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For Advanced Learners

Creative Conversatons by Stephanie Jones
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Creative Conversations
1
2
3
4
Frugal vs. stingy
Cybershopping
Health and fitness
1
Computer crackdown on the job
5 Childfree…and rising
6 Homelessness
7 Asia in the 21st Century
8 Childhood Obesity
9 Adventures in food
10 Plastic surgery for employment
11 Schoolyard Horrors
12 Men also suffer from compulsive shopping
 1 Frugal vs. stingy

some key indicators that can be logically

pointed out. Here are some general benchmarks:

Using 2 for 1 coupons at a restaurant might

label you as frugal. You are clearly stingy if you
base the food server's tip on the discounted final

bill.

Planning in advance what to spend on donating

to charities is perfectly acceptable frugal behavior.
If door-to-door charity solicitors throw rocks
at your house, you're probably stingy.
There is a big difference between being frugal
and being stingy. The difference, however, You would be called frugal if you use the same
depends mainly upon how your perceived frugality teabag more than once. Offering a friend or guest
impacts others. the tea from that used teabag would make any
stingy Scrooge take notice.
Each one of us must make informed choices
about how we spend our money. What are the Most of the time, frugality is a virtue. Such
signals indicating frugality? What is the final implies you are being careful, not foolish in the
crossover into outright Scrooge-like stinginess? management of your financial resources.

Naturally, many people believe that frugality or Stinginess is a mean and outright anti-social vice.
stinginess is in the eyes of the beholder. Often Simply put, stinginess means a lack of generosity
times, a stingy person is just called frugal behind where the proper thing to do is to give.
his or her back. Stinginess is often thought of as
something that most people would not do. Stinginess is to keep the loaf of bread for
yourself, while giving everybody else the leftover
Perhaps such could be the case. There are crumbs.

4
 1 Frugal vs. stingy

feeling inside. Angriness pointing outward might

Stingy people make mistakes that are costly to
well be a good reason to understanding why you
all who come in contact with them. Of course,
feel the way you do.
they often hurt themselves the most with their
stinginess.
Always remember the golden rule. Are you
treating others in the manner you would like to be
Stingy people would not be caught dead leaving
treated? Are you doing something you would not
a decent tip. They always split the bill (never
want to have done to you? Are other people paying
offering to pay for someone else‘s meal) and they
the majority of the costs while you receive the
don't give a second thought to returning something
majority of the benefits?
worn only once. Such people never donate to their
church nor do they thank their mail carrier with a
Consider using some common sense while
small Christmas gift. In short, they do everything
keeping your friendships together.
possible to keep as much money as they can.

Giving and saving are a kind of magic. You There's no need to take your friends to a 5-Star
could even say that giving is the antidote to greed. restaurant you might not be able to afford, but you
You'll never become greedy or broke if you could always suggest a fun second choice. You do
always make it a point to give and save first. have to contribute your full share into the total bill,
which includes: food, drinks, tax and a tip for your
Naturally, not all people have the funds on hand hard-working server. You'll certainly be thought of
to make a donation or to buy something for those as a freeloader if you ask your friends to pay for
hit by disaster. The point is that generosity of your share of the dinner.
spirit shows through as does stinginess.
You don't have to give to everybody you meet,
Looking within yourself can give you the needed but spreading a little extra money around can bring
answer to tell whether or not you're being stingy. a lot of good into your life.
A spirit of generosity should give you a good

5
 Frugal vs. stingy 1
frugal : careful when using money or food, or (of a meal) cheap or small in amount.
stingy : unwilling to spend; not generous, especially with money.
in the eye of the beholder : varying from person to person, not the same in every case.
benchmark : something that is used as a standard by which other things can be judged or measured.
anti-social : not socially-oriented.
skirt around : to avoid mentioning a problem or subject.
2 for 1 coupon : used to buy one item and get another at a lower price or free.
label : to use a word or phrase to describe someone or something, but often unfairly or incorrectly.
crumb : a very small piece of dry food, especially bread or cake.
pull no punches : to tell the truth honestly.
would not be caught dead doing : something that someone would never do.
boost : to increase or improve something.
antidote : medicine.
miser : an extremely stingy person.
freeloader : a person who never pays for anything.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Door-to-door charity solicitors
A Self-declared cheapo is
.

1. Would using 2 for 1 coupons at a restaurant make you frugal or stingy?

2. Would basing your tip to the server on the coupon price make you frugal or stingy?
3. Would never giving to your church make you frugal or stingy?
4. Would asking your friends to pay for your dinner make you frugal or stingy?

6
1
Frugal vs. stingy

1. Compare frugal behavior to stingy behavior.

2. What do you think makes a person stingy?
3. Have you known any stingy people? Give some examples of their stinginess.
4. What would you say to a stingy friend of yours?
?
5. Have you ever been accused of being stingy? How did you feel?
6. What advice would you offer a stingy person?
7. Which may be a better way to save money, being frugal or being stingy?
?
8. Do you agree that being generous in spending money can bring a lot of good into your life? If
you do, how?
9. What do you think about Scrooge? Has your opinion of him changed?
10. Is it possible to be generous in money matters while living in bad
financial circumstances?

7
2 Cybershopping

From the seller‘s point of view, cybershopping, or s-

commerce, must be the most precious and miraculous
invention ever. Before the internet, sellers were only
able to sell items that they could fit in their store.
Also, in order to advertise their products, massive
amounts of money had to be spent to let people know
about their products.

Thanks to the rise of the internet, retailers can now

serve a worldwide audience. In the case of
department stores, they don‘t have to spend money
on overhead costs. The money they save can then
translate into money passed onto the customers in the
form of lower prices.

