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ACTIVITY 5 READING COMPREHENSION ANA SOFÍA HERNÁNDEZ RAMÍREZ

A. Find evidence for the following 1. The holidays are a tricky time for shopaholics since they are tempted by the low prices. During the holiday season, the purchase and consumption index increases significantly both in shopping centers and in online purchases. The consumer society of the 21st century assumes this type of excessive commercial behavior as something normal, since most of them take it as a traditional practice that very few question or stop to analyze, it is something unnecessary but nobody really cares. 2. Some experts think people shop to relieve their frustrations. This statement is quite true, because normally this type of activity can be assumed as a refuge or an escape for those people dissatisfied with their reality, who plan to fill their emotional voids with material accumulation that is mostly really useless and does not satisfy them, for Hence, this pattern of behavior occurs repeatedly. 3. Compulsive shopping becomes a disease when it gets out of control and starts to ruin people’s life. Oniomania or compulsive shopping is a psychological disorder whose symptom is an unbridled desire to buy without a real need, common in people who suffer from

mood disorders. This psychopathology is usually associated with depressive disorders and low self-esteem, although compulsive shopping can be present in other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. 4. It is just as difficult to control as other types of obsessive behavior. Addiction to shopping is a real problem, just as complex as any other disorder that can profoundly affect the entire environment and lifestyle of those who suffer from it. This condition is very serious and whoever feels the need to get out of it should seek support and follow the following recommendations:       

Plan your purchases Make a list of what you will buy Don´t buy when you´re sad Go out accompanied Allocate a specific budget Detect if you have accumulative behavior Seek help

5. Some people are totally reckless when it comes to buying the things they love. This type of disorder is very versatile and people interpret it in different ways, not all patients buy the same things in equal quantities, the symptoms are the same, however the intensity of the case and the recovery process is very varied. The tastes and affinities of the person can be known through the analysis of their purchases. 6. Shopping helps them to deal with their lack of confidence. This condition is associated with anxiety, depression and lack of self-esteem, who is trapped by their impulses see in shopping the way to hide their emotional deficiency and they assume it as a solution that generates temporary satisfaction, since they are never satisfied. B. Answer the following questions in your own words as far as possible. 1. Is online shopping a safe alternative for compulsive buyers? Justify. Personally I think not, because online purchases can be the same or even more risky than direct purchases, since the consumer only needs a credit card and makes a couple of clicks, it is extremely dangerous and can make the addiction exceed all the limits.

2. In what way does obsessive shopping affect people’s lives? This condition affects the entire work, social and family environment of the patient, since he really ceases to have a life of his own and his only purpose is to buy to satisfy himself momentarily, and when the money runs out they do whatever it takes to get it for keep feeding your disorder, from lying, cheating, stealing or even assaulting your close ones. 3. How do shopaholics try to cheat others about their spending? Shopaholics develop a high capacity to lie, hide bills and even hide their large number of purchases, they do not allow anyone to get involved and they never lose sight of their credit cards or cash 4. Why do you think was it difficult for Arzu to control her spending habits? For Arzu, getting to control was so complex because his state of boredom was solved through shopping, and in a city like New York, commerce is highly tempting, prices are favorable and there is something new to buy in every corner. In addition to this, he had in his hands those credit cards capable of satisfying all his whims. C. Explain the following in your own words. 1. ...” men outspent women” … (3rd ¶) The compulsive shopper prototype has been renewed, as this is not just a woman´s thing and the statistics make it very clear. Men spend twice as much money on online purchases as women. 2. ...” the thrill fades fast and is often followed by remorse” … (6th ¶) As I said before, the satisfaction generated by shopping for addicts is something momentary, because they do not really buy for pleasure but for anxiety, when they finish their disastrous day they arrive home and the panorama remains the same, no matter how much they buy or how much. Expensive be all that does not serve to fill their emotional voids D. Match the words from the text with their meaning on the right. ANSWERS: 1

d

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

f h b c g a e

E. What do the underlined words refer to in the text? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

The holiday season April Lane Benson Men 195 U.K teenagers Purchasing Some sufferers Compulsive shoppers Low self-esteem

F. Read this text on consumerism and complete it with the words below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Purchase Need Ads Buying Bored Shoppers Unnecessary Behavior

G. Rewrite each sentence using a RELATIVE PRONOUN – use commas where necessary. SENTENCE CORRECION: 1. One of April Benson’s patients, who was compulsively shopping on the Internet all day, got fired. 2. You’ve spent all the money I gave you, which is totally unacceptable. 3. We met a nice lady the other day whose son spends a lot of money on clothes. 4. Shopping centers where people love to shop now look like cathedrals. 5. Young people are constantly exposed to advertising messages which are designed to make them believe they can’t live without a certain product.

6. A young man who I saw getting arrested yesterday was accused of shop-lifting. H. Complete each sentence with a suitable verb tense. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

I ... (buy) this new pair of trousers. Do you like them? She lost her credit card, while she (shop). She ... (already spend) a lot of money when her mother arrived at the store. Thomas (go) shopping every Saturday morning. This is a little bit too much; don’t you think? They (arrive) from the shopping centre 5 minutes ago. We’ll go shopping, when the rain (stop). It’s time to go home now. You (shop) all afternoon. He (try) to save some money for a new car at the moment.

SENTENCE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Have bought Was shopping Had already spent Goes Arrived stops/has stopped Have shopped/ have been shopping Is trying

I. In no less than 200 words, do one of the following. 1. Bearing in mind the text and the role of advertising write an opinion essay explaining why people are victims of consumerism and at what cost. What about you? Are you a victim as well? Explain 21st century consumerism is more than a daily reality; it is something that is implicit in our culture and the social development of humanity since the beginning of the commercial era. Normally we are all aware of this, but there are very few who pay attention to the subject and analyze the amount of risks that mismanagement of consumption implies. Unfortunately, in school, they gave more importance to mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences and English, instead of promoting the development of emotional and financial intelligence. it is important for the human being to have an organization and a healthy lifestyle, and this logically includes the use of money and investing it in useful things that we really need. currently there is a phenomenon that harms society, we speak specifically about those commercial strategies that encourage the individual to

waste their money, this is harmful because we are not creating an intelligent and thrifty society, but a society that revolves around who has more things and you can brag about them, this situation is disastrous, but as it is typical of the human being, we romanticize this type of behavior and normalize everything that hurts us only to ignore the problems and live a bland and miserable life. The price that we are paying thanks to this cultural and social distortion lies in the loss of business reasoning and misbehavior. The consumer human being is the one who enriches the mega companies that fill his head with ideas and without having to speak with him directly they manage to go to their stores and buy their products, these are nothing more than simple advertisements that sell you happiness through of a product that in the end will not solve the problems in your life. Shopaholics are the spitting image of what I am talking about, they are people who do not really have their own criteria because they live through useless things that generate momentary satisfaction, many do not take into account the risk that this emotional disorder represents for those who suffer, this disorder is undervalued, however it can ruin many lives if support is not sought in time. Personally, I do not consider myself a victim of consumerism, as I have inquired about how to ideally handle the little money that I have had in my hands. Normally I think that at some point I will need money for emergencies, therefore I have very well developed my saving habits. I buy clothes or personal products only when it is very necessary and I do not like to waste absolutely anything, however I must admit that I also indulge in certain tastes on the few occasions when the economic situation is favorable. 2. Use the ads below as examples and write about the techniques used by advertisers to convince people to buy. a) Language features adjectives, repetition, word puns, hyperboles/exaggerations, neologism (new words), imperative, rhyme, short simple sentences… b) Humor c) Appealing to basic needs d) Exploiting people’s fears (making them self-conscious) e) Slogan/jingle f) Sexually charged images (visual effects)