Text 8 do men really know best?

1. Read and translate the article

Scientists claim to have proved that men are better at general knowledge than women.

The reason, they say, is in the genes. Males are genetically programmed to retain factual knowledge because it is a skill they need to compete with other men for status and power.

Women, on the other hand, put greater value on understanding relationships and family life and feel less need to prove themselves publicly. As with any rule, there will always be exceptions. After all, it was a woman, Judith Keppel, who became the first British winner of TV's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? And romantic novelist Anne Ashurst won the last series of Mastermind. But in general, say the psychologists behind the research, men will do better.

Professor Richard Lynn and Dr Paul Irwing from the University of Ulster carried out two studies involving 1,500 men and women. For the first, they questioned students about six subjects: current affairs, health and recreation, art, science, family and fashion.

They found that men consistently did better in all subjects except family and fashion. Women were the winners on family matters, but the sexes scored equally on fashion.

Dr Irwing said: 'Women are more people-orientated whereas men are more object-orientated and interested in the public world.

'By definition, general knowledge is knowledge in the public domain. We are saying there's a difference in orientation between men and women and I suspect it's genetic in origin.'

There have been previous studies showing that men do better at general knowledge. But doubts were voiced about whether the tests involved were biased by being based on traditionally 'male' subjects. The Ulster psychologists claim their tests give a better balance between 'male' and 'female' subjects. In traditional exams such as A-levels, girls continue to do best. They tend, however, not to push themselves so hard. Research at Edinburgh University found that women tend to underestimate themselves. The study of 502 women and 265 men found that women estimated their own IQ at 120 while men rated themselves at 127. But not all women are content to let men believe they are brainier. Mrs Ashurst, who won Mastermind in 1997 - the same year another woman, Daphne Fowler, was named Radio 4's Brain of Britain — pointed out: 'Women won every year for the first three years of Mastermind. They nearly had to call it Mistressmind.

'General knowledge isn't about intelligence, it's about having a fantastic memory, and I think women are good at it because they notice things around them more and they remember them.

'Women just aren't as competitive as men. You don't see as many women on things like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? because they just don't apply.'

From the "Daily Mail"

2. Memorize the following words

claim - стверджувати

gene – біол. ген

мale – чоловік, чоловічий

retain – утримувати, пам’ятати

compete - конкурувати

exceptions - виключення

мastermind – видатний розум; „Швидкий і кмітливий”

current affairs – сучасна політика

recreation – відпочинок, розваги

equally – порівну, однаково

public domain – державна власність, всенародне надбання

biased - упереджений

push oneself – намагатися відзначитися

underestimate - недооцінювати

IQ =intelligence quotient – коефіцієнт розумового розвитку

сontent - згодний

аpply – звертатися

3. Give your opinion on this text in English or Ukrainian

4. Discuss

1) The study of 502 women and 265 men found that women estimated their own IQ at 120 while men rated themselves at 127. Why do women tend to underestimate themselves?

2) Recollect your studying at school – who studied better boys or girls? 3) Can we say that men really know best?