C yber shopping has become a dream come true

Of course, online retailers must know the rules of
doing business on the internet. All indicators show
that online shopping is here to stay. It is good for
for many consumers and marketers. It has become
both consumers and retailers and can even help to
a brand new way of getting the things we want
reduce traffic congestion in shopping areas, making it
without requiring anything but our fingers. Cyber
easier for everyone. Selections are bigger, the prices
shopping started out as a fad in the late 1990s and
are lower, and people can shop from anywhere in the
became a trend starting in the early 2000s.
world, right from the comfort of their home. Who
At first, people were afraid of online shopping would give up these advantages to go back to the old
because of the unknown risks. When online stores way of shopping?
began to appear, there were only a select few
―netizens‖ brave enough to purchase products online.
There were many stories circulating about scams and
only the adventurous users would take chances.

Lately, technological advances have made online

shopping and purchasing much safer. By the year
2000, online shopping went mainstream.

Cybershopping, also known as e-commerce, isn‘t just

a slight change in the way we shop. It is a dream
come true for both consumers and marketers.

From a shopper‘s point of view, it couldn‘t be more

convenient. Anything and everything can be bought
online nowadays, without even seeing or physically
touching the items. All a person needs is their credit
card. Comparison shopping online is much easier,
and the selections are wider than any retail store can
offer.

8
2 Cybershopping

fad : something that people do for just a short time and then stop.
trend : more and more people doing it.
“netizen” : very experienced Internet user
scams : people who pretend to sell products that they don't have.
risk takers : people who enjoy doing dangerous things.
mainstream : become popular with most people.
consumers : buyers, shoppers.
marketers : sellers, retailers.
miraculous innovation : amazing improvement, change (from the old way).
massive : huge, extremely large.
overhead costs : such as electricity, rent, employees' salaries, etc.
here to stay : will never go away.
traffic congestion : traffic jams.
selections : number of products to choose from.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Comparison shopping is
A world wide audience is

1. Who purchased products through online shopping sites when they first began to appear?
2. What is cybershopping known for?
3. If there had been no cybershopping, how would sellers have sold the things?
4. What are the advantages of cybershopping?

9
 Cybershopping 2

1. Is online shopping popular in your country? If so, what types of products can be purchased
online?
2. Do you shop online? If so, how often do you buy things through the Internet? How long have you
been shopping online? If not, why don’t you shop online?

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of shopping online for the average person?
4. How should scam artists who are caught cheating people through false e-commerce
websites be punished? Have there been any such cases in your country?
5. Some people don't shop online because they are afraid to provide their credit card numbers over
the Internet. Is that something to worry about or is online shopping completely safe? Tell why
you think so.
6. Which of these items are available for purchase online? Would you rather buy these items in a
regular store, or would you buy online? Please explain why.

a. computer software e. books

b. a new car f. a new printer
c. a pair of jeans g. CDs and DVDs
d. exercise equipment h. a new watch
7. Is there any way for an online shopper to be sure the website he or she wants to purchase
from is safe? Is there any way to distinguish honest online companies from dishonest ones?
8. What should an online shopper do if he or she orders something, but it never arrives in the
mail? What would you do?
9. Some people predict that online shopping will eventually replace the traditional way of shopping.
What do you think? Is that a possibility or not? Tell why you think so.

10
3 Health & Fitness

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bookstores are filled with books on the subject of
health and exercise because of the benefits.
to the muscles;
There are also hundreds of videos that demonstrate - Allow your heart to pump more blood per beat,
different techniques which are available for people so that the heart doesn't have to beat as fast;
who want to follow exercise programs. The videos - Reduce the risk of heart disease;
have different target areas and goals such as weight - Lower your blood pressure, saving your heart;
loss in the hips, abdomen, or thighs. - Improve the ability of your immune system
to ward off disease; and
Health clubs are packed with people who want to - Make you look a lot better!
live healthy lives or to get into shape. They are all
huffing and puffing their way to new bodies. Of all of the benefits listed, many people care most
Health stores provide a number of protein powders about improving their appearance, especially with
and vitamins that claim to be the best formula ever the opposite sex in mind. There are other benefits
invented. On television and the internet, new home to what exercise can do for the body besides
exercise machines are marketed daily. These physical ones. Exercise can help you manage stress,
machines make promises to firm up the stomach, make you sleep better, give you more confidence,
build biceps, and other such things. Health and and improve your overall quality of life.
fitness is a big business everywhere these days. Exercise can:
Even if a lot of money is made from selling health - Help you manage stress;
to people, it is still true that people can reap - Help in stopping smoking;
benefits from exercising and keeping physically fit. - Make you sleep better;
- Teach you about setting goals and
Regular exercise can: reaching them;
- Help you lose weight, especially weight from - Give you more confidence;
fat; - Improve the overall quality of your life.
- Lower your cholesterol;
- Improve your body's ability to deliver oxygen

11
3 Health and Fitness

variety of techniques : many different ways.

abdomen : below the stomach, the place that starts to get fat as a person gets older.
thighs : upper part of the legs.
firm up : make hard.
ward off : protect against.
manage : control.
exercise routine : a set of exercises to work different muscles.
work out : to exercise.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Huffing and puffing is
With the opposite sex in mind is

1. What benefits do most people realize from regular exercise?

2. What benefits do people most care about from regular exercise?
3. How does a person go about starting an exercise or fitness program?
4. What phenomenon can you see in bookstores, in health clubs and on TVs?

12
 Health and Fitness 3
?
1. How would you describe your present physical condition? Excellent, good, or poor? Do you
exercise? If so, how often? If not, why not?
2. Which of the following have the most effect on becoming overweight? Tell why you think so.
Eating too much fast food
No time for exercise
Using the computer too much
Laziness
3. In your opinion, what's the main reason why most people exercise? Tell why you think so.
4. Do you own any home exercise equipment? If so, how long have you had it and why did you
buy it? If you don't have any, why not?
5. Where do you prefer to exercise? In a health club or at home? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of each?
6. What do you think of protein powders or vitamins to increase your muscle size? Is it a good
idea to use those kinds of muscle-building aids? Would you/do you ever use them? Why or why
not?
7. How would you describe the overall health and fitness of the people in your country? How do
they compare to people two generations ago? Are they getting healthier or lazier when it comes
to exercise? Please explain.
8. How much of an effect does each of the following have one a person’s health? Tell why you
think so:
Smoking cigarettes
Drinking alcohol regularly
The kind of food a person eats
Stress level

13
 4 Computer crackdown on the job

Most of the seemingly innocent personal e-mails

she received were messages about birthdays or
lunch dates with co-workers. None of this meant
anything when Hewitt's employer checked her
entire office's e-mail after one of her co-workers
filed a sexual harassment complaint against a
supervisor in the department. Hewitt found herself
one of 8 people fired from the department for
improper use of department equipment.

