1. WOMEN INVADE MARS A story as old as girl meets boy «WHY can't a woman be more like a man?» mused Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady". His wish is coming true. Over the past couple of decades, women have gained much ground in the battle between the sexes. In principle, many have the right to equal pay; at school, girls are now getting better grades than boys; and in most rich economies women are taking the lion's share of the new jobs, while traditional jobs. for the boys in heavy industries disappear. Finance used to be a man's world, about which women were told not to worry their pretty little heads. But according to a study by two American economists, women are better investors than men, earning a higher average retum on their money. Even male sports are no longer safe, with ladies' footbalI teams and female boxers. And experts predict that women could soon outperform men in long-distance swimming and the marathon. Where will it end? Men wilI surely not take this sitting down. Understandably, the poor things feel threatened In recent years, Britain's Equal Opportunities Commission has received more complaints from men than women. And as male executives supposedly fee1 downtrodden by female rivaIs, several British firms are setting up male-only setf-help groups to give men the confidence to assert themselves in the office. THE ECONOMIST, APRIL 3RD 1999

2. ( Colonel Holland and the narrator -a research scientist- are discussing a new anti-tank weapon.) l said, "You don’t like it?" "I think it’s a bloody useless contraption." "Why?" Old Holland shook his head. "Just army conservatism," he said wearily. "Just the army’s usual trick of shooting things down." He was always pretty bitter about these developments jobs. Most of the army people were. They had a good deal of reason. Nobody took enough notice of what they said, and then if the thing went wrong they had to carry the can back. "Well, go on," he said suddenly. "you tell me. You saw the thing and you've got eyes What’s wrong with it?" I just shook my head and said something about seeing the figures first.