Unit 4 1.doc

Unit 4 Money talksActive reading (1)Reading and understanding3 Choose the best answer to the questions.1 Why did the writer feel ashamed when she met an old friend in a theatre queue?(a) She found she didnt have enough money to pay for the tickets.(b) She realized that her friend had been more successful in life.(c) She thought her friends credit card looked better than her own.(d) She felt her friend looked better than she did.2 What happened when she applied for a gold credit card?(a) She didnt get one.(b) It cost her more than she expected.(c) She was sent one of a different colour.(d) She felt better.3 Which sort of customers do credit card companies want?(a) People who already have a lot of money.(b) Students who might have a lot of money one day.(c) People who are likely to spend more money than they have.(d) People who will never be able to pay the interest on repayments.4 What did the writers daughter want her to do?(a) To lend her 3,000.(b) To let her use the writers credit card. (c) To support her application for a credit card.(d) To increase the amount of money the writer was giving her regularly.5 Why couldnt Kelly access the money in her account?(a) She didnt have an Internet connection.(b) The bank wouldnt let her operate the account from abroad.(c) She didnt have any money left in the account.(d) She had a communication problem in a foreign bank.6 What happened to Kelly in the end?(a) She couldnt afford to continue her education.(b) She stayed overseas and got a job in a supermarket.(c) She had to take a bigger student loan to pay off her debts.(d) She was helped financially by her family.Dealing with unfamiliar words4 Match the words in the box with their definitions.1 the action or process of buying or selling something (transaction)2 to some degree, but not completely or extremely (fairly)3 a written or spoken statement in which someone says that they are not satisfied with something(complaint)4 to inform someone officially about something (notify)5 happy and satisfied with your life (contented)6 information that makes people notice a person, product etc (publicity)7 to fail to do something that would have been helpful or honest (omit)8 very expensive, and therefore available only to people who have a lot of money (exclusive)9 difficult or impossible to exist or do something without (indispensable)10 to trick someone by behaving in a dishonest way (deceive)5 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 4.If youre going to study in the UK, a bank account is (1) indispensible. Thats because for(2) transactions involving large sums of money you need to pay by bank transfer, or by cheque. Its(3) fairly obvious you cant carry large amounts of cash around with you all the time. So you need tochoose a bank. And thats not easy, because these days you hear more (4) complaints than appreciation ofthe services they provide. They all spend a lot of money on (5) publicity trying to attract students, whomthey see as an investment for their own future. Some of them offer (6) exclusive free gifts like designerT-shirts or stylish pens to secure your custom. But dont be (7) deceived by these offers. A (8) contentedcustomer is someone who knows they can rely on their bank to (9) notify them when conditions change,and not to (10) omit to tell them when interest rates on overdrafts or credit card repayments have beenincreased.6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box.1 My car is very inexpensive to run it uses LPG instead of petrol. (economical)2 When I saw Brian in his new sports car I felt a bit unhappy that he had something which I didnt have.(jealous)3 Our relationship is not serious or deep; we just say hello to each other when we meet, and thats it.(superficial)4 Youre likely to have a lot of repayments to make if you go on spending like that. (liable)5 I like this coffee. It has a rather different and easy-to-recognize taste. (distinctive)6 We have exchanged a number of letters about the best way to pay back the debt. (correspondence)7 The important thing is to exercise some self-control when using a credit card. (restraint)8 It reminds me of that lovely story about the evil giant who turns out to be afraid of his own shadow.