Alicia Hewitt always knew the Washington

Vernon Wills, who works at the Virginia
Department of Labor and Industries had rules Department of Business Assistance, earned himself
governing the use of their work computers during the a 10-day unpaid suspension for excessive Internet
working day. Ms. Hewitt thought this only applied use on the job. Wills' employer was well aware of
to web surfing and not general e-mails. So, she his blogging about various state issues at the
believed she was only using the internet for Commonwealth Conservative's Virginia political
professional matters. She was more than surprised blog. Even the governor of Virginia read and used
when she got fired after her office discovered 418 his various blogs; Mr. Wills was punished after
personal e-mails on her computer received over posting some humorous photographs as part of a
roughly a 5-month period. This averaged about 5 local newspaper's contest. His photos made fun of a
messages per day. Virginia county and also aggravated a local
Democrat. Whether in the form of streaming video
Hewitt is not alone in finding out about office or risqué adult websites slowing down the
computer policies the hard way. Managers across the company's bandwidth (and exposing the company
country are cracking the whip on employee net to sexual harassment charges), companies have
activity by drawing up very strict rules and policies many reasons to limit employee Internet access and
and enforcing them with special software that activity.
monitors ALL web surfing, checks e-mail, and A survey conducted jointly by the American
controls the types of sites an employee may go to. Management Association and the E-Policy Institute
in 2005 asked 526 businesses about their online
Hewitt was an experienced 8-year agency veteran policies and found that 76% record the sites their
who always received fantastic employee staff visit, and 65 percent block selected sites. In
performance reviews in addition to receiving addition, some 55% review and retain employee e-
certificates for outstanding customer service in her mails, and 36% track all content on staff PC's, their
now former position as a Workers' Compensation
claims manager.
14
keystrokes, and the total time spent on the keyboard.
Lost job productivity due to web surfing is a serious Computer Crackdown 4
concern. Earlier this year, numerous companies
blocked streaming video during the Vancouver
2010 Olympics. Despite this, well over 14 million
fans found a way to access the streaming video.
Most of the accessed streaming video had to come
from work based upon the starting times of the
games.

Networks Unlimited is a Massachusetts based

Internet auditing company that specializes in
auditing Internet surfing for their corporate clients.
In addition, the company also sells specialized
technology to block and regulate employee Internet
usage. According to the company, many executives
are shocked and surprised at what their employees
do while surfing online. A monitoring box is
installed on client companies' networks for a week
and then the company statistically estimates longer-
term usage to figure out the number of hours per
year employees surf on line.

15
 Computer Crackdown 4
crack the whip : to use your authority to make someone else behave better or work harder.
enforce : to make people obey a rule or law.
veteran : someone who has had a lot of experience of a particular activity.
sexual harassment : sexual remarks, looks, or touching done to someone who does not want it.
aggravate : to make someone angry or annoyed.
retain : to keep something or continue to have something.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
An unpaid suspension is
Job productivity is

16
4
Computer crackdown on the job

1. Who is Ms. Hewitt? Why was she fired from her job?
2. Did Ms. Hewitt receive bad evaluation on-the-job?
3. Why did Mr. Wills receive a 10-day suspension without pay?
4. What percentage of businesses monitors websites visited by employees?
5. What is the business of Networks Unlimited?

1. Should employees' Internet usage be monitored?

2. Is Internet monitoring on-the-job common in Japan?
3. Do Japanese companies have any kind of Internet auditing systems? Should they?
4. What are your thoughts of software that can track where you go on-line?
5. Why are companies interested in monitoring employees' on-line usage?
6. What are your opinions of a company such as Network Unlimited?
7. If you were a boss of a company and saw an employee surfing the Internet, what would you
say to him/her?
8. Do you think a person can still bring out good performance even though s/he spends quite a
bit of time on the Internet surfing?
9. Should any internet usage policy apply to employees differently in accordance with their
position?
10. If one of your co-workers was addicted to Internet surfing, how would you help him get
over his/her internet addict?

17
 5 Childfreeand rising

People across Europe and the world are beginning to

feel they are not deviant for being different from
the majority.

Despite such ideas, in strongly pro-natal

childless France, the idea of women actively
choosing not to have children remains an
anathema to the majority of the people. Of note, it
was also quite difficult for both men and women
to obtain sterilization.

B irth rates across the EU are falling at a record

Many women believe the topic of not having
children is taboo, and that there is a lack of
open and honest debate. Amanda, a 33 year-old
pace. To be called childless or childfree? These days, French woman, shuns the belief that only those
an increasing number of women (as well as men) are who are work-driven avoid parenthood. Amanda
strongly insisting on the term ‗childfree‘ – with the is of the opinion that she has made a lifestyle
main emphasis on freedom. choice. She also very much enjoys working only
on a part-time basis. In Europe, 2.1 children per
An increasing number of women believe parenting each woman are needed to maintain populations
leads to a loss of freedom, reduced professional at their current levels. The following countries
prospects, and great financial burdens. are below replacement averages: Ireland (1.99),
France (1.9), Norway (1.8), Sweden (1.75),
Recent research has shown a great rise in the numbers United Kingdom (1.74), Netherlands (1.73),
of couples who have actively chosen to not have Germany (1.37), Italy (1.33), Spain (1.32), and
children. As many as 1 in 10 women in Europe reach Greece (1.29).
the age of 45 without having any children.

