1、Language FocusQuestions for DiscussionWhat is the general attitude toward wealth in our society?How is life different for the rich as compared with ordinary people?Do you think money can bring happiness?Why or why not?Pre-listening TaskLanguage FocusIs money the most important thing in your life?If
2、not,what is?What are some of the valuable things in life that money cannot buy?Do you think wealth is a source of happiness or a source of problems?Pre-listening TaskLanguage FocusPre-listening Task5.What are some of the valuable things in life that money cannot buy?There is no doubt that money can
3、give people material comfort.However,there are many precious things that they cannot buy,such as health,true love and friendship.We can find a lot of examples to illustrate this point.For instance,many rich people spend a lot of money on medicines,hoping to live a longer and healthy life.Yet no matt
4、er how much money theyd like to spend,some rich people still cannot buy health.The couple who broke up cannot become lovers again no matter how much money Language FocusPre-listening Task6.Do you think wealth is a source of happiness or a source of problems?In my opinion,we shouldnt define wealth or
5、 money as a source of happiness or a source of problems.To some extent,money may cause problems or make people happy,but other things will do so as well.So we have no reason to blame on wealth.It is not the money but those people themselves who misuse the money and become a source of problems.Money
6、is like a sword with doubleblades,when you use it properly,it will benefit your life.Accordingly,the misuse of it will do harm to your life.So the better choice for us is to regulate Pre-listening TaskLanguage FocusHere are some sentences and structures that you might find useful in discussing the a
7、bove questions.Money ranks very high/low in peoples value system in contemporary society.To some people,wealth is equated with success,power,happiness and satisfaction in life,but to others,wealth is nothing but glittering baggage.Rich people seem to have more of everything than ordinary people.The
8、rich have an easy and comfortable life/Language Focus everything they want at their fingertips/a luxurious lifestyle.People in the lower income brackets have to live from hand to mouth/struggle to make both ends meet.For the rich,good education,travel,luxury and security are all readily available,wh
9、ile the poor attain these with great difficulty,if at all.Money does not ensure/guarantee happiness.Pre-listening TaskLanguage Focus Money brings happiness but only to a certain extent.We will be disappointed if we count/rely on wealth or physical comforts alone for happiness.Happiness does not depe
10、nd/rest on the amount of money you have.A happy man is one who is content,whether he is rich or poor.Happiness depends to a significant degree on our expectations.Money can buy certain comforts and offer some security,but it is not the answer to everything.Pre-listening TaskLanguage Focus Id like to
11、 start my own business when I have had some experience in Those who have some means think that the most important thing in life is love.The poor know that it is money.Money cannot buy the things that matter the most in life such as good health,love and friendship.Money brings you food,but not appeti
12、te;medicine,but not health.Wealth is a source of happiness as well as a source of distress.Pre-listening TaskLanguage Focus Money removes/takes away many of the causes of unhappiness.Money and wealth trap people into various obligations.Wealth can be a source of problems if it is sought after at the
13、 expense of ones health or relationships with family and friends.Money contributes to both happiness and unhappiness.Whether it brings happiness or unhappiness depends on how you use your money.Pre-listening TaskextravagantresourceoutdoglitteringorientalListening Taskswasteful 浪费的a persons ability t
14、o solve problems 智谋，应变能力to do or be better than 胜过，超过shining with a shimmering or sparkling light 闪闪发亮的a.of,from,or characteristic of the East 东方的；亚洲的Speaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notesdisgracetyrannyluststealthya mark of shame 耻辱n.cruel and unjust rule 暴政，专制n.an i
15、ntense desire for sth.欲望，贪欲a.moving and doing things quietly and secretly 秘密的，偷偷摸摸的Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notessentimentacquisitivenesssaddlea view of or attitude towards a situation or event;an opinion 意见，观点n.desire to possess money or valuab
16、le things（对金钱、财物等的）渴望，贪婪n.a seat made to fit on the back of a horse,camel,or other animal for riding 鞍，马鞍Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notesweigh upondrawing roomPersianLebanesePorscheTrump Tower place a burden on 重压；成为负担 (BrE)living room 起居室 波斯的a.黎巴
