Joseph Conrad

“Whether woman are better than men I cannot say - but I can say they are certainly no worse”

Golda Mei

“It matters more what's in a woman's face than what's on it”.

Claudette Colbert 1.

2. Learn the new words and word combinations.

3. Match the word on the left with the correct meaning on the right.

4. Check the meaning of the expression with your friends and make up your own sentences with them.

1. to launch a tradition –

2. previous tradition –

3. efficacy of contributions –

4. reserved of privileged for men –

5. in women’s favour –

6. unintended effects –

7. uninfluential at first –

8. feminism clamed to be able to…. –

5. Work in pairs. You are expected to speak for about five minutes. Ask your partner about her/his attitude to the problem of feminism. Agree or disagree with her/him. Then answer her/his questions. Ask your questions in turn. You may use such questions:

1. What is feminism?

2. What is “gender equality”?

3. Is Equality bad for women and why?

4. Do you think that “gender equality has already achieved in our society”?

5. Who opposes gender equality?

6. How is sex inequality defended?

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6. Work in pairs. Compare the problem of feminism in Ukraine and other countries in the world. Do you see any difference? Give some examples.

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7. Work in group. There are only two points of view concerning feminism in the world. Write out the arguments in favour and against each of them. Which point of view do you support?

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8. Interview your groupmates. Ask them some interesting questions about feminism. Then sum up the answers and say what your groupmates think about this problem. Some questions as an example:

1. What do you think of when you hear “feminist”?

2. What’s your attitude towards feminism?

3. Is feminism to blame for the death of chivalry?

5. If women want to be treated equally then should they not expect men to open door for them, pull out chair’s, etc.?

6. Why is feminism given such a bad rap?

7. What are the negative side effects of feminism?

8. Do you consider yourself an anti-feminist?

9. Is feminism responsible for the breakdown of the family?

10. Do a lot of men fear feminism? If so, why?

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9. How many outstanding women do you know? Which woman could be called outstanding and why? Have you ever thought of being an outstanding person?

The XIX-XXI st Centuries were marked by many outstanding women who strived for equality, freedom and demonstrated social commitment. All of them have stood for peace and tolerance as well as civil rights. Due to their as well as the vigorous efforts of many others the general situation for women and society at large has continually improved. Yet, there is still a long way to go. Discrimination and violence regrettably remain part of the day-to-day reality of women – at the workplace, in every day life, through religion or in health matters in many parts of the world.Women and children are still the innocent victims of armed conflicts. In many countries throughout the world women are still considered “second class citizens” and in some countries – even in the 21^st century – they have no rights at all.

10. Do you know anything about Mother Teresa? What is she famous for? Read the text to know much about this person who dedicated her life to helping the poor. Her own life story includes many illustrations of her willingness to listen to and follow her own conscience, even when it seemed to contradict what was expected.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

“If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive”.

Mother Teresa

“By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus. ” Small of stature, rocklike in faith, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was entrusted with the mission of proclaiming God’s thirsting love for humanity, especially for the poorest of the poor. “God still loves the world and He sends you and me to be His love and His compassion to the poor.” She was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him and burning with one desire: “to quench His thirst for love and for souls.”

This messenger of God’s love was born on 26 August 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia, a city situated at the crossroads of Balkan history. Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, the youngest of three children of an Albanian builder.

At the age of eighteen, moved by a desire to become a missionary, Gonxha left her home in September 1928 to join the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Sisters of Loreto, in Ireland. There she received the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. In December, she departed for India, arriving in Calcutta on 6 January 1929. After making her First Profession of Vows in May 1931, Sister Teresa was assigned to the Loreto Entally community in Calcutta and taught at St. Mary’s School for girls. On 24 May 1937, Sister Teresa made her Final Profession of Vows, becoming, as she said, the “ spouse of Jesus ”for “ all eternity. ”From that time on she was called Mother Teresa. She continued teaching at St. Mary’s and in 1944 became the school’s principal. A person of profound prayer and deep love for her religious sisters and her students. Mother Teresa’s twenty years in Loreto were filled with happiness. She was noted for her charity, unselfishness and courage, her capacity for hard work and a natural talent for organization.

On 10 September 1946 during the train ride from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, Mother Teresa received her “ inspiration ”, her “ call within a call ”.On that day, in a way she would never explain, Jesus begged her to “ come, be My light ”, “ I cannot go alone ”.He asked Mother Teresa to establish a religious community. Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor. Nearly two years of testing passed before Mother Teresa received permission to begin. On 17 August 1948 she dressed for the first time in a white, blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of her beloved Loreto convent to enter the world of the poor.

