1.read the text and fill in the gaps (1-8) with the parts of the sentences (a-h). there is one part you will not need to use. a)until the invention of the typewriter b)was in their homes c)the art of spinning and weaving d)that would ruin the country e)to provide «genteel jobs» for women f)a woman, mrs samuel slater, invented cotton thread g)highly intelligent h)entered the fields of science, medicine, teaching and literature the typewriter. up to the mid-19th century america was a «man’s world». it was generally believed that only men were capable of managing business. the place of woman (1)_ . they were to bring up children and practice the household arts. higher education was not for women either. people said that there were laws that gave a man the right to his wife’s property. so if women got education and vote (2) _ and the «man’s world». the theory that only men could «do things» became groundless when (3) _ . that was a real challenge. this simple invention, along with the growth of the textile mills, opened a path to the independence of women. men showed little concern, and perhaps did not realize the significance when early mills offered employment to women. their attitude was that (4) _ had always been carried on by woman anyway. it was a suitable field for them, even if they had to go to the mills to work. here and there, in the eastern and midwestern states colleges for young women were established. enrollment was small, but the young women who graduated (5) _ . sewing machines for the home opened still wider doors of employment for women. in 1852 the system of shorthand was brought to america. despite this important invention, the demand for women in business did not become an important factor in their emancipation (6) _. it was invented by christopher latham sholes, a state senator. one of the first petitions he presented to the state legislature asked that equal voting rights be granted women. another of his aims was (7) _. he achieved this aim with his invention of the typewriter.
