WOMEN WARRIORS. PAU. ANDALUCIA 2014/15

WOMEN WARRIORS

It is estimated that some six hundred women served during the American Civil War. They had signed up disguised as men. Hollywood has missed a significant chapter of cultural history here – or is this history ideologically too difficult to deal with? Historians have often found it hard to deal with women who do not respect gender distinctions, and nowhere is gender distinction more strongly affected than in the question of armed female fighters.

But from antiquity to modern times, there are many stories of female warriors. The best known find
their way into the history books as warrior queens, rulers and leaders. They have been forced to act as
any Churchill or Roosevelt: Semiramis, queen of Assyria, and Boadicea, to mention just two. Semiramis is said to have conquered Ethiopia, Egypt and much of Asia. Among her many great achievements, some also mention the building of Babylon and of its legendary Hanging Gardens, although other authors claim that the gardens had not been built in her time but long after her reign.

Boadicea was a Celtic queen who revolted against the Roman invaders of her territory after they had

robbed, beaten and sold into slavery many of her people. Her story, narrated by Roman historiographer Tacitus, was nearly forgotten for many centuries and became popular during the reign of another English queen who headed an army against foreign invasion, Queen Elizabeth I. Boadicea is honoured with a statue on the Thames at Westminster Bridge, right opposite Big Ben. Although history is quite reticent about women having significant roles in battle either as warriors or leaders, hardly a war has been fought without women soldiers in the ranks.

I * COMPREHENSION (This section consists of six items combining ‘True/False’ and/or ‘Multiple Choice’ questions) (3 points)

CHOOSE AND WRITE THE CORRECT OPTION (A, B, C or D). (0.5 points each)

1. During the American Civil War...

(a) women were easily accepted as soldiers. 

(b) men and women did not fight together.

(c) women fought dressed up wearing men’s clothes. 

(d) women and men had different positions in war.

2. Historians find the subject of women warriors to be a difficult topic because ...

(a) gender distinctions do not exist today.

 (b) women warriors show no respect.

(c) women who fight go beyond the traditional female role. 

(d) women warriors are stronger than male warriors.

3. Boadicea...

(a) invaded Roman land and turned Romans into slaves. 

(b) reacted against Roman abuse on her people.

(c) led an army against the invasion of Queen Elizabeth I. 

(d) had a statue made by Tacitus.

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE PRECISE WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT (0.5 points each)

4. Hollywood movies have been often inspired by historical women warriors. 

FALSE.  "Hollywood has missed a significant chapter of cultural history here" 

5. There is disagreement over queen Semiramis’s role in the building of Babylon’s Hanging Gardens.

TRUE. "Among her many great achievements, some also mention the building of Babylon and of its legendary Hanging Gardens, although other authors claim  that the gardens had not been built in her time but long after her reign."

6. Many wars have been fought with no women soldiers in their armies. 

FALSE. "hardly a war has been fought without women soldiers in the ranks."

II * USE OF ENGLISH (4 points; questions 7-12, 0.25 points each; 13-17, 0.5 points each)

7. FIND IN THE TEXT ONE WORD THAT HAS THE FOLLOWING DEFINITION:

 “to be in charge of, to lead others” LEADER

8. FILL IN THE GAP WITH A CORRECT FORM OF THE VERB IN BRACKETS: 

“She let them ...... (win) the war.”  WIN 

9. GIVE A NOUN WITH THE SAME ROOT AS “lose” (verb). LOSS, LOSSER

10. WHICH WORD IS NOT AN ADJECTIVE? happy/ trendy/ hardly / lucky 

11. FIND IN THE TEXT ONE SYNONYM FOR “relevant” (adjective). SIGNIFICANT

12. FILL IN THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT OPTION:  

“I never go to the gym .... the week” at / during / in / on

13. USE THE WORDS IN THE BOXES TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL SENTENCE. USE ALL AND ONLY THE WORDS IN THE BOXES WITHOUT CHANGING THEIR FORM:

MEN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED BETTER THAN WOMEN

14. TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE VOICE: 

“Two builders are repairing the broken wall.”

THE BROKN WALL IS BEING REPAIRED BY TWO BUILDERS

15. GIVE A QUESTION FOR THE UNDERLINED WORDS:

 Six hundred women served during the American Civil War.

HOW MANY WOMEN SERVED DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR?

16. JOIN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING A RELATIVE. MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY.

 “That’s the travel agent’s. I booked my holiday tickets there.”

THAT´S THE TRAVEL AGENT WHERE I BOOKED MY HOLIDAY TICKETS

17. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONAL SENTENCE: 

“If women had ruled the world, ...”  WARS WOULD HAVE NEVER EXISTED. 

III * PRODUCTION (3 points)

18. WRITE A COMPOSITION OF APPROXIMATELY 120 WORDS ABOUT THE TOPIC PROPOSED. YOU MUST FOCUS STRICTLY ON IT:

Do you think women and men have the same opportunities in life?