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 ……………….. (A1 publish) which caused (B1) a sensation.

‘Letters  from  Working  Women’  is  a  mo……………….. (A2) record of the courage(B2)

and self-sa ……………….. (A3) involved in bringing(B3) up a family in extremely

poor cir……………….. (A4) at the turn(B4) of the century. In a moment we’ll  find  out  if  

things ……………….. (A5 improve) over the last 80 years. First of all(B5), this is the

way we u……………….. (A6) to live in Edwardian England.

Appalling(B6) l……………….. (A7) conditions, birth(B7) control ignorance and

high male unem……………….. (A8) forced (B8) women to work well into their

preg……………….. (A9) and quickly after confinement(B9). If she was not working

l……………….. (A10) hours in the factory(B10), she was working even

l……………….. (A11) hours at home and would(B11) often go without in

o……………….. (A12) to feed(B12) her children and husband. She was too poor to

ob……………….. (A13) medical advice(B13) during her pregnancy and had to

re……………….. (A14) on the experience, ignorance(B14) of neighbours. Almost a

third of pregnancies ended in mis……………….. (A15) or ignorance. Those babies that

were(B15) born al……………….. (A16) had a one in six chance(B16)of

……………….. (A17 die) before their first birthday. Letters describing the daily (B17) lives of ord……………….. (A18) working class(B18) women ……………….. (A19 pave) the way for better healthcare(B19) and sur……………….. (A20) for babies and their mothers.