[originaltext]M: Laura, what are you busy doing?W: (8)I’m working on my report

M: Laura, what are you busy doing?
W: (8)I’m working on my report on gender differences with the results of my survey.
M: Oh? What are findings? Are there really a lot of differences between men and women?
W: You bet there are. For example, (9)in a lot of men’s minds, women tend to be really talkative and some would describe their wives as chatterboxes. They say their wives say many things so fast that they get lost in the middle of the conversation.
M: Oh, dear. That’s too bad. But that is only men’s feelings. Do you find that women do talk so much?
W: Well, it all depends. Actually, my research findings are that men and women simply have different ways of talking. (10)Men do the public talking well and women often do the private talking.
M: Sorry, I lose track of your words. Private talking? What’s that?
W: That is to say, (10) for most women, the language of conversation is primarily a way of establishing connections and relationships. But for most men, talk is primarily a means to stay independent and maintain status in the social order.
M: I see. Men do have higher social status than women.
W: But nowadays, (11)more and more women are doing better and better in the society. For example, in some Latin American countries, there are female defense ministers and in America, there are female Secretaries of State.
M: But do you feel that men and women are equally treated in the modern society?
W: According to my research, there are still a lot of inequalities in both developing countries and the industrial ones. But fortunately, things are changing for the better.
8. What is the woman busy doing?
9. What do men think of their wives in general?
10. What can we learn about people’s ways of talking?
11. Why are female defense ministers mentioned in the conversation?