ENGLISH Language V – 19-08-2020 Reading Comprehension

How Have These Corporations Colonized our Public Life?

1) Explain in your own words how the author describes today’s current consumer society, as
portrayed in paragraph 1 [you may develop in 3- 4 lines]

Today’s consumer society behaves as if they were worshipping the accumulation of money and
the hoarding of possessions. The ultimate goal is to create a world of constant consumption for
those that run this system of constant consumption. (without worrying about the detriments this
has on society); thus, change is not an option and values are not a priority. People are detached
from public life and companies profit from a disaggregated society. Everything has a price.
money sets the standard, superfluous consumption is the ultimate goal for those that profit with
this system, the private sector.

2) Who does “we” refer to in line 6?

Citizens, common people.

3) In your own words, in what ways is power no longer in the hands of the people according to
paragraph 2? [you may develop in 4-5 lines]

Domestic policies are not controlled by regular people any more. Large corporations meddle in
the making of national regulations and they are not concerned with putting society’s interests
first, but only their own. They manipulate global governance by having a stronger representation
than the state itself. The NGO’s who are supposed to defend people’s interests have no longer
enough power to influence public decisions. COMPANIES THAT HAS THEIR OWN ADVISRS
THAT TRY TO PORTRAY, CONVEY THEY IDEA FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. COMPANYS
ARE PUSHING THE AGENDA AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL ALSO A STATE A STATE
THAT WITHDRWAS, STAND BY AND DOESN’T DO MUCH. PUBLIC POLICICY IS BEING
DRAWN BY PUBLIC WELFARE, MAGNIFIED BY REPRESENTATIVE LENIENT ATTITUDE
IN THE POLITICAL ARENA AS THEY HAVE NO SUPPORT.

4) What does the author mean when he says that Unilever’s web page could be mistaken “for
an agency of the U.N.” (line 23)

UN agencies have public interests and sustainable development at heart. Unilever's webpage
format tries to imitate that positive image an UN agency shows in order to blur their true
intentions as a corporation. Public and private sectors are overlapping, the interests are
blurred. There is no clear distinction, difficult to tell them apart. Its domain I international
and global, and it has represantation in sveral decision making areas or committes,
rather than local.

5) Explain the statement in line 39 “beauty couldn’t be more critical to your happiness”
Feeling beautiful defines or is essential to our happiness.

6) What does “it” refer to in line 41?

Young people’s Self-esteem.

7) Explain the phrase “sometimes it seems to play both ends of the game” and paraphrase the
example used to illustrate it. [you may develop the second part of the question in 4 lines]

In order to look out for its own interests, Unilever plays on the sides of both public and private
sectors. Unilever uses opposing sides of an argument to benefit themselves, to their own
benefit. Regarding the need of cut down of …. On processecd foods.

By reducing the amount of fat, salt and sugar seems that they care about people's health but
they actually avoid further action. In favor of their own interests, they help the least, always
avoiding self-threatening changes, like restrictions and labeling, to the detriment of the
company. Although unilever claimed, it has also being active to do nothing about salt, sugar and
processed foods.

8) What are, in your own words, the conditions large corporations need whenever they are
asked to redress certain issues (l.66-69)?

Passivity from the government and a friendly environment for business.

Large companies need that the government look the other way by not taking action against
them and that they offer a cooperative work atmosphere by showing leniency. Better conditions
for their companies.

9) What’s the outcome of the best-case scenario at the corporate-dominated panels?

The outcome is futile because the chief executives idealize themselves. They feel they are
responsible for saving and assisting others. Show off egotism- self-conceit – boastfulness –
display of rhetorical expression, just a talk and not change. Self-congratulatory talks.

10) In your own words explain what you understand by the phrase that political agents are “in
danger of being loved to death” (l.76) by these companies [you may develop in 3-4 lines]

The political agents will not serve their real purpose because they will be conducted to always
side with the companies. The corporations rely heavily on them to always be on their side. For
instance, Unilever counts on the Guardian to serve as its political agent by showing its ideals to
the public. These companies endorse more independents agents which scrutinize as a
self-demonstration of their capacity to exercise criticism. The danger to have no freedom
of speech, suffocated, to find yourself in a tight position where you are supposed to
inform. Stakeholderize present itself as a having the willingness to be self-critical abut its
own doing, funding a newspaper agency that otherwise would speak more freely about it.
11) What expression afterwards echoes the unwanted result of the dangers of “being loved to
death” by these companies?

A step down the primrose path (line 86)