International Women’s Day A2

MARCH 8TH International Women’s Day

El 8 de marzo se celebra del Día Internacional de la Mujer, fecha que nos recuerda que, tras más de un siglo de lucha, todavía queda mucho trabajo por hacer para alcanzar la plena igualdad de género.

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GLOSSARY

1 to take place: tener lugar 2 achievements: logros 3 to demand: exigir 4 shorter: más corto 5 working hours: horario laboral 6 charities: organizaciones benéficas 7 NGOs: ONGs (siglas de non-governmental organization) 8 however: sin embargo 9 to realise: darse cuenta 10 a long way to go: mucho por hacer (lit. un largo camino por delante) 11 most senior positions: cargos de mayor responsabilidad 12 policing: trabajo policial 13 although: si bien 14 exhibitions: exposiciones 15 workshops: talleres 16 fun runs: carreras solidarias (lit. por la diversión) EXERCISES IN

International Women’s Day takes place1 every year on 8 March to celebrate the achievements2 of women all over the world. It started in New York City in 1908 when women went out onto the streets to demand3 the right to vote, shorter4 working hours5 and better pay. Today it’s a global event that is supported by lots of charities6 , NGOs7, governments and academic institutions.

WHY?

In today’s world it may appear that women have all the same opportunities as men. If you watch the news you will see women astronauts, women prime ministers and women leaders in business. However8, if you look at the statistics, you realise9 there’s still a long way to go10. The BBC did a report a few years ago that showed that in the UK women occupied only 30.9 per cent of the most senior positions11 in areas like politics, business and policing12. So, although13 progress has been made since 1908, there is still a lot to do before we see an equal number of men and women in the top jobs and receiving equal pay.

HOW?

A lot of special events take place in towns and cities all over the UK to celebrate International Women’s Day. There are exhibitions14, theatre shows, talks, discussions, films, workshops15 , fun runs16 and so much more. All the events are designed to celebrate the role of women in society and to make us all think about the progress that has

Left: L.A. residents take part in International Women’s Day in 2017. Below and below left: the HeForShe campaign promoted by actress Emma Watson encourages men to join the fight for a fairer future. Bottom page left: a London Women’s Day March poster from 1975.

EXERCISES IN

Copyright: Molly Adams

GLOSSARY

17 to ensure: asegurar 18 fair: justo 19 key issues: cuestiones clave 20 close to home: cerca de casa 21 at all: para nada 22 even: incluso 23 in our lifetime: mientras vivamos 24 to play: interpretar 25 to raise awareness: concienciar 26 to launch: lanzar

HOW DO YOU SAY...

Ser justo con alguien. To do someone justice.

been made, but also about the changes that still need to take place to ensure17 the world is a fair18 and equal place for all its citizens. The message for women around the world is to ‘think globally and act locally’. This means to learn about some of the key issues19 that women face around the world and then to try to take action close to home20 .

THE FUTURE

Can you imagine a future where there’s no need at all21 to even22 have an International Women’s Day? Where there is total equality for men and women? Hmmm … something to think about, but perhaps in our lifetime23 this could happen?

HE FOR SHE

Emma Watson, the actor who played24 Hermione in the Harry Potter films, is a great example of someone who is doing something to raise awareness25 about the issues that women face globally. As part of a solidarity movement for the advancement of gender equality initiated by the United Nations, she s launched26 a campaign called HeForShe, to create a ‘gender-equal world’. The HeForShe campaign makes it very clear that it’s the role of men as well as women to make changes in all areas of their lives, both at work and in the family, to help make this possible.

Above: browsing books outside Strand, 1938; Right: the five floor independent bookstore in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, 2015; one of three and a half floors dedicated to books. Fred Bass and Nancy BassWyden in 1999.

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GLOSSARY

1 undisputed: indiscutible 2 size: tamaño 3 bookshelves: estanterías 4 rare: raros, únicos 5 to span: abarcar 6 to struggle: luchar 7 survival: supervivencia 8 to rise: aumentar 9 so far: hasta ahora 10 to stay afloat: mantenerse a flote 11 in the wake of: tras 12 to remain: permanecer 13 row: fila 14 current: actual 15 location: ubicación 16 in charge: al cargo 17 to own: ser propietario

A BOOKSTORE LIKE NO OTHER Strand

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Esta histórica librería independiente cuenta con cerca de veintinueve kilómetros de libros repartidos en tres pisos de un edificio en el corazón de la ciudad de Nueva York, un lugar lleno de historia y cultura que ahora lucha por sobrevivir.

Called the “undisputed1 king of the city’s independent bookstores” by The New York Times, the Strand is without a doubt the most famous bookstore in the city. Its size2 makes it unique: twenty-three miles of bookshelves3 containing 2,5 million used, new and rare4 books. Its history spans5 three generations and its struggle6 for survival7 continues to this day. It survived the Depression in the 1930s and rising8 rent prices in the 1950s. So far9, it has also survived competition from book superstores, e-books and Amazon. Only time will tell if it can stay afloat10 in the wake of11 a pandemic that has destroyed so many independent businesses in New York and internationally.

THE LAST STAND

The Strand is the only bookstore remaining12 in what is called ‘Bookseller’s Row13’, a commercial district that once contained around fifty bookstores for second-hand books. Founded in 1927 by an immigrant from Lithuania called Benjamin Bass, it moved to its current14 location15 on Broadway in 1957. The business was continued by Ben’s son, Fred, who died in 2018 at the age of eighty-nine after a life dedicated to the store. Fred’s daughter, Nancy Bass-Wyden, is now in charge16 .