After a short course with the Medical Mission Sisters in Patna, Mother Teresa returned to Calcutta and found temporary lodging with the Little Sisters of the Poor. On 21 December she went for the first time to the slums. She visited families, washed the sores of some children, cared for an old man lying sick on the road and nursed a woman dying of hunger. She served Jesus in “ the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for ”. After some months, she was joined, one by one, by her former students.

On 7 October 1950 the new congregation of the Missionaries of Charity was officially established in the Archdiocese of Calcutta. By the early 1960s, Mother Teresa began to send her Sisters to other parts of India. The Decree of Praise granted to the Congregation by Pope Paul VI in February 1965 encouraged her to open a house in Venezuela. It was soon followed by founda­tions in Rome and Tanzania and, eventually, on every continent. Starting in 1980 and continuing through the 1990s, Mother Teresa opened houses in almost all of the communist countries, including the former Soviet Union, Albania and Cuba.

In order to respond better to both the physical and spiritual needs of the poor, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1963, in 1984 the Mis­sionaries of Charity Fathers. Yet her inspiration was not limited to those with religious vocations. She formed the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa and the Sick and Suffer­ing Co-Workers, people of many faiths and nationalities with whom she shared her spirit of prayer, simplicity, sacrifice and her apostolate of humble works of love. This spirit later inspired the Lay Missionaries of Charily. In answer to the requests of many priests, in 1981 Mother Teresa also began the Corpus Christi Move­ment for Priests for those who desire to share in her charisma and spirit.

During the years of rapid growth the world be­gan to turn its eyes towards Mother Teresa and the work she had started. Nu­merous awards, beginning with the Indian Padmashri Award in
1962 and notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, honoured her work, while an increasingly inter­ested media began to follow her activities. She received both prizes and attention “ for the glory of God and in the name of the poor ”.

The whole of Mother Teresa’s life and labour bore witness to the joy of loving, the greatness and dignity of every human person, the value of little things done faith­fully and with love, and the surpassing worth of friendship with God.

During the last years of her life, despite increasingly severe health problems, Mother Teresa continued to govern her Society and respond to the needs of the poor and the Church. By 1997, Mother Teresa’s Sisters numbered nearly 4, 000 members and were established in 610 foundations in 123 countries of the world. In March 1997 she blessed her newly-elected successor as Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity and then made one more trip abroad. After meeting Pope John Paul II for the last time, she returned to Calcutta and spent her final weeks receiving visitors and instructing her Sisters. On 5 September Mother Teresa’s earthly life came to an end. She was given the honour of a state funeral by the Government of India and her body was buried in the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity. Her tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage and prayer for people of all faiths, rich and poor alike. Mother Teresa left a testament of unshakable faith, invincible hope and extraordinary charity. Her response to Jesus’ plea, “Come be My light, ” made her a Missionary of Charity, a “mother to the poor, ” a symbol of compassion to the world, and a living witness to the thirsting love of God.

Less than two years after her death, in view of Mother Teresa’s widespread reputation of holiness and the favours being reported, Pope John Paul II permitted the opening of her Cause of Canonization. On 20 December 2002 he approved the decrees of her heroic virtues and miracles.

Life
by Mother Teresa

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is costly, care for it.

Life is wealth, keep it.

Life is mystery, know it.

Life is love, enjoy it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realise it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Learn the new words and word combinations.

12. Match the word on the left with the correct meaning on the right.

13. Find the opposites to the following words and make up your own sentences with them.

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14. Work in pairs. Imagine that you are a student from foreign country and you know nothing about Mother Teresa. Ask your classmate about her life.

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15. Every year, on the occasion of Mother Teresa’s birthday, the newspapers and magazines get filled with Mother Teresa quotations. Below are presented some famous quotes by Mother Teresa, so check out and discuss them:

“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired”.

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies”.

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person”.

“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat”.

“If we want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it”.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them”.

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives”.

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier”.