(delightful; wicked)7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.1 If someone makes a pathetic excuse, is it (a) a good one, or (b) a bad one?2 If you are prone to headaches, do you (a) often, or (b) seldom get them?3 If you lure someone into doing something, do you (a) ask them directly, or (b) attract them, perhaps bydeceiving them about it?4 When you hug someone, do you (a) put your arms around their neck and shoulders, or (b) turn yourback at them?5 If you go into the red, have you (a) done something embarrassing, or (b) spent more money than youhave on your bank account?6 Is an overdraft an agreed sum of money which the bank (a) allows you to spend when you have nomoney left in your account, or (b) gives you to open a new account?7 If a doctors fee is exorbitant, are they charging you (a) too much, or (b) too little?8 If you go on a spending spree, do you buy (a) lots of things, or (b) only a few things?9 If you yearn for something, do you desire it (a) strongly, or (b) sincerely?Active reading (2)4 Choose the best answer to the questions.1 In the opinion of the writer, what makes someone lucky in marriage?(a) Being able to see and understand their partners soul.(b) Finding someone who has the same ideas about money.(c) Having enough money to be able to save for the future.(d) Marrying someone who is wealthy.2 According to the writer, why do most people today get married?(a) Because they are in love.(b) Because they need the stability that marriage can provide.(c) Because marriage is a financial partnership.(d) Because of pressure from families.3 What, according to Susan Reach Winters, are the major causes of divorce?(a) Sexual problems.(b) Problems with children.(c) Financial problems.(d) All of these things.4 What do experts advise couples to do before they get married?(a) To plan for their financial future.(b) To think about their career.(c) To discuss children.(d) To discuss health care.5 What was the key to Jerry and Susan Ballards financial planning?(a) They gradually increased the amount they saved every year.(b) They had regular meetings about how to spend their money.(c) They interrupted their savings only to make important purchases.(d) They made sure they saved regularly each year.6 How did Marc B. Schindler help a couple in difficulty?(a) He persuaded the wife to stop buying clothes.(b) He persuaded the husband to stop eating out.(c) He helped them to save more than a million dollars.(d) He made them see each others point of view.Dealing with unfamiliar words5 Match the words in the box with their definitions.1 a system of words, numbers or signs used for sending secret messages (code)2 a senior manager in a business or other organization (executive)3 a husband or wife (spouse)4 rich and successful (prosperous)5 a major benefit (asset)6 felt or done in the same way by each of two or more people (mutual)7 likely to have a good relationship because of being similar, or able to exist together (compatible)8 having an extremely close relationship (intimate)9 to be an expert in a particular part of a subject or profession (specialize)10 money that you have saved in a bank or invested so that you can use it later (savings)6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 5.1 Ken Hu is now an executive in a company which specializes in giving advice to private investors.2 Although the programme was compatible with my computer, the instructions were written in code, so Iwas unable to understand anything.3 It is obviously an asset to a marriage if each spouse has a sensible attitude towards money.4 Lets try to create a more prosperous future by planning ahead and agreeing on mutual goals.5 We are intimate friends, but I dont know how many savings they have in the bank.7 Answer the questions about the words.1 If something is of cardinal importance, (a) is it vital, or (b) can you forget about it?2 If you weather a bad period, do you (a) survive it, or (b) fail to survive it?3 Would you expect someone who is supportive to (a) help you, or (b) leave you in a moment of crisis?4 When you experience a downturn in your personal situation, do things get (a) better, or (b) worse?5 Is a mediator someone who (a) tries to end a quarrel between two people by discussion, or (b) keeps them apart?6 If you have divergent views about something, do you (a) agree, or (b) disagree with