17、嫩的 保时捷（德国高级跑车名）（纽约市一豪华公寓大楼名）Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes1.Background information Wealth is usually associated with power,affluence,prosperity,and comfort,and to a lesser degree,with honor,respect and admiration.One would think that these thing
18、s should give the rich sufficient reason to feel happy.Reality,however,often seems to point to the opposite direction.The rich,with all their money and possessions,are not happier than those who are less affluent or even poor.They have few friends but many enemies;they do not trust people,not even L
19、istening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notestheir own family;and they are always eaten up with worries about how to make more money and how to keep their money.So a person may have all the money in the world,yet is friendless,lonely and unhappy,for money canno
20、t buy the most valuable things in life,such as love,friendship and good health.In the passage the writer makes a strong argument about the meaninglessness of amassing material goods.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes2.it weighs very heavily upon the
21、 resources of its owner.it makes great demands on its owners ability to solve problems quickly.A rich person has to be constantly alert in order to attend to his wealth.3.Porsche a well-known luxury German sports car,famous for its speed and performance.The brand was named after Ferry Porsche(190919
22、98),the designer of the first Porsche sports car.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes4.Picasso Pablo Picasso(18811973),Spanish painter,sculptor and creator of Cubism.His works had a powerful influence on the development of modern art.Here,a Picasso me
23、ans a painting by Picasso.5.Trump Tower a 68-story residential tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan,New York.Namesake of its developer Donald Trump,the building was completed in 1983 and is one of the most luxurious residential buildingsListening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Languag
24、e and Cultural Notesin the world.A new Porsche,a Picasso in the drawing room,and an apartment in the Trump Tower are symbols of a life of luxury and affluence.6.owning goods feeds upon itself owning goods only increases ones desire to possess more goods 7.James Boswell James Boswell(17401795),Scotti
25、sh biographer,diarist and travel writerListening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes8.glittering baggage referring to the expensive things a rich person has amassed9.the“get-rich-quick”zone countries(here referring specifically to the United States)where many
26、peoples sole desire is to make a lot of money very quickly10.The larger a mans roof,the more snow it collects.The more a man owns,the heavier theListening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notesresponsibility he has.11.a“stealthy thing that enters the house a gues
27、t,and then becomes a host,and then a master.”The quote is from Gibrans The Prophet.It depicts the process by which your insatiable desire to possess material goods gradually takes control of his or your life.It first enters his or your life secretly as a harmless guest,but gradually it takes control
28、 and finally treats you as its slave.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes Ralph Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson(18031882),American philosopher,essayist,and poet Things are in the saddle,and ride mankind.Things,rather than the rider,sit in the saddle,and m
29、ankind seems to be treated as the beast of burden.The sentence is a graphic illustration of how humans are dominated by the material wealth they have acquired.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes1.a.He possesses a large amount of money and material go
30、ods.b.He has the ability to purchase more goods.c.He is not able to spend all the money that he has in his lifetime.d.He tends to have an extravagant lifestyle.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksListen to the passage and choose the best answers to the questions you hear.Word BankExercise 2Exercise 1Langua
31、ge and Cultural NotesListening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes2.a.To show that rich people are always after famous brands.b.To show that these things are what everyone longs to have.c.To depict a luxurious lifestyle.d.To depict an affluent society.3.a.It i
32、s easier for rich people to make money.b.Owning goods increases the desire for more.c.Owning goods places a lot of responsibility on the owner.d.Things will take care of themselves.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes4.a.It brings them a lot of satisf
33、action and convenience.b.It costs them not only money but also personal freedom.c.It forces them to make more money to keep these things in good condition.d.It brings them admiration and respect from other people.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes5.