The governments of France, Sweden, and

The number of women without children will double Norway have good pro-natal attitudes. True or
in a number of countries to as much as 20%—except
not, the governments of each of these countries
Germany, where the numbers are at the 30% level due
believe that voluntary childlessness does not exist.
to the fact that Germany has some of the most family
unfriendly policies in Europe. Mainstream media is
also beginning to recognize the childfree lifestyle.

18
Marianna is a 30-year-old living in Linkoping, Sweden, right on having children,‖ Julia says.
and has met many fellow Swedes making the Julia is employed in the media and says there is an
childfree choice. ever increasing tension in the workplace because
many employees without children feel they are getting
Marianna has known for some time that she never the short end while parents get a much better deal.
wanted to have children and had herself sterilized at This is why Europe is now following the American
the age of 25. example with the establishment of groups who
actively demand a better deal in the workplace for
She is happy with her decision and is also supported by their members.
her long-term live-in boyfriend. Marianna says that
in Sweden there exists much pressure from family and Jonathan McCalmont has founded Kidding Aside

friends to have children. (The British Childfree Association) to fight for

equality for people without children.

She notes an ever increasing number of people in

Sweden who are seriously questioning if children are Mr. McCalmont is really angry at how the

really for them. government is trying to buy parental votes with longer
maternity pay, paternity leave, family tax breaks, and

43-year-old Londoner Julia hears "selfish and even flexible hours. He thinks the whole thing is

irresponsible" on almost a daily basis. She is nothing more than a tax break pretending to be a

becoming used to hearing these words and they do not social policy.

register with her. In the United Kingdom, roughly

25% of the population will either be childless or He's also angry at what he thinks is money being

childfree. transferred from those without children to those with

children.

Julia made an active choice not to have children. She

decided she could not fully devote 100% of her time to There are childfree people who have serious

another person. "The world's population continues to responsibilities such as looking after an aging

grow— it is only people in the West who are thought parent. Mr. McCalmont thinks these people

of as not producing enough children. People will keep should receive equal benefits as parents do.

19
 Childfree..and rising 5
fall like a stone off a cliff : to decline very rapidly.
mainstream media : large and traditional media sources.
deviant : different, in a bad way.
anathema : something which is greatly disliked or disapproved of.
taboo : exclusion from use, practice, or social relations.
shun : to avoid something.
sterilize : to have an operation to stop them producing babies.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
A pro-natal attitude is
A long-term live-in boyfriend is

1. What is happening to birth rates in Europe?

2. What choices are women in their 30's making?
3. Is mainstream media beginning to recognize the childfree lifestyle? If yes, how?
4. When did Amanda change her mind about having children?
5. How many countries in Europe are below replacement population averages?

20
5
Childfree..and rising

1. What is the long-term effect of fewer women having children?

?
2. Do you believe a smaller population just might be better for the world?
3. Are the Childfree "selfish and irresponsible" or are they just honest in truly not
wanting children?
4. Do you have any married friends without children? How do you feel about them?
5. Should people without children be penalized in some way or another?
6. Do you believe people without children on the job are discriminated against or vice versa?
7. What should a woman consider before she obtains sterilization?
8. How would this world be if only a small number of women choose to have children?
9. How can the Japanese government support couples who want to have babies but can't?
10. What would you do if your spouse changes his/her mind not to have children? How would you
persuade him/her?

21
6 Homelessness

Food always wins out if the choice is between a roof

over your head or an empty stomach. A big problem
is the housing prices. Most homeless people live in
large cities where the rent is highest and living
expenses are costly.

Welfare Systems
A welfare system helps people who are
homeless for one reason or another. Most
countries have these programs set up for
H omelessness is an issue that every country must homeless people. Places such as soup kitchens,
deal with. It has no racial or national
homeless shelters, and food stamp programs are
boundaries. Statistics for homelessness are more
given from the government. They also issue
staggering than people know. Over 700,000 people
monthly welfare checks to those with the
are homeless on a given night in the richest country in
greatest need. Many American citizens argue
the world, the United States.
that the U.S. welfare system is too generous and
makes recipients of these monthly checks lazy.
Homeless doesn't mean lazy.
Some think that it takes away their incentives to
The most common reason for homelessness in
work. The welfare systems in European countries
poorer, undeveloped countries is poverty. In
are even more generous. These systems are
advanced countries, this is usually not the case for
beginning to become a drag on their economies.
homelessness. Many misunderstandings arise on the
part of the public when it comes to the subject of
Racism, runaways and abuse
homelessness, especially in richer countries. There is There are many other reasons behind
a misconception that the homeless are lazy and do not homelessness such as domestic violence,
want to work. This is not true. Many homeless dissatisfaction with home life, and racism.
people have jobs but they do not make enough Women who are abused by their husbands try to
money to pay for both housing and food. escape to places where they can't be found and
usually end up on the street.

22
6 Homelessness

no racial or national boundaries : There are homeless people in every country, regardless of whether rich
or poor.
wins out : is more important.
domestic violence : wives beaten by their husbands (or vice
versa).
racism : Discriminated against because of their race.
abused : be beaten.
soup kitchens : places that give free food to homeless people.
homeless shelters : places that give a bed to sleep in at night.
food stamp programs : coupons that can be used like money for buying food.
incentives : desire, reason.
feeling the effects in their economy : There is less money to spend for other things.
universal health care coverage : health care for all the citizens.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Staggering is
A drag on their economies is

1. What sort of welfare system do most countries have?

2. Why has the U.S. welfare system been criticized by many Americans? (Which group of people
has criticized the U.S. welfare system?) Who has criticized the U.S. welfare system?
3. What is the most frequently mentioned reason for having many homeless people in poor
countries?
4. What are the other reasons for homelessness?