16. You are going to read an interesting text about Margaret Hilda Thatcher. Do you agree that she was really outstanding woman of the 20-th century? Why? Try to prove your point of view.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

“Being powerful is like being a lady.
If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t”.
Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher’s political career has been one of the most remarkable of modern times. Born in October 1925 at Grantham, a small market town in eastern England, she rose to become the first (and for two decades the only) woman to lead a major Western democracy. She won three successive General Elections and served as British Prime Minister for more than eleven years
(1979-90), a record unmatched in the twentieth century.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher’s sense of self-confidence and ambition ruled her life from the time she was a small child in Grantham, though her Oxford years and during her early years in politics.It led her to become the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain, and also helped through her difficult political years as “Attila the Hun”. Margaret Hilda was the second daughter of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts.She often stated that she was brought up very strictly: “I owe everything in my life to two things: a good home, and a good education. My home was ordinary, but good in the sense that my parents were passionately interested in the future of my sister and myself. At the same time, they gave us a good education – not only in school, but at home as well”. As a child, thrift and practicality were instilled in Margaret’s character. The Methodist church played an active part in the lives of the Roberts. She attended good schools as a child and spent her years studying with the intent of attending Oxford. Margaret arrived at Oxford in the autumn of 1943. During her years here, Margaret worked in a canteen for the war effort, continued her interest in music by joining various choirs and joined the Oxford University Conservative Association where she became very active in it’s political activities. After Oxford, Margaret became the youngest female candidate of the Dartford Association. She was unofficially engaged to Denis Thatcher at this time, and they married in December 1951. Twins were born the following year. During this period, she studied law and in 1954 she was a candidate for the Hoisington Conservative Association. Margaret won in a Tory landslide at Finchley, a suburb of London in 1959. Her parliamentary career had begun. A stroke of good luck gave her the opportunity of presenting her first bill almost immediately. This bill was to allow the press to attend the meetings of the local councils. The bill was eventually passed and it greatly enhanced her reputation. In 1964 she was part of the opposition and saw the other side of politics. Between 1970 and 1974 Thatcher was the Secretary of State for Education and Science. She enjoyed the tough verbal conflict of parliamentary debates. She had a quick mind and an even quicker tongue, along with an enormous self-confidence. She liked to fight and liked to win.

In 1975, the Conservatives were the first party in Britain to chose a woman as a leader and potential Prime Minister: It was the backbenchers, not the Leader, or his Shadow Cabinet, who forced a ballot, and it was a backbenchers-candidate who emerged triumphant from it. When the election was announced on January 23, and in the first ballot Margaret had the support of only one member of a Shadow Cabinet of 23 she was regarded with suspicion by most of those managing the party machine at Central Office, and opposed by many in the National Union. In short, she was an anti- establishment candidate. In May 1979, Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain. Her party won again in 1983 and 1987. Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party in November 1990, after loosing the support of the party. She remained in the House of Commons until 1992. In the same year, Thatcher was made a Baroness by the queen and became a member of the House of Lords.

After 1990 Lady Thatcher (as she became) remained a potent political figure. She wrote two best-selling volumes of memoirs – The Downing Street Years (1993) and The Path to Power (1995) – while continuing for a full decade to tour the world as a lecturer. A book of reflections on international politics – Statecraft – was published in 2002. During the period she made some important interventions in domestic British politics, notably over Bosnia and the Maastricht Treaty. In March 2002, following several small strokes, she announced an end to her career in public speaking.

Denis Thatcher, her husband of more than fifty years, died in June 2003, receiving warm tributes from all sides.

Margaret Thatcher remains an intensely controversial figure in Britain. Critics claim that her economic policies were divisive socially, that she was harsh in her politics, and hostile to the institutions of the British welfare state. Defenders point to a transformation in Britain’s economic performance over the course of the Thatcher Governments and those of her successors as Prime Minister. Trade union reforms, privatisation, deregulation, a strong anti-inflationary stance, and control of tax and spending have created better economic prospects for Britain than seemed possible when she became Prime Minister in 1979.

Critics and supporters alike recognise the Thatcher premiership as a period of fundamental importance in British history. Margaret Thatcher accumulated huge prestige over the course of the 1980s and often compelled the respect even of her bitterest critics. Indeed, her effect on the terms of political debate has been profound. Whether they were converted to “Thatcherism”, or merely forced by the electorate to pay it lip service, the Labour Party leadership was transformed by her period of office and the “New Labour” politics of Tony Blair would not have existed without her.

In 2005, Thatcher celebrated her eightieth birthday. A huge event was held in her honor and was attended by Queen Elizabeth, Tony Blair, and nearly 600 other friends, family members, and former colleagues. Two years later, a sculpture of the strong conservative leader was unveiled in the House of Commons. While her policies and actions are still debated, Thatcher has left an indelible impression on Britain and world politics.

17. Learn the new words and word combinations.

18. Match the word on the left with the correct meaning on the right.

19. Find the synonyms of the following words in the text make up your own sentences with them.

20. Work in pairs. Imagine that you are a student from any foreign country and you know nothing about Margaret Thatcher. Ask your classmates about her life.

