The girls in this sixth grade class in East Palo lto! "alifornia!

all ha#e the same access to com$uters as bo%s. &ut researchers sa%! b% the time they get to high school! the% are #ictims of what the researchers call a major new gender ga$ in technolog%. 'anice (einman of the merican ssociation of )ni#ersit% (oman sa%s! *+irls tend to be less comfortable than bo%s with the com$uter. The% use it more for word $rocessing rather than for $roblem sol#ing! rather than to disco#er new wa%s in which to understand information.* fter re,examining a thousand studies! the merican ssociation of )ni#ersit% women researchers found that girls ma-e u$ onl% a small $ercentage of students in com$uter science classes. +irls consistentl% rate themsel#es significantl% lower than bo%s in their abilit% and confidence in using com$uters. nd the% use com$uters less often than bo%s outside the classroom. The instructor of this com$uter lab sa%s he.s alread% noticed some differences. "harles "headle of "esar "ha#e/ 0chool sa%s! *&o%s are not so afraid they might do something that will harm the com$uter! whereas girls are afraid the% might brea- it somehow.* 0ix %ears ago! the software com$an% Pur$le 1oon noticed that girls2 com$uter usage was falling behind bo%s. 3aren +ould sa%s! *The number one reason girls told us the% don.t li-e com$uter games is not because they.re too #iolent! or too com$etiti#e. +irls just said the%.re incredibl% boring.* Pur$le 1oon sa%s it found what girls want! characters the% can relate to and stor% lines relati#e to what.s going on in their own li#es. 3aren +ould of Pur$le 1oon 0oftware sa%s! *(hat we definitel% found from girls is there is no intrinsic reason wh% the% wouldn.t want to $la% on a com$uter4 it was just a content thing.* The s$onsor of the stud% sa%s it all boils down to this! the technolog% gender ga$ that se$arates the girls from the bo%s must be closed if women are to com$ete effecti#el% with men in the 21st centur%.
5rom a news stor% b% "66 0an 5rancisco 7e$orter 8on 3na$$ 9:ctober 13! 1;;<=

A) Say who or what the underlined words in the text refer to. 1. the% >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2. he >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3. the% >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 4. it >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 5. the% >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

B) Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right. 1. major 2. small 3. lower 4. outside 5. falling 6. boring a. increasing b. inside c. exciting d. big e. minor f. higher

C) Find e idence in the text for the following statements. 1. Cn East Palo lto! "alifornia! bo%s and girls share the o$$ortunit% to ha#e access to com$uters. 2. +irls use com$uters mainl% for word $rocessing. 3. There are more bo%s than girls in com$uter science classes. 4. +irls are less confident in using com$uters than bo%s. 5. +irls don2t usuall% use com$uters outside the classroom. 6. +irls don2t engage in com$uter games. D. (omen need to use the com$uter more often if the% want to com$ete with men in the future.

!) Answer the "uestions a#out the text. 1. Ex$lain the meaning of the ex$ression @gender ga$ in technolog%A. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2. Point out some of the differences between bo%s and girls in terms of their relationshi$ with com$uters. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3. (h% don2t girls li-e com$uter games? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 4. (h% do women need to handle more with com$uters? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

E) Topics for discussion. 1. This text was written some %ears ago. 8o %ou notice an% difference in girls2 beha#ior towards com$uters or the ideas $resent in the text still remain u$,to,date? 2. re %ou com$uter literate? 3. (hat are the benefits of using the com$uter? 4. nd which ma% be the drawbac-s of using it? 5. 8o %ou thin- the com$uter is an absolutel% indis$ensable tool these da%s? Ex$lain %our $oint of #iew. 6. "ould %ou @li#eA B do well without the com$uter?