23
 Homelessness 6

1. Are there many homeless people in your country? If so, where can they be seen? ?
2. Where do most of the homeless people in your country sleep at night? Are they allowed to
sleep in the parks or other public places?
?
3. What is the reason for most of the homelessness in your country? Are all homeless people just
poor, or do some people become homeless for other reasons too? Explain.
4. What help is provided for homeless people in your country
from the government?
from private sources?
from churches and other groups?
5. Do you think the welfare programs in your country are sufficient to take care of all the poor and
homeless people? If not, what more should the government do?
6. Are there many beggars in your country? Do you ever give money to beggars? Why or why not?
7. Some people feel that giving money to homeless and other poor people takes away their
incentive to work. Do you agree? Why or why not?
8. Which is a better way to spend money for homeless people? Tell why you think so.
Just give money and good to people who need it.
Spend the money on programs to teach skills to homeless people so that they can get jobs.
Spend the money to build cheap housing for homeless people to rent.
9. Countries in Europe are now spending over half their GDP on welfare programs for the
homeless and poor. It is hurting their economies. What should those countries do?
10. Will homelessness ever be eliminated, or is it something that will always be a problem in the
world? Why or why not.

24
 7 Asia in the 21st Century

China is already the world‘s manufacturer of

low-tech and hi-tech goods. Almost all discount
stores sell products that have the label ―made in
China‖ on it. These products range from clothing,
toys, sunglasses, hair dryers, and almost all
home appliances.

China has won its place as manufacturer of the

world thanks to a huge labor force who gets paid
mere pennies a day.

Other Asian countries with higher standards of

living cannot compete with China‘s low prices.
It was predicted by a French prophet in 1556 Both South Korea and Japan feel that their own
that China would absorb almost the whole of economic futures depend on what happens in
China so they have worked hard to maintain
Northern Russia and Scandinavia after
good political relationships. Every major
completing her industrial and economic multinational company in the world has factories
expansion. Michel de Nostradame, also known located in China.
as Nostradamus, wrote this prediction for the
year 2025.

In 1997, the IMF predicted that China‘s

economy would be larger than even those of the
U.S. and the European Union by 2010.
Economists predict that China‘s economy will
be three times larger than that of Japan‘s in the
21st century. They also agree that China, not
Japan, will be the dominating force in Asia.

This is due to a couple of reasons. Japan has

limited land and almost no natural resources.
China has plenty of both. China has unlimited
resources with the world‘s largest population of
over 1.3 billion. China has the potential to
become a superpower not only in Asia, but also
in the whole world.

25
 Asia in the 21st Century 7

prophet : someone who can see into the future.

dominating force : most powerful, most important country.
home appliance : small machines used in the house.
pennies a day : very low wages.
multinational : big companies that have offices in many foreign countries.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Being flooded is
Limited free enterprise is
2. Share what you write with your teacher.

26
7 Asia in the 21st Century

1.How has China become the world's manufacturer?

2.What have South Korea and Japan done to compete with China’s low prices?
3.How did the IMF predict China's economy in 1997?

1. Most economic experts think China will become the leader of Asia by 2015, but other
experts disagree. Which do you think will be right? Tell why you think so.

2. Would you like to see a unified Asia with a common currency similar to that of the European

Union? Why or why not?

3. What are the future goals of China's present leaders? What are they mostly interested in-
money, power, or both? Tell why you think so.

4. Will China's citizens ever be richer than people in Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan? Why or why
not?

5. What, if anything, do you think could happen to Taiwan in the future? Could it become a part of
China again?

6. What is going to happen to Japan in this century? Will the country continue to be the richest
in Asia, or will other countries catch up? Tell why you think so.

27
8 Childhood Obesity

The Western world, as many of us know, is full of The impact is doubled on teens, which does make
sense simply because they have more control over
fat kids. What is not fully clear, however, is why.
what they eat than do younger kids. Still, the question
Could it be due to the insidious power of advertising
is not fully answered as to why children are
aimed squarely at kids? How about the fear of traffic
becoming fatter.
and child snatchers, which persuades parents to keep
their children indoors? Or maybe we should just
Philip Levine, Kirstin Butcher, and Patricia Anderson
blame the steady spread of fast food? Actually, all
have put forth the idea that working families may
three are guilty–or so say economists, who over the
well be to blame. They have found that children are
past few years have published an extensive line-up of
fatter if their mothers work longer hours. The sibling
explanations for the obesity epidemic.
who spent the most time as a latchkey child will tend
to be the fatter one, perhaps due to the mother being
Mike Grossman, Shin Yi- Chou, and Inas Rashad
unable to manage outdoor play or she may have less
have published serious research putting the effects of
time to cook, and therefore purchases unhealthy fast-
fast food in the limelight. The natural difficulty of
food. Unfortunately for many working mothers who
any project of this type is the number of causal
are already guilt burdened, the effects are serious.
factors. A child who is watching Ronald McDonald
Just 10 hours at work increases the chance of
with his partner in crime, Hamburglar on an
childhood obesity by roughly 10 percent. Even in
afternoon TV show is a child within easy reach of
spite of concerns about childhood obesity, most of
snack food; a child who isn‘t playing baseball, and
the world‘s fat people are certainly old enough to
possibly a child whose parents have no motivation to
look after themselves.
help him keep healthy. The child may also be
watching TV to begin with because he‘s too fat to be
Just what is going on here? Modern economics offers
playing outside.
up a very reasonable pair of explanations. First, the
cost of exercise has increased. Most of us used to be
Grossman, Rashad, and Chou believe they have
paid to do physically demanding work that burned
found a very clear effect by examining local
calories. Of course, it is difficult to undercut exercise
variations in advertising across the U.S. They believe
that does pay you, and modern health clubs haven‘t
that if a child watches 30 minutes of fast-food
tried. Second, food technology has tipped the balance
advertising on TV, that child will become fatter, with
in favor of an increased level of snacking.
an increased body mass index (BMI) of roughly one
percent.
28
 Childhood Obesity 8
Consider the potato, which was once eaten boiled or Harvard economists Jesse Shapiro, David Cutler, and
in a stew. Making fries was a very messy and time Edward Glaeser make the argument that advances in
consuming job. Fries and potato chips are now easier food technology have reduced the money cost and
to eat than ever thanks to the technological wonders time of nibbling on junk food all day. That certainly
of industrial processing, freezing, and vacuum does look like an opportunity a great many of us have
packing. The fact is that potato chips are more caloric jumped upon based upon the ever-expanding
than boiled potatoes, but they can be eaten at pretty waistlines of the developed world.
much any time of day. Despite all the attention given
to extra large ―supersize‖ portions, calories eaten at
main meals have actually declined.

