Unit-9
CONSUMERIST CULTURE
Cheriyan Alexander
Read paragraph 4 carefully and match the
statements under A with the examples given under B.
1. Shopping has become more than a need- I was so
impressed by this latest version of the smartphone that I bought it using my
credit card.
2. It has become an obsessive compulsion over which we have
no control- buying additional pairs of branded shoes because they are on
50% sale.
3. Shopping is an end in itself- I spend my weekend
evenings in the nearby Mall.
4. It has become a form of entertainment- I enjoy
shopping.
IV.
Vocabulary
A. Select from the box, two synonyms for the
words given below:
(display,
different, come up, tempt, plentiful, varied, broadcast, attract, excessive,
develop, bear, existence, perplexing, unheard of, support, singular, forceful,
confusing, pushing, survival.)
1. Lure: attract, tempt
2. Abundant: plentiful,
excessive
3. Sprout: come up,
develop
4. Diverse: different,
varied
5. Advertise: display,
broadcast
6. Bewildering:
perplexing, confusing
7. Unprecedented:
unheard of, singular
8. Subsistence:
existence, survival
9. Aggressive:
excessive, forceful
10. Sustain: bear,
support
B. Find out from the lesson, one word for
the following definitions.
1. The preoccupation of
society with buying goods consumerism.
2. Goods for sale merchandise.
3. Borderless economic
order global economy.
4. Foreign’ trading
companies which export capital along with their products international trade.
5. Anything that is
meant for the public commodities.
C. Fill in the blanks with the opposites of
the word given in brackets.
In a largely uncertain (certain) world, even, with gold prices
moving upwards, the craze for the yellow metal remains unabated (abated). A key reason is the disgust (enchantment) with other investments. A
large percentage of savings are held in unproductive
(productive) gold assets and a lot of banks and non-banking
(banking) companies are offering loans against gold. But the supply
is sadly inadequate (adequate), in spite
of unbridled (bridled) mining. Gold
attracts unwanted (wanted) attention and
is its major disadvantage (advantage).
So, do you feel that gold is non-essential?
(essential).
D. Bring out the difference in meaning
between the words in pairs, by using each of the following in sentences of your
own.
Present (n) – presence
He gave an unforgettable present on her birthday.
His presence was very elegant.
Later – latter
You can go out to play later; first you finish your
project.
Kohinoor is worth buying, its latter is too expensive.
Decent – descent
Her decent new attire is so attractive.
His descents are African.
Career – carrier
Everyone should decide career carefully.
Jeep driver kept luggage in carrier.
Cloth – clothes
He covered whole table with a piece of a cloth.
She wore beautiful clothes today.
Alternate – alternative
They play kho-kho and kabbadi alternate days.
He has to do alternative to enhance his income.
Lonely – alone
I am feeling lonely without my friends.
She lives alone in a big bungalow.
Advice – advise
Many parents do not follow teacher’s advises to
improve their kids.
You must follow advice given by your parents.
F. “These sellers of colored, sweetened water are giant multinational
corporations…”
“multinational” means foreign manufacturing and trading companies. The
prefix “multi” – means many, more than one. With the help of a dictionary, find
out the meaning of the following “multi”-words.
Multimedia – the use of a variety of artistic or communicative
media.
Multicultural — Relating to or containing several cultural or ethnic
groups within a society.
Multifaceted – Having many different aspects or features.
Multilingual – Using several languages.
Multifarious – Many and of various types.
Multilateral – having members or contributors from several groups,
especially several different countries.
Multimillionaire -a person with assets worth several million pounds or
dollars.
V. Grammar Revisited
Subordination: Simple to Complex
Note: Main
points generally go into main clauses. Any simple sentence can be changed to a
subordinate clause but the choice of subordination or main clause must be
guided by your purpose. For example,
i) Students were protesting.
ii) The lecture was canceled. If your focus is on the
students’ protest, you can say:
Students were protesting because the lecture was
canceled.
If your focus is on the cancellation of the lecture,
you can say:
The lecture
was canceled because the students were protesting.
A. Combine each sequence of sentences
below into a complex sentence by using at least one noun clause. The first one
is done for you. Your teacher will help you with the rest.
1. i) He
tells me.
ii) He distrusts his own sons.
iii) It is difficult to understand
his reason.
He tells me that he distrusts his own sons,
which is difficult to understand.
2. i)
Someone said this.
ii) History is a record of dates and
battles.
iii) This ignores most of history’s
significance.
iv) This makes history merely a list
of selected events.
Someone said that history is just a record
of dates and battles, which ignores its significance, making history merely a
list of selected events.
3. i) A
restaurant becomes a five-star restaurant.
ii)
This means the restaurant has consistently maintained superior standards.
iii) The standards are of quality in
food and service.
A restaurant becomes a five-star restaurant
when its superior standards of quality in food and service are consistently
maintained.
4. i) The
earth’s climate changes.
ii) The earth’s climate even now may
be changing rapidly.
iii) This is widely recognized.