34、a.The supposed happiness of the rich exists only in the imagination of the poor.b.The poor are happier than the rich.c.The possession of material goods brings people convenience and freedom.d.The trouble with wealth is that it arouses envy in the hearts of others.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord Ba
35、nkExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural Notes6.a.It is meaningless to possess material goods beyond what one actually needs.b.The rich are not necessarily happy souls because their wealth can be a burden on them.c.Poverty is not regarded as a disgrace in Oriental countries.d.It is an embarrassme
36、nt that people in the West attach so much importance to wealth.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural NotesListen to the passage again and complete the quotations in the left column.Then match them with their sources in the right column.Listening TasksSpeakin
37、g TasksWord BankExercise 1Exercise 2Language and Cultural Notes1.If a man with a fortune cannot make himself easier and freer than those who are not,he gains nothing.Nothing except glittering baggage that must be attended to.d a.A Persian proverb 2.The larger a mans roof,the more snow it collects.aA
38、 Lebanese poet and philosopher3.The lust for comfort is a stealthy thing that enters the house a guest,and then becomes a host,and then a master.bc.Ralph Emerson4.Things are in the saddle,and ride mankind.cd.James Boswell Listening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 1Exercise 2Language and Cultura
39、l NotesListening TasksSpeaking TasksWord BankExercise 1Language and Cultural NotesExercise 2The Embarrassment of Riches The meaning of wealth today is usually defined as the amount of money and material goods that one has accumulated and the ability to purchase more goods at an ever-increasing rate.
40、A wealthy person possesses so much money that it would be difficult for him to spend it all in his lifetime without being wasteful and extravagant.Speaking from a strictly practical point of view,the trouble with wealth is not that it arouses envy in Youve just heard a passage about the troubles the
41、 rich have with their wealth.What do you think of the speakers observations on this issue?Do you think that money and material goods are more of a burden than a blessing?What do you think is a proper attitude toward the acquisition of wealth?Exchange views with your partner.You may mention the follo
42、wing points in your discussion.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksA.Reflections on the textPair Work People are never satisfied with what they have.The more you get,the more you want.Owning goods means endless care and responsibilities.A large fortune is useless if it has to be attended to at the cost of
43、the more valuable things in life,such as love,friendship and health.Whether wealth is a burden or a blessing depends on our attitude toward it.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksA Sample Some people think that owning a large amount of money will give them more freedom in life but others argue that money d
44、oes not bring freedom.Are you for or against the view that money brings freedom?Express and defend your views from the perspectives given below.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksB.Debating Arguments for or against the view that money brings greater freedomTopic:Does money bring freedom?Perspectives:1.Fro
45、m the perspective of a student(positive)2.From the perspective of another student(negative)Listening TasksSpeaking TasksListening TasksSpeaking TasksNow use the above sample as your model and carry on similar activities with your partner.Topic:Does money bring happiness?Perspectives:1.From the persp
46、ective of a student(positive)2.From the perspective of another student(negative)Listening TasksSpeaking TasksBelow are some ideas and expressions that you might find useful in presenting your argument.From the perspective of a student(positive)Money is essential to maintain a decent standard of livi
47、ng(food,lodging,utility facilities).What money can provide(such as material comforts and security)has a lot to do with happiness for the majority of people.Money indirectly buys love and affection/enables you to take better care of your health and looks/provides access to better education.Listening
48、TasksSpeaking TasksMoney is a symbol of success,giving you confidence,boosting your self-esteem.Giving money away to those in need is a rewarding experience.Money buys freedom/allows you to pursue interests that give you the most satisfaction.Money does not solve all your problems(e.g.serious sickne
49、ss,accidents),but it may make lifes miseries easier to cope with.Listening TasksSpeaking TasksFrom the perspective of another student(negative):Happiness is a state of mind.True happiness comes from within.A certain amount of money is necessary to meet the basic needs,but beyond that,money has littl
50、e to do with happiness.Happiness does not come with money.Many rich people live miserable lives.happiness brought by material goods:temporary and short-lived;soon replaced by a desire for more and better thingsListening TasksSpeaking Tasksmore money,more responsibility,more stress;may jeopardize hea