29
8 Childhood Obesity

insidious : sneaky, deceitful.

limelight : a situation in which someone receives a lot of attention, especially from newspapers, television , etc.
partner in crime : person who helps someone do something that is usually bad.
body mass index : percentage of body fat based upon weight and height.
tip : to (cause to) move so that one side is higher than another side.
vacuum packing : a type of pressurized packing that keeps food fresher longer.
supersize : an extra-large portion often found at fast-food restaurants.
nibble : to eat small amounts of food by taking very small bites.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Obesity epidemic is
A latchkey child is
2. Share what you write with your instructor.

30
 Childhood Obesity 8

1. What are some reasons modern kids are so fat these days?
2. What are some effects of fast-food advertising?
3. What is the result of a child who watches 30 minutes of fast-food advertising?
4. What is another big reason for why today's kids are so fat?

1. Estimate the percentage of obese children you see daily in Japan.

2. Do you agree with the assertion that working families are to blame for the childhood obesity
problem these days?
3. How can working parents have control over what their kids eat while they are at work?
4. Do you also think that food technology is part of the problem?
5. Discuss some reasons why both parents often have to work.
6. What are some solutions that you would put forward to solve the problem of fat kids?
7. Would you be willing to pay your kids to do rather physically demanding work to keep them
healthy?
8. Do overweight parents have more possibility of raising overweight kids?
9. Do you think this phenomenon of increasing overweight people is only confined to the Western
World?
10. Have you ever tried to be on a diet? What are your strategies to lose weight?

31
 9 Adventures in food
frozen fish fingers.

Most Americans sincerely think their children eat

better abroad because the traditional ritual of family
dining is still alive and well in many cultures,
especially where after-school activities have not yet
invaded the family dinner hour. Maria Hollander, an
American mother of three who lives in Paris said,
―We sit down together for dinner at least four times a
week.‖

Ruth Van Reken, Co-Author of ―Third Culture Kids:

The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds,‖ has
quickly noticed the passing of the family meal since
returning to America. ―When you move abroad, you
usually spend much more time together as a family,
and that also includes meal times,‖ stated Van Reken,
who lived in Liberia for nine years with her children.

T hree children were at a restaurant in upstate New

York when it came time to order their meals. The
She believes the adventure of living abroad also
carries over to what parents feed their children. Van
Reken is also of the opinion that trying new foods is
three European-born American children, aged 13, 9, part of learning about a culture and gaining a sense of
and 8 put in their orders: spaghetti carbonara, seafood global community.
linguini, and pasta primavera – and then proceeded to
turn down the waitress‘s offers to leave out the spices Van Reken continues to serve palm butter and greens,
or to bring the various sauces on the side. a popular African dish, when her family gets together
for dinner.
The waitress was truly flabbergasted by the
experience. ―This is the first time in five years of Beth Coben, a British mother living in London,
working at this place where I have seen children couldn‘t help but notice a big change in her
order an unaltered adult dish,‖ she said. ―Just where children‘s eating when they bought a vacation home
do you come from?‖ in Spain. ―I‘m happy to say they now love mussels,
grilled fish, and oysters,‖ she said. The only hard
Kathy Kinsbrook, an American mom living in time for Mr. and Mrs. Coben is when her American
London and former developer of family recipes for a or British friends come for a visit. Mr. Coben says,
well-known magazine, truly believes picky eaters are ―Their children will usually eat only ‗white food‘, or
the result of non-cooking parents. Kinsbrook said, ―I bangers and mash. I am quite embarrassed to ask the
personally know of one young American woman in chef at our favorite fish restaurant to make plain
Italy who found the grocery stores quite strange.‖ bowls of pasta for them.‖
―There isn‘t any food here,‖ the confused American
said. ―There are only things to make food from.‖ Thus, in the end, expatriate children learn that
Kinsbrook presently teaches family cooking classes, experiencing new foods is fun and not a chore.
with the hopes of giving the parents the confidence to
serve their children a fresh fish pie rather than

32
 Adventures in food 9
spaghetti carbonara: a rich spaghetti with a sauce made from eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, and bits of
bacon.
pasta primavera : a type of pasta served with fresh vegetables.
seafood linguini : a pasta using crab, shrimp, lobster and/or scallops in a rich creamy sauce with Parmesan
cheese.
unaltered : not changed in any way.
flabbergasted : very surprised and even shocked.
expatriate : to be born in one country, but living AND working in another country.
ritual : something that you do regularly and in the same way each time.
white food : often processed food favored by white children.
bangers and mash : a traditional British dish of sausages and mashed potatoes.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
A family recipe is
After school activities are
2. Share what you write with your teacher.

1. Why was the restaurant waitress flabbergasted at what the three children ordered?
2. Who is Kathy Kinsbrook?
3. What do most Americans think about eating habits when living abroad with their children?
4. Is the traditional family sit-down dinner still popular outside of America?

33
9 Adventures in food

1. Are picky eaters the result of parents who don't cook for their children?

2. Are picky eaters less likely to be healthy? Why or why not? Are you a picky eater?
3. What is the difference between an American grocery store and a Japanese grocery
store?
4. Does the reaction of the young American woman in Italy tell a lot about American food culture?
5. Discuss the role of food and culture.
6. Are you willing to try new foods? What was food you tried recently?
7. How many times a week does your family have meals together?
8. Do you bring your own lunch to work or school, or go out for lunch at the lunch break?
9. Do you think Japanese recipes are healthier than American recipes?
10. Some people say buying food is less expensive than cooking food. Do you agree? Why?