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21. Do you like Princess Diana and why? The people say that she was the woman, who advocated the banning of all land mines. How do you understand it? Do you know all her life story in detail? If no, read the text and discuss all these questions.

Diana
princess of Wales

“Carry out a random act of kindness,
with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge
that one day someone might do the same for you”.

Diana

Diana endeared herself to the public through her warmth and caring. As the wife of Prince Charles, Diana not only gave birth to the future British king, she became a princess of the people. Diana brought attention to worthy causes such as the elimination of AIDS and landmines. Also, through her own experiences, Diana became a role model for those who suffer from depression or bulimia.

Born Diana Spencer on July 1st, 1961, near Sandringham, England, Diana, Princess of Wales, was one of the most adored members of the British royal family. She was the daughter of Edward John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and Frances Ruth Burke Roche, Viscountess Althorp. Her parents divorced when Diana was young, and her father won custody of her. She was educated first at Riddlesworth Hall and then went to boarding school at West Heath School.

She became Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975. Although she was known for her shyness growing up, she did show an interest in music and dancing. Diana also had a great fondness for children. After attending finishing school at the Institut Alpin Videmanette in Switzerland, she moved to London. She began working with children, eventually becoming a kindergarten teacher at the Young England School.

Diana was no stranger to the British royal family, having reportedly played with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as a child while her family rented Park House, an estate owned by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1977, she became reacquainted with their older brother, Prince Charles, who was 13 years her senior.

As the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles was usually the subject of media attention and his courtship of Diana was no exception. The press and the public were fascinated by this seemingly odd couple – the reserved, horse and garden-loving prince and the shy, young woman with an interest in fashion and popular culture. When the couple married on July 29, 1981, the ceremony was broadcast on television around the world, with millions of people tuning in to see what many considered to be the wedding of the century.

On June 21, 1982, Diana and Charles had their first child, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis. He was joined by a brother, Prince Henry Charles Albert David – known widely as “Prince Harry” – more than two years later on September 15, 1984. Initially overwhelmed by her royal duties and the intense media coverage of nearly every aspect of her life, she began to develop and pursue her own interests. Diana served a strong supporter of many charities and worked to help the homeless, people living with HIV and AIDS, and children in need.

Unfortunately, the fairy tale wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles did not lead to a happily-ever-after type of marriage. The two became estranged over the years, and there were reports of infidelities by both parties. During their union, Diana struggled with depression and bulimia. The couple’s separation was announced in December 1992 by British Prime Minister John Major, who read a statement from the royal family to the House of Commons. The divorce was finalized in 1996.

Even after the divorce, Diana maintained a high level of popularity. She devoted herself to her sons and to such charitable efforts as the battle against the use of land mines. Diana used her international celebrity to help raise awareness about this issue. She also continued to experience the negative aspects of fame – her 1997 romance with Egyptian film producer and playboy Dodi
Al-Fayed caused quite a stir and created a media frenzy. While visiting Paris, the couple was involved in a car crash after trying to escape from the paparazzi on the night of August 30, 1997.

Diana initially survived the crash, but later succumbed to her injuries at a Paris hospital a few hours later. Al-Fayed and the driver were also killed, and a bodyguard was seriously injured. French authorities investigated the crash and the driver was found to have a high level of alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. The role of the pursuing photographers in the tragedy was also scrutinized.

News of her sudden, senseless death shocked the world. Thousands turned out to pay tribute to the “people’s princess” during her funeral procession. The funeral was held at Westminister Abbey, which was broadcast on television. Her body was later buried at her family’s estate, Althorp.

In 2007, marking the tenth anniversary of her death, her sons, Princes William and Harry, honored their beloved mother with a special concert to be held on what would have been her forty-sixth birthday. The proceeds of the event will go to charities supported by Diana and her sons.

Continuing her charitable efforts is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Established after her death, the fund provides grants to numerous organizations and supports initiatives to provide care to the sick in Africa, to help refugees, and to stop the use of land mines among other efforts.

Princess Diana will be remembered as a woman who was at once supremely regal and at the same time strikingly human. To the millions who followed her charitable work, she was most certainly the Queen of our hearts, and she will be terribly missed.

22. Learn the new words and word combinations.

23. Find the synonyms of the following words in the text make up your own sentences with them.

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24. Complete these sentences with information from the text.

1. Diana Spencer was born...

2. Diana initially survived the crash, but...

3. Charles wanted to marry Camilla, but...

4. The role of the pursuing photographers in the tragedy was ……..

5. In the photographs Diana was always a beautiful, happy young mother,
but...

25. Use these words to join these sentences together.