The only thing people are interested in today is earning more money

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful young woman and a handsome young man. They were very poor, but as they were deeply on love, they wanted to get married. The young people’s parents shook their heads. “You can’t get married yet,” they said. “Wait till you get a good job with good prospects.” So the young people waited till they found good jobs with good prospects and they were able to get married. They were still poor, of course. They didn’t have a house to live in or any furniture, but that didn’t matter. The young man had a good job with good prospects, so large organizations lent him the money he needed to buy a house, some furniture, all electric appliances and a car. The couple lived happily ever after paying off debts for the rest of their lives. And so ends another modern romantic fable.

We live in a materialistic society and are trained from our earliest years to be acquisitive. Our possessions, “mine” and “yours” are clearly labelled from early childhood. When we grow old enough to earn a living, it doesn’t surprise us to discover that success is measured in terms of the money you earn. We spend the whole of our lives keeping up with our neighbours, the Joneses. If we buy a new television set, Jones is bound to buy a bigger and better one. If we buy a new car, we can be sure that Jones will go one better and get two new cars!: one for his wife and one for himself. The most amusing thing about this game is that the Joneses and all the neighbours who are struggling frantically to keep up with them are spending borrowed money kindly provided, at a suitable rate of interest, of course, by friendly banks or insurance companies.

It is not only in affluent societies that people are obsessed with the idea of making more money. Consumer goods are desirable everywhere and modern industry deliberately sets out to create new markets. Gone are the days when industrial goods were made to last forever. The wheels of industry must be kept turning. “Built-in obsolescence” provides the means: goods are made to be discarded. Cars get tinnier and tinnier. You no sooner acquire this year’s model than you are thinking about its replacement.

This materialistic outlook has seriously influenced education. Fewer and fewer young people these days acquire knowledge only for its own sake. Every course of studies must lead somewhere: i.e. to a bigger wage packet. The demand for skilled personnel far exceeds before they have completed their studies. Tempting salaries and “fringe benefits” are offered to them. Recruiting tactics of this kind have led to the “brain drain”, the process by which highly skilled people offer their services to the highest bidder. The wealthier nation deprives their poorer neighbours of their most able citizens. While Mammon is worshipped as never before, the rich get richer and the poor, poorer.

8.1.23 Переведите слова и словосочетания на русский язык:

To be deeply in love, to get a good job with good prospects, the latest electric appliances, the couple, to pay off debts, for the rest of their lives, materialistic society, to be acquisitive, our possessions, to be labeled from early childhood, to earn a living, success is measured in terms of the money, to keep up with our neighbours, borrowed money, a suitable rate of interest, affluent society, to be obsessed with an idea, consumer goods, to create new markets, the wheels of industry, materialistic outlook, to acquire knowledge for its own sake, wagw packet, skilled personnel, to offer one’s services to the highest bidder, a wealthy nation.

8.1.24 Переведите слова и словосочетания на английский язык:

Получить работу с хорошими перспективами, супружеская пара, выплачивать долг, свое имущество, с раннего детства, зарабатывать на жизнь, процентная ставка, общество изобилия, потребительские товары, материалистический взгляд на жизнь, зарплата, обученный персонал, нанимать студентов, всю оставшуюся жизнь, богатое общество; предлагать свои услуги тому, кто больше платит; жадный, создавать новые рынки.

8.1.25 Прочитайте текст еще раз, найдите в тексте предложения с данными словосочетаниями:

A good job with good prospects, to lend money, paying off debts, to be

acquisitive, to earn a living, to be measured in terms of the money, to be bound to buy, to keep up with them, at a suitable rate of interest, the wheels of industry, to acquire knowledge, fringe benefits, brain drain, the highest bidder.

8.1.26 Объясните по-английски значение данных слов и выражений:

А job with good prospects, to earn a living, success, neighbours, to struggle

frantically, a suitable rate of interest, an affluent society, people are obsessed with the idea, consumer goods, to acquire knowledge, fringe benefits, brain drain, the highest bidder, Mammon.