each other?7 Is buddy an informal word for (a) a friend, or (b) a colleague?8 Which is a better way to enliven the evening: (a) to go out to the theatre, or (b) to go to bed early?8 Answer the questions about the phrases.1 If you scrape by on your present salary, are you (a) living comfortably, or (b) having a hard time?2 If a decision about something boils down to money, is this money (a) an important factor in the decision,or (b) the last thing to be considered?3 If your ideas are in sync with someone elses, do you think (a) alike, or (b) differently?4 If you do one thing in lieu of another, do you do it (a) after, or (b) instead of the other thing?5 Is your bottom line (a) the greatest change you are prepared to accept, or (b) a situation you are notreally interested in?6 Will a cash cushion (a) protect you, or (b) let you down in times of financial crisis?7 If a firm goes bust, does it (a) make a lot of money, or (b) lose it all?8 If you pare back your expenses, do you (a) increase them, or (b) cut them?Language in useword formation: noun verb1 Write the verbs which mean:1 to take people somewhere by bus (bus)2 to write a text message to someone (text)3 to go to parties and have fun eating, drinking, dancing etc (party)4 to convert a cheque into cash (cash)5 to pass something into someones hands (hand)6 to give someone something as a gift (gift)7 to put money into the bank (bank)2 Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verbs you formed in Activity 1.1 Im afraid I cant cash this for you, it hasnt been signed.2 Did you expect them to gift you the computer instead of getting you to pay for it?3 After the match they bussed us all home.4 I will text you as soon as I get to the station.5 She handed me a copy of the report before the start of the meeting.6 I advise you to bank all that money lying on your desk.7 Im exhausted. Ive spent the whole of this week partying and having a good ne / liable / subject + to3 Rewrite the sentences using prone / liable / subject + to .1 The train is often delayed on Sunday evenings.The train is liable to delays on Sunday evenings. (There are staffing problems at weekends, especiallyon Sunday evenings.)The train is subject to delays on Sunday evenings. (There are particular regulations about Sunday travel.)2 Zak is a child who often has accidents.Zak is a child who is prone to accidents. (They are not his fault, he just seems accident-prone.)Zak is liable to have accidents. (He is careless and just doesnt listen to advice about safety.)3 She frequently gets headaches.She is prone to headaches. (She will see a doctor to see if there is a medical reason but we dont knowthe cause yet.)She is liable to get headaches. (Because those young children next door make so much noise.)4 The loan requires a check on your financial situation.The loan is subject to a check on your financial situation. (This is a legal requirement or a companyregulation.)5 Joe is a person who often arrives late.Joe is liable to arrive late. (Thats Joe for you; you know him never even tries to arrive on time!)Joe is prone to arrive late. (He lives near the river and the road is often flooded during this season so hemay have to go by another route which takes much longer.)6 She may well break the rules in order to get what she wants.She is liable to break the rules to get what she wants. (She doesnt care about rules and she is ratherselfish and ambitious.)where4 Rewrite the sentences using where .1 We may get to a situation in which rising taxes make it hard to be profitable.We may get to a situation where rising taxes make it hard to be profitable.2 This is the point with which I disagree.This is a point where I disagree.3 My internship was an interesting experience during which I learnt how to deal with customers.My internship was an interesting experience where I learnt how to deal with customers.4 This is the point in the year at which they usually give everyone a bonus.This is a point in the year where they usually give everyone a bonus.5 Many people are now in a situation in which they cannot pay their debts.Many people are now in a situation where they cannot pay their debts.6 I work in an office in which everyone feels at home.I work in an office where everyone feels at home.collocations5 Complete the sentences