It is a widely known fact that the earth’s
climate is changing rapidly.
5. i) He
pretended to be one of us.
ii) He took part in all our pranks.
iii) This helped hide his identity.
iv) He was a policeman.
The policeman, pretending to be one of us,
took part in our plans, which helped him hide his identity.
B. Combine each sequence of sentences
below into a complex sentence by using at least one adjective/relative clause.
The first one is done for you. Your teacher will help you with the rest.
1. i)Walden
Pond is now the site of many tourist stands.
ii) Walden Pond was once admired by
Thoreau for its natural beauty.
iii)
Henry David Thoreau built himself a solitary hut on the shore of Walden.
iv)
He lived there for two and a half years.
Walden Pond which is now the site of many
tourist stands was once admired by Henry David Thoreau who built himself a
solitary hut on its shore where he lived for two and a half years.
2. i) Alcohol,
a drying agent, is frequently used in cosmetics.
ii) The drying agent evaporates
rapidly.
iii) The drying agent, therefore,
has a cooling effect.
Alcohol which is a drying agent is often
used in cosmetics as it evaporates rapidly and therefore gives a cooling effect.
3. i) The
roller coaster is still one of the most exciting rides.
ii) The rides are in an amusement
park.
iii)
The roller coaster made its appearance in 1884.
The roller coaster which made its appearance
in 1884 in amusement parks is still one of the most exciting rides.
4. i) The
man shoved the woman into a car.
ii) The man was fat.
iii) The man had a nasal voice.
iv) The woman was startled.
v) The man mistakenly thought the
woman was about to have a baby.
A man with a nasal voice who mistakenly
thought a fat woman was pregnant, startled her by shoving her into a car.
5. i) A
cottage and his wife had a hen.
ii) The hen laid an egg every day.
iii) They were lucky.
iv) The egg was golden.
A cottage and his wife were lucky as they
had a hen which laid a golden egg every day.
C. Combine each sequence of sentences
below into a complex sentence by using at least one Adverbial clause. The first
one is done for you. Your teacher will help you with the rest.
1. i)
Suppose there isn’t any cake.
ii) Suppose there aren’t any friends
around.
iii) A birthday cannot really be
fun.
iv) His birthday is on 4 January.
If there is no cake and if there are no
friends, his birthday on 4 January cannot really be fun.
2. i) The
experiences were sung about in poems.
ii) The poems were written by
pupils.
iii) The pupils were between the
ages of 70 and 90.
iv) The pupils were residents in a
nursing home.
The experiences were sung about in poems
written by pupils between the ages of 70 and 90 residing in a nursing home.
3. i) Poet
Kenneth Koch would teach folk poetry.
ii) He hoped to free them from
bonds.
iii) The bonds were cruel.
iv) The bonds were of growing old.
v) He hoped to free them for moments, at least.
Kenneth Koch would teach folk poetry and
hope to free them from the cruel bonds of growing old for a moment at least.
4. i) “Good
evening. I am Count Dracula”
ii) Bela Lugosi’s voice chilled
theatergoers.
iii) His voice is now famous.
iv) Then it ushered in the modem
Dracula era.
v) He did this 70 years ago.
Bela Lugosi’s famous voice, “Good evening, I
am Count Dracula,” chilled theatre goers 70 years ago when it ushered in the
modern Dracula era.
5. i) The
train arrived at the station.
ii) A man sprang out of one of the
carriages on to the platform.
iii) His clothes were torn.
iv) They were stained with blood.
v) The policeman saw this.
When the train arrived at the station, the
policeman saw a man spring out of one of the carriages onto the platform
wearing clothes that were torn and stained with blood.
Coordination: Simple to Compound
Note: We use coordination to suggest
that the two clauses are logically related but neither has more weight than the
other. Combine each sequence of sentences below into a compound sentence using
at least two main clauses. The first one is done for you. Your teacher will
help you with the rest.
1. i) Some
species of whales are nearing extinction
ii) Many countries refuse to accept
even a partial ban on whale hunting.
Some species of whales are nearing
extinction and yet many countries refuse to accept even a partial ban on whale
hunting.
2. i) In private life he was kind.
ii) In private life, he was even
generous.
iii) In public life he was severe.
iv) In public life, he administered strict
justice.
In his private life, he was kind and
generous but in his public life, he was severe and administered strict justice.
3. i) He
does not study.
ii) He does not allow his friends to
study.
iii)
That’s why many of his friends avoid him.
Many of his friends avoid him because not
only does he not study but he doesn’t allow his friends to study too.
4. i) You
may not care for wealth.
ii) You may not care for fame.
iii)
You shall have to care for the truth.
iv)
Life without truth is a degraded life.
You may care neither for wealth nor for fame
but you shall have to care for truth because life without truth is a degraded
life.
5. i) I
shall not oppose your plan of action.
ii) I cannot approve of it.
I shall not oppose your plan of action but I
cannot approve of it.
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