2015-10-14
367
| Lead in |
1. a) Answer the questions:
· What can people be proud of?
· What do you take pride in?
· What things do you value most in life?
· What things could be called status symbols?
B) Look at the list of status symbols below and say which of them are more important to you. Explain what makes you think so.
| fashionable clothes a fast and expensive car | a country house a yacht | a good education high-profile work |
A) Skim through the text and say what the message of the text is.
6 (1.5 min.)
People nowadays have more money, and some say this has made people more materialistic. It means they place too much importance on money, comfort and luxury goods. People have also become more acquisitive, which means they want to buy, own, possess more and more. We are not only money-oriented but also over-concerned with social and professional status. We care too much about our image, how other people see us. We like to own status-symbols like unnecessarily fast cars, the latest hi-fi equipment, fashionable clothes.
But is the picture so black? Are we really reduced to being mercenary creatures, motivated only by money? What can a mere individual do to improve the world? Perhaps it is time for us to examine our priorities and decide what is really important in life. Perhaps we should try to find self-fulfillment by exploring our capabilities and finding satisfaction in the spiritual aspects of life: an appreciation of art and nature, service to others, the improvement of our minds.
(The New York Times, 2005.)
B) Sum up the text in three sentences.
