevelopingverbalandsocialskills.CountrieswithsuccessfulvocationalsystemssuchasGermanyhavedoneabetterjobthanAnglo-Saxoncountriesofmotivatingnon-academicboysandguidingthemintojobs,butpolicymakersneedtoreinventvocationaleducationforanagewhentraineesaremorelikelytogetjobsinhospitalsthanfactories.AGCWeakerSexintheDevelopedWorld(9)

Theyshouldrecognizethatboysliketorusharoundmorethangirlsdo:it'sbettertogivethemlotsoforganizedsportsandenergy-eatinggamesthantodosethemwithbookishknowledgeortellthemoffforfoolingaround.Theyneedtoprovidemoremalerolemodels:employingmoremaleteachersinprimaryschoolswillbothsupplyboyswithamaletowhomtheycanrelateanddemonstratethatmencanbeteachersaswellasfirefighters.Thegrowingequalityofthesexesisoneofthebiggestachievementsofthepost-warera:peoplehavegreateropportunitiesthaneverbeforetoachievetheirambitionsregardlessoftheirgender.Butsomemenhavefailedtocopewiththisnewworld.Itistimetogivethemahand.Workinsmallgroupstofindexpressionsforjobsandtheirrelatedgendercharacteristicsusedinthearticle.Explainhowtheysuggestastereotypeoffemininityormasculinity.EThetwojobsrequireprofessionalknowledgeandskills.Theyusedtobetheterritoryofmen.surgeons,physicists,masculinity8Thetwojobsarerelatedwithcaringfororservingothers.Theyusedtoberegardedaswomen'sjobs.nurses,hairdressersfemininity8Thisisrelatedwithpowerandusedtobetheterritoryofmen.policymakers9Thisisrelatedwithpowerandusedtobetheterritoryofmen.politicians10Teachersinprimaryschoolsareregardedastakingcareofkids.Andwomenwereregardedsuitableforthejob.teachersinprimaryschools11Firefightersmakepeoplethinkofcourageandstrength.Anditusedtobemen'sterritory.firefighters11Workinsmallgroupsonthefollowingquestion-masteractivity.StevenandDavidarecolleaguesandtheyaretalkingabouttheenrollmentofDavid'sson.Listentothedialogandanswerthequestionsbelow.1.WhichschoolwasDavid'ssonenrolledin?

2.WhydidDavidsupporttheschool?

3.WhatputStevenoffthelanguagelesson?

4.WhenStevenwasinthemiddleschool,whatchangehappenedtohim?BrightSeniorHighSchool.Hethinksthatit'sagoodideatoteachboysinaboy'sclass.Whenhewasattheelementaryschool,hisdeskmatelaughedathisEnglishwriting.Whenhewasinthemiddleschool,hewasalwaysoneofthebestinsports,likeswimming,running,andmostoftheoutdoorsactivities.triggeredListentothedialogandcompletethestatementswithwhatyouhaveheard.1.It

ahotdebatelastyear.2.Ibelievethatweshouldhavemoresinglesexschoolsforboysandgirlsbecausetheyhavedifferent

.3.Butinaboys'class,boyswouldhaveless

witheachotherbecausetheysharesimilar

inlearning.4.Amongtheboys,evenifyouwerethelastoneinthe

,nobodywouldlaughatyou.5.That'soneofthereasonsIsupportmyson's

tostudyinaboy'sclass.needsforeducationtroubleinterestracedecisionReadthefollowingparagraphsandworkingroupstodiscussthetopic.While