| Verb | Noun | Adjective |
| to compete (with) | … | … |
| to confront | … | … |
| … | collaboration | … |
| … | … | controllable |
| … | encouragement | … |
| to achieve | … | … |
Ex. 2. Complete the following sentences using one of the words from the table above.
a) It was a great … to win the company's prize for excellence.
b) This is a really difficult job at times. I'd like a bit of … from my boss occasionally.
c) I hate having meetings with Alan. He's always aggressive and ….
d) I don't like working on my own, I need other people to … with.
e) It's impossible to … events, but you can influence them.
Word meaning
Ex. 3. Which words and word combinations in the text are used to describe men and women at work? Find them and put them in the columns below. Add the words from the table below where appropriate.
Men women
competitive collaborative
… …
| ambitious | intuitive | stubborn |
| bossy | practical | sympathetic |
| emotional | creative | straightforward |
| reliable | fussy | trustworthy |
Ex. 4. Work out the meaning of these phrases from the context. Can you give any examples of lateral thinking? Is it good for a researcher to possess it?
a) Banging a fist on the table.
b) The end justifies the means.
c) Lateral thinking.
d) Flatter organizations.
e) Managing by consensus.
Word partners
Ex. 5. Which adjectives and nouns given below would you combine to form collocations?
| Nouns | Adjectives | |||||
| achievement | action | experience, | male | training | competitive | |
| gesture | approach | management | collaborative | personal | collective, | |
| consultancy | achievement | matters | forceful | current | aggressive |
Focus on speaking II
Ex. 1. Work in groups to discuss the following questions.
a) What are the styles of male and female managers in companies in your country? Are they similar to the ones outlined in the text?
b) Do you think there is a difference in style of management between men and women due to character traits? Can you give any examples?
c) Do you know any men who have a ‘female’ style of working? Or women who have a ‘male’ style of working?
d) Do you find it easier to work with men or women? Why?
e) How do you feel about the woman being the boss and the man being the secretary?
f) What about men staying at home and women going to work?
Ex. 2. Choose a spokesperson in the group to make a presentation to the whole class, summarizing the opinions in the group. Make use of some phrases given below in the Useful language box.
| Useful language: Clauses of contrast |
| Clauses of contrast give information which is surprising when compared to the main clause. a) Men and women have different stylesbut both can adopt the other gender’s way of working. b) Although the majority of employees in the company are women, men hold most of the senior management posts. c) It is sometimes dangerous to generalize, however we can note some specific differences between men and women’s styles. |
Ex. 3. Look at the graph below and comment on it make use of some phrases from the Useful language boxes: Rise and fall and Clauses of Contrast.
| Useful language: Rise and fall | |
| Nouns | Verbs |
| dramatic increase in steady decrease constant rise in sharp fall in general improvement deterioration in growth of decline in strengthening weakening expansion contraction widening of the gap between narrowing of the gap between marked progress drop in upward trend in terms of downward trend in terms | increase decrease rise fall improve drop deteriorate grow relax raise expand contract decline lower weaken run down extend widen introduce enlarge broaden |
Focus on reading II
Ex. 1. Scan the text below and match the paragraphs to the following slogans on war posters. Are they addressed to men or women?
a) Queen Mary’s army Auxiliary Corps for women. Enroll today!
b) All the workers from this factory are in trenches. The factory needs you!
c) Women of Britain! Say Go to your men!
Did women keep the home fires burning?
In the past, wars produced a lot of propaganda in the form of leaflets, posters and even songs. In 1914 there was a popular English song called ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’. The words said women should not to cry as they watched the men leave to go to war and they should stay positive at home waiting for the soldiers to return. This was in line with the traditional image of passive women in the home, supporting their husbands by looking after the house and children. Posters also presented women and children as needing protection from the dangers of war. The posters directed men to take up their traditional roles of protecting the weaker sex by joining the army.
Poster A
Propaganda aimed at women contained quite different images. Before the War, most women worked in the textiles industry or in teaching or domestic work. They were not expected or encouraged to work in more ‘male’ roles. With the new absence of men in the workforce, however, women were now required to do much of the work previously done by men. Organizations were set up to recruit women in areas such as transport and communications which would support the army both at home and abroad.
Poster B
In addition to this, there was a whole new area of work which desperately needed recruits. This was the munitions factories, where the supplies such as chemicals and explosives made to support the war effort were produced. Posters designed to encourage women in their new roles were bright and cheerful and the women portrayed in them were attractive and healthy, pleased to be ‘doing their bit’ for their country.
Poster C
Ex. 2. Read the text carefully and mark these sentences as true or false.
a) The song ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ was produced to encourage women to join the army.
b) Before 1914, many women worked in clothing factories and schools.
c) In the War, women were asked to do men’s jobs.
d) The women in the munitions factories helped the War by making food supplies.