8.1.27 Заполните пропуски соответствующими предлогами:

1. They were deeply … love.

2. “Wait till you get a job … good prospects”, parents said.

3. They didn’t have a house to live … .

4. The couple lived happily ever after paying … debts … the rest … their lives.

5. We live … a materialistic society.

6. Success is measured … terms … the money you earn.

7. We spend our lives keeping … … our neighbours, the Joneses.

8. The people are obsessed … the idea … making more money.

9. The wheels … industry must be kept turning.

10. Fewer and fewer young people these days acquire knowledge only … its own sake.

11. The demand … skilled personnel far exceeds the supply.

12. Tempting salaries and “fringe benefits” are offered … them.

8.1.28 Поставьте вопросы к выделенным словам:

1. They were deeply in love and wanted to get married.

2. The young man had a good job with good prospects.

3. Large organizations lent him the money to buy a house.

4. The couple lived happily ever after.

5. We live in materialistic society.

6. We spend the whole of our lives keeping up with our neighbours, the Joneses.

7. People are obsessed with the idea of making more money.

8. This materialistic outlook has seriously influenced education.

9. Big companies compete with each other to recruit students.

10.Tempting salaries and fringe benefits are offered to them.

11.This recruiting tactics have led to the brain drain.

12. The wealthier nations deprive their poorer neighbours of their most able

citizens.

8.1.29 Задайте разделительный и альтернативный вопросы к следующим предложениям:

1. They were very poor.

2. They wanted to get married.

3. They waited until they found good jobs with good prospects.

4. Large organizations lent them money.

5. We are trained from our earliest years to be acquisitive.

6. The Joneses are struggling frantically to keep up with their neighbours.

7. Consumer goods are desirable everywhere.

8. Modern industry deliberately sets out to create new markets.

9. The wheels of industry must be kept turning.

10. Cars get tinnier and tinnier.

11. Highly skilled people offer their services to the highest bidder.

12. “Fringe benefits” are offered to them.

8.1.30 Прочитайте данные высказывания и укажите, какие из них не соответствуют тексту. Подтвердите свои высказывания фактами из текста:

1. We live in a materialistic society and are trained from our early years to be generous.

2. Our possessions are clearly labeled from our adulthood.

3. It doesn’t surprise us to discover that success is measured in terms of our abilities.

4. If we buy a new television set, the Joneses are very glad.

5. The saddest thing about this game is that the Joneses are struggling frantically to keep up with their neighbours.

6. They spend borrowed money kindly provided at a high rate of interest by friendly banks.

7. Only in affluent society people are obsessed with the idea of making more money.

8. The wheels of industry must be kept turning.

9. “Built-in obsolescence” provides the means: goods are made to last forever.

10. This materialistic outlook has slightly influenced education.

11. The demand for skilled personnel is less than the supply.

12. “Brain drain” is the process by which low skilled people offer their services to the highest bidder.

8.1.31 Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Why didn’t young people’s parents let them get married?

2. What did large organizations do to help a young couple to buy a house?

3. How long did the couple pay off their debts?

4. What are we trained from our earliest years?

5. What do we discover when we grow old enough to earn a living?

6. How do we spend our lives?

7. What kind of money do we spend keeping up with our neighbours?

8. What idea are people obsessed with not only in affluent societies?

9. Why does modern industry deliberately set out to create new markets?

10. What has this materialistic outlook seriously influenced?

11. What do big companies do to recruit students?

12. What have recruiting tactics of this kind led to?

8.1.32 Закончите предложения в соответствие с содержанием текста:

1. The young man had a good job with good prospects, so large organizations lent him … .

2. The couple lived happily aver after … .

3. We live in a materialistic society and are trained … .

4. When we grow old enough to earn a living, we discover that … .

5. We spend the whole of our lives … .

6. We spend borrowed money kindly provided … .

7. It’s not only in affluent societies that people are obsessed … .

8. Gone are the days when … .

9. Fewer and fewer young people these days acquire … .

10. Big companies compete with each other … .

11. Recruiting tactics of this kind have led to … .

12. While Mammon is worshiped … .