Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Faculdade de Cursos de Lnguas Abertos Comunidade Ingls V Turma C 2010/2

(maciel_beatriz@yahoo.com.br)

Letras

Monitora: Beatriz Maciel

1. Read the text carefully. Then, answer the following questions in your own words. What Ever Happened to the Gender Gap? It still exists. On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the World Economic Forum reveals some sobering news: workplace equality is still a myth. A day after the 100th anniversary of International Womens Day, and nearly halfway through the 30th Womens History Month, some dispiriting news: gender equalityat least when it comes to the corporate worldis still a myth. A new report by the World Economic Forum finds that even though more women are employed around the world than ever before, and now make up 52 percent of U.S. workers, major multinational companies are failing to capitalize on their talents. In surveys with human-resources executives at 600 companies across 16 industries and 20 countries, the Forum's Corporate Gender Gap Report found that disparities in education and health have all but disappeared worldwide, but when it comes to political empowerment and economic participation, women haven't advanced much. "Women are as healthy and as educated as men," the study's author, Saadia Zahidi explains, but "no country, and few companies, have actually reached gender equity." In the United States, the study shows that female employees still tend to be concentrated in entry- or mid-level positions, and that the biggest barrier to female leadership isn't parenthood or opting out (as conventional wisdom would have it), but "masculine or patriarchal corporate culture" and a "lack of mentors." Women still make 78 cents for every dollar a man earns in the United States, according to the National Committee on Pay Equityan inequity that is repeated the world overand one that is often blamed on motherhood. (As The Economist recently put it, its motherhood, not sexism that is holding women back.) But as this study and a slew of recent evidence shows, the problem is far bigger than motherhood alone. A new Catalyst survey shows that young MBA graduates make some $4,600 less than their male counterparts from the moment they step foot in the workforce; U.S. education data shows young women, a year out of college, bring home just 80 percent what their male colleagues do, regardless of profession. "Young women start in jobs that are lower paid, with lower status, and they have less job satisfaction overall," says Herminia Ibarra, a professor at INSEAD, the European Institute of Business Administration, and one of the study's authors. In an era when companies have adopted antidiscrimination policies based on gender, why are women still hitting up against a glass ceiling? Mostly, it's the persistence of longstanding workplace norms. You can blame "culture, culture, culture," says Ibarra. "The U.S. always scores abysmally in terms of work/life balance," says the WEF's chief operating officer Kevin Steinberg. "But even here, culture still ranks as the highest impediment to success."

According to the study's authors, the gender gap isn't just costing women their careers and promotions, it's costing companies profits and the nation a significant amount in economic growth. WEF estimates that closing the employment gender gap could increase U.S. GDP by up to 9 percent. Recent research from London Business School, meanwhile, suggests that productivity levels go up when men and women work together in tandemin part because gender parity counters the idea of group think, or the frequency of like-minded groups to defend ideas that may be ill conceived. "Companies that have men and women in leadership positions have a higher return on their investment," says Judy Rosener, a business professor at U.C. Irvine and an expert on workplace gender politics. Simply put, "Difference does not mean deficiency. Difference means added value." It's a lesson as old as time, but one that clearly bears repeating.
Adapted from Newsweek (March 09, 2010)

a) According to the text, have women and men achieved equality within the business world? Back your answer up with examples shown in the text. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ b) "Women are as healthy and as educated as men". So, according to the text, what is indeed preventing women from reaching success in their professional life? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ c) What is the author's major claim? How is the passage "Difference does not mean deficiency. Difference means added value" related to it? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 2. Match the columns: a) To bear b) Sobering c) Dispiriting d) To capitalize on e) Abysmally f) Longstanding g) Profit ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ) to keep; to continue ) to take advantage of sth ) making you feel serious and think carefully ) making sb lose their hope or enthusiasm ) that has existed or lasted for a long time ) terribly ) the money that you make in business

3. Analyze the underlined verbs in the text and, with a partner, group them according to the idea they convey in each sentence. A) Things that are always true; facts Habits, routines, and things that occur repeatedly.

B) Changes happening around now Incomplete activities/situations Temporary activities/situations

C) Actions without mentioning when it happened; A finished action that has relevance now; A very recent event;

4. Now, match the descriptions above with the verb tenses presented below: (A) Present Continuous (B) Simple Present (C) Present Perfect 5. Discuss with a partner whether the verbs below are right or wrong. Correct the wrong ones. a) I work here since last October. b) Are you believing in God? c) She's always eating in class. d) It gets late! Let's go! e) I always buy food in grocery store. f) I've lost my keys yesterday. g) I just have arrived.

h) I'm really happy because I bought a new car.