1. ENGLISH 4
LISTENING
WORK
LETTERS FROM WORKING WOMEN
FROM BBC1, GOOD MORNING WITH ANNE AND NICK, 1994
"First published in 1915, this unique book was compiled as part
of a campaign for nationally funded maternal and infant care
grants for needy women. The letters were written in response
to a request by Margaret Llewelyn Davies, General Secretary
of the women's cooperative Guild, a social, economic, and
political organization established in Britain in 1883. For the
first time, working women's voices were heard on all aspects
of childbearing as mothers themselves experienced it. The
accounts give a wrenching picture of poverty and hardship,
but, at the same time, inspiring testimony of courage and
resourcefulness."
Now, in 1915 a book
was published (A1)
which ………………..
(B1 cause)
a
moving (A2) record of the
cou……………….. (B2) and self-sacrifice (A3) involved in br……………….. (B3)
up a family in extremely poor circumstances (A4) at the t……………….. (B4) of the
century. In a moment we’ll find out if things have improved (A5) over the last 80 years.
First of ……………….. (B5), this is the way we used (A6) to live in Edwardian England.
App……………….. (B6) living (A7) conditions, b……………….. (B7) control
ignorance and high male unemployment (A8) ………………..B8 (force) women to
work well into their pregnancy (A9) and quickly after conf……………….. (B9). If she
was not working long (A10) hours in the f……………….. (B10), she was working even
longer (A11) hours at home and w……………….. (B11) often go without in order
(A12) to f……………….. (B12) her children and husband. She was too poor to obtain
(A13) medical ad……………….. (B13) during her pregnancy and had to rely (A14) on
the experience, ign……………….. (B14) of neighbours. Almost a third of pregnancies ended
in miscarriage (A15) or ignorance. Those babies that ……………….. (B15) born
alive (A16) had a one in six ch……………….. (B16)of dying (A17) before their
first birthday. Letters describing the d……………….. (B17) lives of ordinary (A18)
working cl……………….. (B18) women paved (A19) the way for better
health……………….. (B19) and survival (A20) for babies and their mothers.
sensation. ‘Letters from Working Women’ is a