Có khá nhiều học viên nhà BEC lúng túng trong phần topic này khi đi thi Speaking đầu năm 2019. Tại sao vậy? Nhiều bạn tỏ ra khá sợ hãi khi bốc trúng đề này. Để khắc phục nỗi sợ hãi liền tay, nắm ngay Sample mẫu phần Part 3 topic này với BEC ngay nào.
Do you think people own more things than they really need these days?
Absolutely yes! Generally speaking, I think people own far more things than they really need. I think is largely/primarily/mainly due to the consumerist culture we live in this day and age. We are constantly being told by advertising that our lives can be improved through buying more things, whether it’s designer clothing, the latest gadgets, or even expensive cars. None of this is really necessary but our society over values materialism to the point where we don’t realise how absurd all of this spending is. But if you stop to think about it then you’ll see that the emphasis people put on owning things really is insane.
Are some things more important than others to show a person’s status?
I don’t know if I would say anything is more important because ultimately the idea of status is extremely unimportant. However, there are some common objects that people purchase solely as a symbol of their status. One clear example would besports cars, which are usually owned by rich middle-aged men who are keen to demonstrate how much success and wealth they have earned. Other status symbols include designer watches, shoes, jewelry and even fancy pets like the Alaskan husky or the Samoyed.
Why do you think some people want to show their status?
Honestly, it’s a complete mystery to me, but I can make a guess. Perhaps, people who grow up in a poor family and subsequently find great success feel the need to demonstrate their new found wealth with displays of status. They might want to have visible evidence of their accomplishments and their advancement in society through the latest smart phones, luxury watches and so on.
Another possible explanation is simply people do wear fancy brands specifically just to make money. It’s especially true to most celebrities who have a huge following, so their professional appearance are terribly important. They may either promote for any glamorous brands or show how classy they are at the same time to the public eye.
Has this been people’s desire in the past, or is it a recent change?
I think displays of status have always been a desire by some people. However, I also do think that these days, it’s more extreme. Not only is consumerism and wealth celebrated in a way that it wasn’t in the past, but there are also more ways to show off status. Social media, for example has enabled people to share every aspect of their lives, and this includes presenting experiences such as luxury holidays or scrumptious dinners as status symbols to the world.
Vocabulary highlights:
- Scrumptious adjective /ˈskrʌmp.ʃəs/: tasting extremely good: hảo hạng
Example: scrumptious cakes
- To be in the public eye= the state of being known or of interest to people in general, especially through the media: dưới con mắt của công chúng
Example: ”the pressures of being constantly in the public eye"
- Predominantly adverb/prɪˈdɒm.ɪ.nənt.li/: mostly or mainly: chủ yếu
Example: She is predominantly a dancer, but she also sings.
- Consumerist adjective/kənˈsjuːmərɪst/: relating to a society in which a lot of goods are sold to individuals, and this activity is very important to the economy: thuộc về tiêu dùng
Example: Today’s consumerist economy sustains profitability by creating needs. (Ngày nay, nền kinh tế tiêu dùng vẫn duy trì lợi nhuận bằng cách tạo ra nhu cầu.)
- Constantly adverb/ˈkɒn.stənt.li/: all the time or often: liên tiếp
Example: She has the TV on constantly.
- designer label noun - a famous company that makes expensive clothes, bags, etc. and that is a well-known brand: hàng thiết kế
Example: Our aim is to make this one of the world's great designer labels.
- Gadget noun /ˈɡædʒ.ɪt/: a small device or machine with a particular purpose: đồ, thiết bị
Example: Have you seen this handy little gadget - it's for separating egg yolks from whites. (Bạn đã thấy tiện ích nhỏ tiện dụng này - nó để tách lòng đỏ trứng ra khỏi lòng trắng.)
- Materialism noun /məˈtɪə.ri.ə.lɪ.zəm/: the belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life: vật chất
Example: So have we become a self-centred society, preoccupied with materialism?
- Absurd adjective/əbˈsɜːd/: stupid and unreasonable, or silly in a humorous way: vô lí
Example:What an absurd thing to say!
Example:Don't be so absurd! Of course I want you to come.
- Insane adjective/ɪnˈseɪn/: extremely unreasonable or stupid: điên thực sự
Example: It would be insane not to take advantage of this opportunity.
- Ultimately adverb/ˈʌl.tɪ.mət.li/: finally, after a series of things have happened: cuối cùng thì
Example: Everything will ultimately depend on what is said at the meeting with the directors next week. solely
- adverb/ˈsəʊl.li/: only and not involving anyone or anything else: duy nhất
Example: It seems he's not solely to blame for the accident.(Có vẻ như anh ấy không chỉ đổ lỗi cho vụ tai nạn.)
- middle-aged adjective/ˌmɪd.əlˈeɪdʒd/: in middle age: trung niên
Example: They’re a middle-aged couple, with grown-up children.
- Wealth noun/welθ/: a large amount of money or valuable possessions that someone has: tài sản
Example: During a successful business career, she accumulated a great amount of wealth. (Trong sự nghiệp kinh doanh thành công, cô tích lũy được một khối tài sản lớn.)
- Status noun/ˈsteɪ.təs/: an accepted or official position, especially in a social group: địa vị
Example: The success of her book has given her unexpected celebrity status.
- Accomplishment noun/əˈkʌm.plɪʃ.mənt/: something that is successful, or that is achieved after a lot of work or effort: thành tựu
Example: Getting the two leaders to sign a peace treaty was his greatest accomplishment.
- Advancement noun /ədˈvɑːns.mənt/: the development or improvement of something: sự thăng tiến
Example: All she was interested in was the advancement of her own career.
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