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little time for her own children, who in any case were often sent away at the age of eight to
another manor, the boys to “be made into men”.
Most women, of course, were peasants, busy making food, making cloth and making
clothes from the cloth. They worked in the fields, looked after the children, the geese, the
pigs and the sheep, made the cheese and grew the vegetables. The animals probably shared
the family shelter at night. The family home was dark and smelly. A woman’s position
improved if her husband died. She could get control of the money her family had given the
husband at the time of marriage, usually about one-third of his total land and wealth. But
she might have to marry again: men wanted her land, and it was difficult to look after it
without the help of a man.
5. Read the text. Divide it into parts; make a plan of the text.
6. Find the answers to the following questions:
a. What was the position of the Church towards to a woman in the family?
b. What was the most wide spread reason for marriage in those times?
c. What were the main responsibilities of the wife in the family?
d. When could a woman gain control of her family’s income?
7. Give the English equivalents to the Ukrainian words and word-combinations.
Їхати, солоне м’ясо, відповідні медикаменти, убогі та хворі, ділити кров,
отримати контроль над грошима, одна третина землі та майна, вести домашнє
господарство, чистий і святий, моральна спокуса, поклонятися.
8. Find the word-combinations with the verb to make, learn them.
9. Match the words with the same meanings.
1) noble; 2) duty; 3) to be ill; 4) to improve
a) to be sick; b) upper class; c) rich; d) to make better
10. Make a list of responsibilities: of the wife of a noble; of the wife of a peasant.
11. Identify errors in the underlined parts of the sentences. There is only one error in
each sentence. Find it.
1. Few (A) is known (B) about the life of women in this century, but their life was hard (C).
2. The Church taught (A) that (B) women have to (C) obey their husband.
3. Once married (A), a woman had (B) accept her husband as her master without any (C)
doubt.
4. A woman’s (A) position improving (B) if her husband died. (C)
5. It is unlike (A) that love played (B) much (C) of a part in most marriages.
6. The Protestants believed that personal faith (A) was important, and put responsible (B) on
(C) the head of the family.
7. But while (A) the power of monarchy was bring (B) under control, the authority (C)
continued to grow.
8. Families began (A) to express affection many (B) more openly (C) than before.
9. Parents still decided on (A) a suitable marriages (B) for (C) their children.
10. As a result (A) his wife and children belonged (B) him, absolute obedience was expected
(C).

12. Act out these situations which take place in different times and in different
countries.
1. A husband is going to be away. What kind of conversation could take place between
him and his wife?
a) in the Middle Ages in Ukraine;
b) in the Middle Ages in Britain;
c) in present-day Ukraine;

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