34
10 Plastic surgery for employment

to the surgeon‘s office are in favor of the operation,

females in favor are far higher at 93 percent.

In order to avoid failure at job interviews, a large

number of seniors and those failing to be hired are
knocking on hospital doors, requesting a consultation
about the surgery. To achieve their goal, many
customers are showing interest in ―facial bone
contouring,‖ and ―full face modification‖ rather than
lesser operations like double fold operation and
―rhinoplasty‖ (nose jobs), a plastic surgeon said.

According to the result of a survey by Scout, a

The mosaic drawn on the above pictured woman‘s
recruitment information provider, 162 out of 243 or
face, is constructed from facial features belonging to
66.7 percent of those leading the recruitment process
well-known actresses, is a model of what youngsters
agree that a favorable appearance is partly linked
are trying to achieve through plastic surgery. Once
with a good score in an interview – 26.5 percent
considered merely a means of making one‘s
higher than in 2004. About 73.7 percent of
appearance more attractive, plastic surgery is
responders said they would choose an applicant who
becoming, among vigorous job seekers, a way to beef
had a good appearance but was less skillful rather
up their competitiveness for a better job.
than a poor face and exceptional ability.
In an increasingly brutal job market, many female
―It is not appropriate to score applicants only
undergraduates are going under the plastic surgeons
according to objective factors such as academic
knife, hoping to have more charming features to give scores or English certifications because a number of
them some advantage when seeking jobs. ―Many of applicants have good school grades and outstanding
my friends underwent cosmetic procedures during English abilities. So, we are giving more weight to
the vacation. The vast majority of them cut their subjective criteria like first impression and
eyelids to create folds and make their eyes appear appearance,‖ said a personnel officer.
bigger. Some of them also got their noses done.
With concern over the declining national economy,
Eye and nose alterations are the most common this year, hundreds of thousands of students are
entering the workforce without great potential of
operations. ―Although a nip and tuck costs not only
receiving a job. High-paying jobs that most students
lots of money but also sometimes unbearable pain, I are eager to get, however, are too few and far
think the payoff is worth the pain,‖ said a female between.
student at Harvard University on condition of
anonymity. With media reports glamorizing little nips and tucks,
and with this year‘s graduates taking jobs as non-
Men are also increasingly undergoing surgical beauty regular workers and even those not seeking jobs, it is
treatment, once the almost exclusive domain of no wonder job hunters including students are seeking
women, in hopes of boosting self-esteem and better an edge in looks.
competing for jobs. While 35 percent of male visitors
.

35
10 Plastic surgery for employment

beef up: to improve something or make it more interesting, more important etc.
payoff: an advantage or profit that you get as a result of doing something.
anonymity: when other people do not know who you are or what your name is.
contouring: shaping the outer edges of one's body.
certification: an official document that says that someone is allowed to do a certain job.
glamorize: to make something seem more attractive than it really is.
criterion: a standard that you use to judge something or make a decision about something.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
A brutal job market is
An edge in looks is
2. Share what you write with your instructor.

1. Why are many job seekers undergoing plastic surgery?

2. Which body parts are the most common with plastic surgery?
3. What is the nickname for a nose job?

36
 Plastic surgery for employment 10

1. Where do you stand with this issue? Do you support having a facelift or are you against it?
2. Why do you think a lot more women are in favor of plastic surgery than men?
3. Do you believe it is fair for interviewers to take one's looks into consideration?
4. Do you agree with the personnel officer who says their company is giving more weight to
subjective criteria?
5. Besides how one looks, what other subjective criteria can there be for judging interviewees?
6. If you had an opportunity to receive plastic surgery, which part of your body would you
choose?
7. If your loved ones or close friends became stressed with their below average appearance,
would you recommend they undergo plastic surgery?
8. How important do you think one's appearance is at the workplace or in one's social life?
9. What are the good and bad points of plastic surgery?
10. Do you know anyone with an unfavorable appearance who is very optimistic and successful?

37
11 Schoolyard Horrors
putting the school into ―lock-down.‖ The only person
to be killed was the head teacher who confronted
young Mr. Hainstock in the hallway. At the very
beginning of October, 32 year-old milk truck driver,
Charles Roberts, walked into a one room Amish
school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. His suicide
notes talked about repeated dreams of molesting
children, but no one knows for sure if he actually did.
He then lined the girls up, bound their feet and, after a
bit more than an hour, shot them, killing at least 5. Mr.
Roberts finally killed himself as police rushed into the
classroom.

Numerous experts see both the Pennsylvania and

I n soccer, three goals are commonly referred to as a

‗hat trick‘. Everyplace else, three of anything in a row
Colorado cases as an extreme expression of a culture
of violence aimed at women. Both killers seemingly
had a sexual motive, and let all of the boys free in the
makes for a trend. After three school shootings within classroom. Of course, such extreme examples are
a week, predictions about an explosion of violence in difficult to analyze, and one must also consider that
U.S. classrooms were both inevitable, but also wrong. violence directed against women is half of what it was
The fact is that violence in schools has fallen by half in 1995.
since the middle part of the 1990s; students have a
much higher probability to be killed outside the Other experts and specialists see all three cases as
schoolroom than in the schoolroom. That average symptoms of change in the manner in which men
doesn‘t make a lot of people feel better, however. commit suicide. Forensic psychologist Helen Smith
told a radio audience, ―men are deciding to take their
Most children who are murdered, are murdered by own lives, and they are not doing it alone anymore.
someone they know. The vast majority of parents They‘re also taking other people with them.‖ This is
know that neither they nor their immediate friends are true, but not so very often.
assassins, so they focus their worry on strangers. The
fears of parents are seriously increased by the often Gun control supporters believe school shootings
sensational coverage of school shootings. clearly show the need for additional restrictions. They
say it is far too easy for people like Mr. Morrison and
One day in September, a 53 year old small-time Mr. Hainstock to obtain guns. Gun supporters find the
criminal, Duane Morrison, walked into a school in opposite reasoning: if more teachers carried concealed
Bailey, Colorado, with two guns. He took several girls weapons, they could take down possible child-killers
hostage, had a strong preference for blondes, molested before they actually kill.
a few of them, and killed one before finally taking his
own life as heavily armed police charged into the After the Columbine school massacre in 1999, the
room. Almost immediately afterwards, a teenaged boy Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared a
carried two guns into his school in Cazenovia, comprehensive report on school shooters. The report
Wisconsin. came to the conclusion that it was not possible to
draw a useful profile of a potential shooter due to the
Prosecutors believe that 15 year-old Eric Hainstock fact that ―the vast majority of teenagers who will
might well have planned on killing several people. never commit a violent act will show at least some of
However, school staff reacted quickly when they saw the behaviors‖ on any watch list of warning signs.
him with a shotgun, immediately calling police and

