Неличные формы глагола. Артикль. Гоголь О.В. - 46 стр.

all other than to keep in touch with someone on does not see on a regu-      ence and respect. This respect she justly earned if she were both a car-
lar basis. Some cards are merely sent to reestablish contact with an old     ing mother and a faithful wife.
friend who has not remembered one’s birthday or forgotten to send a
card at Christmas. These cards are attempts to keep up relationships         In the past it has been the gentleman’s responsibility to be her protector
with cherished friends one hasn’t seen or heard from in a long time. If      and escort. Even today a man with proper breeding and good manner
one should be the kind of person who is always behind schedule, then         will politely open the door for a lady, help her on with her coat when
there is no need to worry. Belated greetings for every occasion are in       necessary and escort her to the door of her home after a date, making
full supply.                                                                 sure she is safely within the confines of her home.

The most popular category of cards is that which is purely seasonal.         Likewise, when a man takes a woman out for dinner, it is considered
Easter cards are sent in the spring, while Halloween and Thanksgiving        polite to assist her with her chair when she gets up or sits down. On a
cards are sent in the fall. Valentine’s Day cards are sent in the cold       crowded train or bus, it is altogether proper for a man to offer a woman
winter month of February, and graduation cards are sent in June. The         his seat especially if she is elderly or pregnant.
most popular, however, are the Christmas cards which are collected
and often displayed on fireplaces and around windows and doorways in         This respect for women dates back perhaps to the time of chivalry
the home. These are the most cherished of all because they come but          when men fought duels for the hand of a fair maiden. The ritual of
once a year from friends of the distant past who have been separated by      courtship involved the endurance of great hardships, the demonstration
both time and space. Americans look forward to receiving their               of valiant courage and the courtesy of good manners. Even when it
Christmas cards in the same way that the Japanese cherish their nen-         comes to shaking hands ladies come first. It is considered impolite for a
gajo. These cards make one feel connected to the past while looking          man to extend his hand to a woman for a handshake upon first greeting.
forward to the future when they may meet again. Many of these cards          This remains the woman’s option. If a woman does not extend her hand
are bought in stores which specialize in stationary and party goods.         to the man first, then the man should refrain from offering his. In this
Sometimes they are handmade and often they are humorous, but the             sense the woman’s choice comes first. Not only do ladies come first,
sending of cards is anything but frivolous. It is an attempt to bind rela-   but if she is the wife of the president, she is called the “First Lady” and
tionships, deepen friendships and unite people to the ones they love.        women continue to break new “first” categories by entering into fields
                                                                             of social service once considered exclusively the realm of men. Amer-
TEXT ELEVEN                                            LADIES FIRST          ica now has had a first woman Secretary of State in the person of
                                                                             Madeline Albright and a “first” woman president may not be far off in
It is the custom in America to give women special treatment. Although        the future.
there was a time when they were denied the right to vote and their
proper place was considered to be in the home, they were always              There is no doubt that the Women’s liberation movement has put
looked upon as the “fair sex.” A man’s job was seen as that of the           women on an equal footing with men with respect to jobs and career
breadwinner; a woman’s position was that of the homemaker. The man           opportunities. There can also be no denying that many women today
brings home the bacon and the woman takes care of the nest.                  prefer to be treated the same as men in every way. Yet, in spite of their
                                                                             new freedom and social equality none of them seem to object to the
Along with this subservient role came certain privileges. A woman was        rule of “ladies first.”
given a priority in various social situations and treated with both rever-

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