with suitable expressions from the collocation box. Sometimes more than onecollocation is possible.1 We were pushed out of the market by the tough competition.2 All he really wants is a steady job to provide him with a regular income.3 You made a smart decision when you left that company.4 Hes been having a rather tough time lately, since he lost his job.5 We use smart technology throughout the building. Everything is controlled by a central computer.6 Youve made a really valuable contribution to our organization, and we will miss you.7 She gave me the most valuable advice about investments that I have ever had.8 There is a dress code in most banks, and you will be expected to wear smart clothes.9 Theirs is a very steady relationship. I expect theyll get married quite soon.6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese.如今，尽管我们大多数人是因相爱而结婚，婚姻从根本上讲仍然是金钱上的结合。不管是选择工作的努力程度，还是决定消费多少或储蓄多少，我们生活中想要得到的或不想得到的许多东西归根结底都跟钱有关。对一些人来说，就是一周工作80小时来支付第三套房的房款和乡村俱乐部的会员费；对另一些人来说，意味着缩短上班时间，花更多的时间陪伴家人。“有关钱的许多争论都事关生活方式的原则问题，而生活方式的许多选择则与如何花钱密切相关。”宾夕法尼亚大学沃顿商学院的商业及公共政策助理教授贝齐史蒂文森如是说，他研究婚姻和离婚经济学。专家们说，夫妻一起共同做出这些选择是维护婚姻资产及婚姻关系的最重要的方法之一。当然，如果夫妻双方一开始就在钱的问题上看法相似，或者至少能够在钱的问题上相互妥协，那么事情就好办多了。7 Translate the paragraphs into English.When it comes to the effects of the current economic downturn, the decrease of student activities isa good case in point. To enliven campus life, the university is always willing to carve out money foractivities organized by student clubs and societies, but such sponsorships have been pared down thisyear because of huge budget cut. Apparently, student organizations need to weather their own financialcrisis if they want to recover from their current state of inactiveness. Some suggest enrolling more clubmembers, on the ground that the consequent increase of membership fees may help them get out of thedifficulty.No doubt, if we have more members paying the annual fee, and if we cut back on our daily expenses,we can spare some money for organizing activities. But the bottom line is that the expenses of theseactivities are in proportion to the number of participants. Im afraid this wont be of much help. To booststudent activities and to avoid going into the red, we still need to pool our ideas and come up with someother ways of raising money, in lieu of relying only on university grants and membership fees.Translation of the passagesActive reading (1)信用卡陷阱有一件事我得坦白。几年前，我排队为家人取戏票时，我的朋友也在为她的家人取票。我拿到了戏票，用信用卡付了帐，对这种非现金交易的便利感到很满意。然后就轮到她付款了，整个交易进行得和我的一样顺利，但我的高兴劲儿很快就变成了莫大的羞耻：我的信用卡太寒酸了，是不显示身份地位的黑蓝色，而她的信用卡则是高级的金卡。她是怎样弄到金卡的？怎么会这样呢？我知道我挣的比她多，我的车比她的车新，我的家比她的家漂亮，她怎么看起来显得比我光鲜呢？我有一份跟那时候任何工作相比还算安定的工作即不太安定的工作，不过我也没什么可抱怨的。我是通过按揭贷款买的房子，可那会儿谁买房不贷款呢？我每个月底都付清信用卡欠款。所以，虽然从技术上讲我欠过信用卡公司的钱，但只是欠几个星期而已。所以我认为我的信用等级应该很高。你可以说我肤浅，我也不感到自豪。但就在当时当地我突然非常嫉妒那位朋友，我决定不要蓝色信用卡了，我要一张金卡。金卡突然变得不可或缺，它让我自我感觉良好，让别人觉得我更有魅力。于是，我去信用卡公司申请最特别、最耀眼的金卡。可是，我的申请被拒了。过了几秒钟，我才从这个打击中回过神来，我问为什么。显然，因为我每次都按时全额付清信用卡欠债，所以我不是他们想要的那种金卡客户，他们的目标客户是那些随时有购物刷卡的冲动，有潜在信用风险，经不住诱惑超支消费，经常延期还款的人。这样他们才有机会收取更多的利息，挣更多的钱，这就是他们的经营之道。这能够解释为什么信用卡公司会用超低利率诱惑像我们家孩子那样的贫穷大学生吗?三个星期前，我的二女儿回家过周末。她在读大一第二学期。和她的大多数朋友一样，她借了三千英镑的学生贷款，并从她可怜的妈妈（哈！）那里得到小小的一笔生活费，用于支付交通、书本及其他生活费用。她穿的衣服是从当地的慈善二手店买来的，平时很少出门。她拥抱了我( 以前从不这样做)，然后说：“妈妈，我有事要跟您商量。”“亲爱的，什么事啊？都说出来让我听听。”。“我申请了一张信用卡，需要保证人，我可以填您的名字吗? 非常感谢，妈妈，我得赶快走啦，再见。”我费了好大劲儿才把她从外面拽了回来。原来她的银行来信告诉她说：她可以申请一张三个月试用期内低息贷款的信用卡，只要合适云云。她的银行！我才不相信他们！他们甚至比我更清楚她一贫如洗。这里存在一个严重的问题：准确地说这种卡应该叫欠债卡，他们为什么要称它们为信用卡？还有一个故事更严重。我一个朋友的女儿凯丽在大学攻读现代语言，其中有一年要到国外交流。在出国交流那一年的某段时间，由于程序上的变动，凯丽的银行切断了她在英国之外访问帐户资金的权限。通过书信同银行交涉的时间相当长，未能即时访问帐户资金使得她欠了银行的债，欠款额超过了透支额度（1500 英镑）200 多英镑。凯丽回国后，银行因为她超支扣了她100 英镑，并坚持要她每月支付30 英镑，以使她的超支数额回到透支额度之内。但他们没有告诉她，每月支付30 英镑并不是偿清欠款，而是支付超额支出的巨额利息。因此凯丽不得不求助于信用卡，在这之前她对信用卡的使用一直非常小心谨慎。由于她是学生，又因为她很少使用信用卡，自然她的信用额度就比较低。毫不奇怪，她甚至无法偿还信用卡账单里的最小还款数。所以她不仅欠银行手续费，而且还欠信用卡的债务及利息。当然，她因此被银行登记为信用风险高的人。事情越来越糟。大学最后一年刚过几个月，银行通知她：她的透支额度由1500 英镑减少到1000英镑，他们让她申请学生贷款来填补缺口。可是，贷款公司检查她的银行信用时发现了她的信用卡债务。猜猜怎么着？她没有申请到学生贷款。凯丽是个讨人喜欢的孩子，消费节制有度，生活节俭。她并没有疯狂刷卡买鞋，也没有把信用卡当成时髦玩意儿（不像我），她只是用信用卡购买生存所必需的食品。结果怎样呢？结果是：她不得不退学。我希望凯丽的故事会有个好的结果，也许会有好结果。现在，她在当地的一家超市工作，等她还清债务后可能会继续完成大学学业。这就是银行的所作所为。他们常常利用我们的虚荣和贪婪，有时也利用我们生存的基本需求给我们设下陷阱。等我们掉进陷阱时，他们会大喊：“抓住你啦！你当初没想到这是个陷阱吧？”这就是我们现在的处境：随着世界经济一落千丈，我们都处在信贷危机之中。所有这一切都是因为邪恶的银行家通过大量广告推销他们压根就不存在的贷款来吸引我们，设圈套让我们钻。现在真相大白了：他们也在用自己手中金光闪闪的金卡借钱！我有一个破解信用卡圈套的办法，各位且听我细细道来。我要你们把所有的信用卡拿来排成一排，拿一把大剪子把它们剪成碎片，然后把碎片装进信封寄回银行，附上一封信，上面（或多或少地）写上