Please read the vocabulary lesson at your natural speed, though it should not be too fast. Thank you!
Describe something you own which is important to you
What is it?
How and when did you get it?
Why is it important to you?
Student: Without a doubt the thing that I own which is most important to me, besides my family, are my cats. Material possessions aren’t as important to me as people or animals so that is why I have chosen them. Nowadays people are very materialistic and competitive and there is competition to have the latest cars and gadgets. As much as I like such things if I had to I could live without them, but family and animals are extremely important to me. I used to have five cats at one time but now they have all died and I only have one left. I got him about three years ago. His name is Jose and he is a pedigree cat and was abandoned by her owner because the owner’s boyfriend thought he was ugly. I was horrified that people could dispose of something so easily. They got rid of him as though he was a piece of clothing that they didn’t want anymore. Pets are important to me because they have been there for me when I have been through difficult periods in my life. Some people might choose a piece of jewellery or an item of clothing which is important for them as it may have sentimental value and although I have such things for example a ring given to me by my parents it is not as important to me as my pets. To me the value of something is not how much it costs, but the pleasure you get from it and my cats give me infinite pleasure. Having said all that however, I am not convinced that you ever own a cat, I think the cat owns you. They are not like dogs who love you unconditionally, but I kind of like that arrogance in a cat.
Examiner: We have been talking about something you own and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic.
EXPLAIN why some people try to get more and more possessions
Student: We live in a consumer driven society. People seem to value themselves according to what they own. A brand new car, the latest gadgets etc. are seen today as status symbols. Up until recently, people had a lot of disposable income and this was squandered on material goods. People are constantly trying to outdo each other so if you get a new iPod then your so-called friend has to get a more up-to-date one to better you. In the current credit crunch consumer spending has gone down and people are having to make do with things rather than replacing them all the time. Hopefully we will see a return to traditional values such as friendship and loyalty rather than material possessions being the most important things in our lives.
ASSESS whether it is a good or a bad thing to be rich
Student: Personally, I think it is a good thing to be rich because it opens up more opportunities. If you have loads of money, it is possible to travel all over the world and experience different cultures. There may be some downsides such as getting begging letters from people who want you to give them money, however I feel it is a small price to pay. If I had a choice of being rich or poor then obviously I am going to choose to be rich, I cannot understand why anyone would choose to be poor. People seem to think that rich means being unhappy, but if you asked a lot of poor people if they would like to be rich I cannot imagine they would say oh no thank you I am perfectly happy as I am.
CONSIDER whether our society is getting more materialistic
Student: Society has become infinitely more materialistic in recent years. My parents’ generation had to save up for things whereas today anything can be bought on credit. People have become so competitive and you are judged by what car you drive, what brand of jeans you are wearing etc. Because of the credit crunch there is a possibility that people may become less materialistic because there is not as much disposable income to buy luxury items as there was in the past. When my parents were young going out for meals and buying loads of electrical goods for entertainment reasons was unheard of, but now it is the norm.
CONSIDER whether advertising gives people important information or makes them buy things they don’t need
Student: During the advert breaks our televisions are full of adverts for things we don’t need and moreover things most people cannot afford. Even if you think you are not taking any notice of the adverts, the next time you are in the supermarket, you will find yourself filling your trolley with things that you hadn’t planned to buy. Occasionally there might be an advertisement which gives you essential information about health or finance, however, for the main part adverts are there to make us part with our money. Furthermore, advertisers use techniques to get you to buy things you don’t need such as using celebrities to endorse products or making claims that the product will change your life so you feel that you must have it. I have to admit that I have bought things in the past just because of advertisers’ claims and I have used the product once and then never used it again.
Hi Sunflower,
I hope that it isn't a problem that I'm an American English speaker. This text was probably from the UK, judging by the use of 'advert' and 'trolley'. I belatedly realized that my changing 'jewellery' to 'jewelry' was a change from UK spelling to American spelling.