38
11 Schoolyard horrors

hat trick : a series of three successes, especially in sports such as football when the same person scores three
times.
trend : general course or direction.
molest : to touch a child in an improper sexual manner.
lock-down : an emergency situation where no one is allowed in or out.
motive : reason for doing something.
forensic : applying scientific knowledge to legal problems.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Sensational coverage of a school shooting is
A watch list of warning signs is
2. Share what you write with your teacher.

39
 Schoolyard horrors 11

1. How many school shootings occurred within a week?

2. What states did the shootings take place in?
3. How old were the shooters?
4. Who did each of the killers release in the classroom?
5. Why was the Federal Bureau of Investigation unable to create a shooter profile?

1. Discuss some reasons why some people act in a violent manner.

2. Do you think that past or present bullying may have caused the men to do what they did?
3. Have you ever been bullied or have you bullied someone else at some time in life?
4. Outline reasons for some of the school shootings.
5. What do you think about the idea that teachers should be armed to prevent future school
shootings?
6. Why do some people take their own lives?
7. Does this statement: "the vast majority of teenagers who will never commit a violent act will
show at least some of the behaviors" mean that we are all potential criminals?
8. Do you think people should be allowed to buy and carry guns for an emergency in Japan?
9. Does the article imply in any way that the U.S. school system needs to focus on moral
education more than college entrance exams.

40
12 Men also suffer from compulsive shopping

Researcher Dr. Lorrin Koram explains how the

number of men who indulge in unnecessary shopping
sprees has rocketed: "That's the biggest surprise --
men engage in this behavior almost as commonly as
women," he said. This finding runs counter to the
conventional and rather stereotyped view that
compulsive buying is very much a "woman's
‗
disease." Dr. Koram said. Trends and figures may
have been unfairly skewed as male obsessive
shoppers used to be more reluctant than women to
recognize that they have a problem and then come
forward and admit it.

He pointed out that: "Generally, in psychiatry, men

seek help less often than women. It's not 'manly' to
seek help."

And help seems to be exactly what the doctor ordered

for any compulsive shopper, who is usually not made
any happier by his or her relentless buying. Dr.
Koram warns: "It's always important to encourage
people who have these types of disorders to seek

P eople like to buy nice or brand-new items

whether they are men or women, but many women
treatment."

Many find themselves laden with debt and filled with

have been said to be obsessed with shopping. shame and suicidal tendencies as they attempt to hide
Actually, a lot of women admit that they are addicted their addiction. Now in many societies it‘s getting
to shopping. However, men are also beginning to more and more difficult to discern the roles of men
confess that they are suffering from ―compulsive and women. This may be one of the reasons why
shopping‖. there are an increasing number of men who also
suffer from an endless impulse to go on unnecessary
A recent survey has found that 1 in 20 American shopping sprees.
adults buy things they may not even want or never
need or use. In today‘s world of consumerism, where
we are constantly bombarded by ads, this is not
surprising.

What may raise an eyebrow or two is a further

finding in the study that men are just as likely as
women to suffer from ―compulsive buying‖. Gone
seem to be the days when women dragged their bored
and fed-up-looking men around shopping malls. New
research from Stanford University has revealed that
men are now just as avid and compulsive shoppers as
their female counterparts.

41
 Men also suffer from compulsive shopping 12

obsessed with: to think or worry about something all the time.

bombard: to do something too often or too much.
fed up: annoyed or bored, and wanting something to change.
indulge in: to let yourself do or have something that you enjoy.
run counter: to be the opposite of something.
skew: not straight or exact.
relentless: strict, cruel, or determined, without ever stopping.
laden with: heavily loaded with something, or containing a lot of something.

1. Guess and write the meaning of the following expressions in your own words.
Compulsive shopping is
Unnecessary shopping sprees are
2. Share what you write with your teacher.

1. How does the article describe today's world?

2. What does the findings of the research show about males' shopping trend?
3. According to the article, who is less likely to seek treatment for compulsive shopping, women
or men?
4. What emotional states do compulsive shoppers experience?

42
12 Men also suffer from compulsive shopping

1. How would you describe yourself when it comes to shopping? Are you a compulsive shopper?
2. What do you suppose makes men compulsive shoppers in today's world?
3. If your spouse were a compulsive shopper, how would you help him/her treat his/her disorder?
4. Have you ever regretted buying something after you purchased it?
5. Do you know any man who indulges in unnecessary shopping sprees? If you do, what is he
like?
6. How can we fight the temptations to buy unnecessary items while shopping?
7. Do you think shopping gives a boost to the economy?
8. Do you know any unique/successful selling strategies that make shoppers buy on
impulse?
9. Where do you prefer to go shopping: on the Internet or at a store?
10. What do you think of the people who buy many luxurious items? Do you think it's worth buying
them or do you think spending money on these kinds of items is a waste?

43
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