PEOPLE POWER

Nancy owns17 both the bookstore and the building it inhabits, which was acquired in 1996 for 8,2 million dollars. Last year she asked the community of book buyers to support the Strand. In October, after months of limited economic activity due to18 the pandemic, she announced that the store’s revenue19 was 70 per cent down20 and there was a risk of closure21. The next day hundreds of people queued22 on the street before opening hour to get in23 .

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Although unusually empty24 these days, one can visit this literary emporium and get lost25 in a maze26 of bookshelves, arranged27 along narrow28passageways29 . Books are organised under dozens of categories and subcategories, everything from Historical Fiction to Writers of NY, Best of the Underground, Banned30 Books, Black Studies or LGBTQIA31 Literature. Will it make it to32 its one hundredth anniversary in 2027? With the pandemic out of the way33 and a little help from its friends, it probably will!

GLOSSARY

18 due to: debido a 19 revenue: ingresos 20 down: menos 21 closure: cierre 22 to queue: hacer cola 23 to get in: entrar 24 empty: vacío 25 to get lost: perderse 26 maze: laberinto 27 to arrange: organizar 28 narrow: estrechos 29 passageways: pasillos 30 to ban: prohibir 31 LGBTQIA: siglas de Lesbian,

Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender, Queer,

Intersex and Asexual 32 to make it to: llegar 33 out of the way: fuera del mapa

tail: cola

hind legs: patas traseras

paw: pie nose: trufa

whiskers: bigotes

fur pelo

forelegs: patas delanteras

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GLOSSARY

1 households: casas, entornos domésticos 2 up to: hasta 3 pet: mascota 4 partner: pareja 5 a.k.a.: alias (abr. de also known as) 6 BC: a.C. (Before

Christ) 7 pet-keeping: tener animales como mascotas 8 commitment: compromiso 9 caring: cuidados, empatía 10 to walk: pasear 11 socially-awkward: socialmente incómoda 12 aid: ayuda 13 to turn to: recurrir 14 puppy: cachorro 15 bitches: perras 16 to breed: reproducirse, criar nails: uñas

Brits’ Best Friend

Desde la época victoriana, los perros han tenido un lugar especial en los hogares y en el corazón de los británicos. Para millones de personas en todo el país, pasear al perro es algo más que una actividad diaria.

There are almost twenty-eight million households1 in the United Kingdom. Seven million of them are home to ‘man’s best friend’: the dog. Britain is a nation of dog lovers, with up to2 14 per cent of owners saying they prefer their pet3 to their partner4!

DEAR DOGS

The dog, a.k.a.5 Canis familiaris, was first domesticated around 10,000 BC6. However, pet-keeping7 only became socially acceptable in Britain in the 18th century. One hundred years later, the Victorians began to emphasise the importance of home and domestic life, and that domesticity included pet dogs. Children kept pets to cultivate commitment8 and caring9 values. In Britain today, dogs are more important than ever. Almost 25 per cent of owners have a social media profile for their pet, 85 per cent consider it to be a member of the family, and 33 per cent of dogs have their own chair in the living room. British people walk10 their dogs more than any other European nation, for up to three hours a day. Animal experts explain the British devotion to dog-walking as a useful aid to a socially-awkward11 nation —it helps people to socialise with strangers.

BEST FRIEND

Man’s best friend has also been an important aid12 during the pandemic. Millions of people confined to home have turned to13 their pets for company. And thousands more are buying dogs every day. Puppy14 prices have doubled, sadly producing a new criminal activity. Gangs are stealing bitches15 and forcing them to breed16, and then selling the puppies for enormous sums. Man and dog are both victims of Covid-19.

Top 5 British Dog Breeds

El Reino Unido cuenta con gran variedad de razas de perro autóctonas de las Islas, muchas de ellas muy apreciadas en todo el mundo. Curiosamente, la más popular entre los británicos en estos momentos es el bulldog francés.

1 Airedale Terrier

Dubbed1 the ‘King of terriers’, the Airedale came originally from Yorkshire in the north of England. Over time, British and German police have begun to use this breed2, also known as the “Buckingham Palace guards of the dog world.”

2 English Bulldog

With its loveable3 nature, the bulldog is highly popular. The name comes from the past when the breed was used in the terrible ‘sport’ of bull-baiting4 .

3 Corgi

The favourite of the Queen, who has had thirty of them over the years. They sleep in the Corgi Room.

This Welsh5 breed is the second-most popular member of the Royal Family. It is actually more common in republican American than monarchical Britain.

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GLOSSARY

1 to dub: apodar 2 breed: raza 3 loveable: encantador, adorable 4 bull-baiting: hostigamiento de toros 5 Welsh: galesa 6 contests: concursos 7 gun dog: perro de caza 8 litter: camada 9 kind: amable 10 sunny disposition: personalidad alegre 11 lap dog: perrito faldero 12 purebreds: purasangres

4 Cocker Spaniel

Active and good-natured, this popular breed is usually one of the favourites at most dog contests6 . It became popular as a working gun dog7, like the Labrador. It produces one of the most varied numbers of pups in a litter8 .

5 Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Affectionately known as ‘Cavvy’, it has a loyal, kind9 nature and a sunny disposition10. A small breed and popular as a lap dog11, it has grown rapidly in popularity in the US since 2000 and is now one of the most popular purebreds12 .