Is there a Mean Streak in You?

Meanness is one of human nature's less attractive traits. But few people are completely, totally mean. KEITH WATER-HOUSE, a journalist, explains why he's thrifty.

I am thrifty, you are careful; he is mean. I am generous, you are extravagant, he seems to have money to burn. More proba­bly we are each a bit of all these categories. I know I am. I am a very generous present-giver. I love buying presents — but I hate buying wrapping paper. I hoard scraps from one year to the next. I even recycle the wrappings my own presents came in.

The same applies to stationery. I have never written on both sides of a sheet of paper in my life. I squander writing paper as if it grew on trees, and I cannot go into a stationer's without buying up most of their envelopes in five different sizes. On the other hand, I will not buy paperclips, rubber bands or ballpoint pens. I presume that sufficient numbers of these will appear of their own accord.

Some of my best friends are mean about string. They care­fully unravel and save every scrap that comes into their posses­sion. I don't know why, since hardly anyone uses string these days and certainly no one has a need for 150 metres of it, which is what one lady I know has accumulated.

There are also people who are obsessively careful with money. They are the sort who get off the bus a stop early to avoid paying a higher fare, or roam supermarkets looking for special offers and coupon discounts. This is fine, as long as these economies are not inflicted upon others. There is nothing quite so tiresome as someone with an obsession about switching off lights, or saving the last scrap of food.

It is when thrift affects one's social life that it becomes meanness. The famous American multimillionaire J. Paul Getty gave away billions but is remembered for the pay phone he in­stalled for the use of his guests. A psychiatrist friend of mine maintains that mean people are insecure. But then he says that about overgenerous people too. Mean people fear that their money will run out on them; overgenerous ones that their friends will.

b) Read the first two paragraphs of the article again and find

examples of the author's own generosity, extravagance and meanness.

c) Read the last three paragraphs give examples of what the author thinks is:

- a pointless economy

- an obsessive economy when travelling

- an obsessive economy when shopping

- a tiresome economy in the house

- a surprising gesture of thrift by a rich person.

d) In pairs or groups discuss what you understand by the following proverbs and sayings about money. Do you have similar ones in your language?

1 . Money is the root of all evil.

2. There are some things money can't buy.

3. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

4. Money talks.

5. Lend your money and lose a friend.

6. Time is money.

Choose one which you agree or disagree strongly with. Think of at least two examples to justify your opinion and then try to speak about it for a minute. Give your reactions to other people's opinions.

25. "Local produce" is about some of the things which are made or grown in Britain. Read it and find out if Britain has more natural produce or manufactured produce.

Local produce

Scotland: It is thought that the most important single influence on the taste of Scotch is probably the Scottish water. This is why distilleries are often situated in narrow valleys near a stream. It is one of the few industries in Britain which will be encouraged to grow in the future.

Staffordshire: Pottery is made in this region, and the beautifully decorated Wedgewood, Minton and Spode china is collected by people all over the world. When the canals were built in the eighteenth century, the raw materials, such as clay, were brought to the region from the west of the country and china was exported all over the world.

South Wales: Until a few years ago, coal was still mined here, but during the 1970s and 80s the industry was being increasingly affected by the use of alternative sources of power, such as nuclear electricity, and mining was stopped completely in the 1990s.

Hereford: This is the home of the world's largest cider factory. Apples are brought from the surround­ing orchards, processed by the factory and dis­tributed all over the country.

Glasgow: Britain's third largest city, Glasgow, is famous for its shipbuilding. It was known above all as a port, but in the nineteenth century, the river was widened so that ships could be built on its banks. But the industry has been affected by strong foreign competition and the number is being reduced.

Yorkshire: Sheep have been bred on the Yorkshire moors for their wool for centuries, and the streams have provided water for the mills, and prepar­ing the wool.

Sheffield: Steel and cutlery were first manufactured in Sheffield because it was near to the raw materi­als and resources which are needed for the in­dustry: forests, streams and iron ore.

a) Does your country produce the same things as Britain? If so, write down where they are produced. If not, from which countries are they imported?

b) Work in pairs. Is there a particular food or drink or a product

which your town, region or country is famous for? Make notes about it.

Think about:

how long it has been made or grown there

when it was first made or grown

how it's made or grown

how it is processed

who it is bought or used by

what changes will be made in the future

c) Go round the group and find out about other people's local

produce, and take notes.

d) Use the notes you took in 2 and the passage in Vocabulary

and reading to write a description of some of local products of people in your country.

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Modal Verbs

1. These are modal auxiliary verbs: can/ could / may / might / shall / should / will / would / ought to / must / be to / have to.

Modal verbs do not name any actions made by a person, but denote the person's attitude towards the surrounding world. They are used with great frequency and with a wide range of meanings. They express ideas such as willingness and ability, permission and refusal, obligation and prohibi­tion, necessity, promise and intention. Almost all modal verbs can express degrees of certainty, probability, or pos­sibility.

2. They have several characteristics in common

· There is no -s in the third person.

He can swim.

She must go.

· There is no do/does in the question and in the negative (the exception is have to)

May I ask a question ?

You won't believe this.

· They are followed by an infinitive without "to". The exception is ought to, have to, be to.

It might rain.

Could you help?

They can be used with the Indefinite Infinitive which denotes a habitual action in the present, with the Con­tinuous Infinitive to denote an action in progress, with the Perfect Infinitive to refer an action to the Past, and with the Perfect Continuous Infinitive to denote a past action which lasted a period of time.

He must be at home now.

She may be sleeping, I'm not sure.

She must have been crazy to marry him.

You should have been driving more careful.