A. Commercialism impacts the environment. Our consumption rate reflects the level of commercialism in our culture. Over the last few decades, advertising has gradually helped convince us to make changes in our lives. Ads surround us. They encourage us to want more and buy more, often regardless of our true needs. Commercialism stimulates artificial wants, and satisfying these wants means consuming more material goods and thus increases resource consumption and environmental impacts.
B. A healthy environment and a supply of natural resources are basic to our well-being. The basic premise of almost all ads is that we will be happier if we have this, too. Companies with products for sale would like us to believe that, since their profits increase when we buy their products. Yet our well being and happiness are not necessarily dependent on having more and more and more material goods. Our long-term health, happiness, and well-being are dependent on a healthy environment, as well as on our relationships with family and friends.
C. We are totally dependent on natural resources. Everything we have or use is made of natural resources, or raw materials and energy obtained from the environment. Natural resources sustain human life. Our use of natural resources has impacts that go far beyond simply using materials that are in limited supply. The environment is affected at every stage of the chain of extraction-processing -manufacturing-marketing-consumption- disposal.
D. How much is enough? Of course, some products we buy are necessary to our health and well-being, or improve the quality of our lives. We need clothes and stoves, books and music and many other things. The question of concern is, at what level of consumption are we using up our natural resources and our environment for things that we don't need and that don't really enhance our lives?
E. Does commercialism foster a culture of waste - a culture in which we are encouraged to make choices that are fundamentally at odds with our need to conserve natural resources and care for the environment? It seems that the typical American lifestyle involves always wanting more. When we live in highly consumptive lifestyle, we use more resources and create more pollution. Many environmental problems are tied to our rate of consumption of material goods and thus of natural resources. The most basic method of caring for our environment is to conserve natural resources and use them wisely.
F. Ads suggest that we should want things that are newer, faster, fancier, more fashionable, a different color, larger or smaller, just like what everyone else has or different from what everyone else has. This perceived obsolescence is used to stimulate us to buy more. The classic example of perceived obsolescence is fashions in clothing. The same approach is used when makers of computers, stereos, cars, and other products tempt us with new products even though the older versions serve our needs well. A related approach, planned obsolescence is used by makers of other products. For example, some toys, equipment, calculators, small appliances, and other items are built to last only a short while. When broken, these items are not able to be repaired but must be replaced.
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G. The harvesting of raw natural resources and manufacturing processes, packaging and marketing use energy and often generate pollution. Then the final consumer products need to be transported and stored, which again involves additional input s of energy and materials and has further environmental impacts. At some point, whatever the item we throw it away. But really, there is no "away." Something must be done with the stuff we no longer want. That can cause problems. A lot of our trash is just plain dangerous.
■ Scanning
Ex. 2. Now read the article again and answer the following questions using the text and giving your own ideas and examples:
1) In what ways are we dependent on natural resources?
2) What processes cause pollution?
3) What are the negative impacts of commercialism?
4) What is perceived obsolescence? Give examples.
5) What is planned obsolescence?
6) What does our well-being and happiness mostly depend on?
7) Is it possible to combine consumptive lifestyle with caring for the environment? If you think yes, how can we do it?
■ Vocabulary Study
Ex. 3. Complete the following table:
| concrete noun | abstract noun | verb | adjective |
| 1) | 2) | consume | 3) |
| environmentalist | 4) | - | 5) |
| 6) | - | depend | 7) |
| - | 8) | 9) | extractive |
| - | 10) | - | obsolete |
Ex. 4. Match the words with their meanings:
| 1) impact | a) the state of becoming old-fashioned |
| 2) sustain | b) help something to develop |
| 3) enhance | c) a piece of equipment |
| 4) obsolescence | d) influence, usually negative |
| 5) tempt | e) support |
| 6) foster | f) increase, improve |
| 7) appliance | g) to make you want to do or have something |
Ex. 5. Fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions:
1) All the people are totally dependent () the natural resources.
2) Everything we have is obtained () the environment.
3) We are buying more and more things regardless () our needs.
4) Advertisements always tempt customers () new goods.
5) () the last few years consumption has increased dramatically.
6) Many ecological problems are tied () our rate of consumption.
7) If we want to survive on this planet we must care () the environment more.
Ex. 6. What does the expression at odds (par E) mean? Match the idioms with odd(s) with their meanings and then use each idiom in the sentences below:
| 1) be at odds with | a) unlikely to be successful |
| 2) the odd one out | b) small things that are different and not valuable |
| 3) odds and ends | c) chances of something happening |
| 4) against all odds | d) different from the others |
| 5) the odds of (doing something) | e) more than expected |
| 6) over the odds | f) be different or opposite (when supposed to be the same) |
1) The culture of waste is () with our care for the environment.
2) During the crisis this start-up business survived ().
3) () winning the lottery are very small.
4) Among the words customer, buyer, vendor and client vendor is the odd one out, because it is a synonym to seller.
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5) Weve paid () for this second-hand car!
6) The old womans cupboard was full of ().
Ex. 7. Find collocations from the text:
| 1) the harvesting | a) dangerous |
| 2) in limited | b) lifestyle |
| 3) plain | c) rate |
| 4) consumption | d) supply |
| 5) foster | e) of natural resources |
| 6) consumptive | f) a culture of waste |
| 7) perceived | g) obsolescence |
Text II
■ Skimming
Ex. 1. The text below deals with the problems of the young generation workforce. Read the article quickly and match each passage with its title:
1) Too Self-Centered and Individualistic
2) Final Thoughts.
3) Lazy
4) Spoiled/Entitled
5) Little Respect for Authority
6) What is Generation Y?
7) Poor Work Ethic
Perception vs. Reality:
