UNIT 45 POVERTY: THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS

A World poverty
DEFINING POVERTY
Absolute poverty is defined according to an absolute minimum standard, often called the “poverty
line”. Relative poverty means that you are poor in relation to those around you. Income poverty
(“less than a dollar a day”, for example) means that you are poor if you have less money than the
defined poverty line for your country. Human poverty takes into account other factors, such as life
expectancy, infant malnutrition1, illiteracy2 and lack of food and clean water.
THE RICH
In 1960, the 20% of the world’s people who live in the richest countries had 30 times the income of
the poorest 20%; now it’s 82 times. The world’s 225 richest people have a combined wealth of over
$1000 billion. Only 4 per cent of this wealth – $40 billion – would be enough for basic education and
healthcare, adequate food, and safer water and sanitation3 for all the world’s people.
- the 15 richest people have assets that exceed the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP)4 of Sub-
Saharan Africa.
- the assets of 84 richest people exceed the GDP of China, which has 1.2 billion inhabitants.
AIDING THE POOR
The UN has set the target for overseas aid at 0.7% of a country’s GNP5. Only the Netherlands and
Sweden currently meet the target and the US aid budget is the lowest of all. Overall, the average aid
provided by richer countries is 0.22% of GNP. If it had stayed at its 1992 level of 0.33%, it would
today be $24 billion more than it is.
The majority of aid is not spent on direct poverty alleviation6. Some is “tied” to trade deals, or debt
servicing7. In 1997, debt-service payments from sub-Saharan Africa amounted to 80% of aid. Only
24.3% of overseas aid goes to the poorest countries.

1 ill health caused by inadequate food

2 inability to read or write
3 system for taking dirty water and waste from homes to ensure good hygiene
4 the total value of the goods and services produced in a country in one year, excluding income
received from abroad.
5 Gross National Product is GDP plus money earned from abroad by companies based in that country.
6 reducing the level of poverty
7paying back money owed on loans.

B Other words and expressions relating to poverty

A number or artists who only became famous after their deaths spent their lifetimes in penury. [the
state of being extremely poor]
It’s a very poor country – over 60% of the population live on (or below) the breadline. [having the
level of income of an extremely poor person].
The charity’s main aim is to improve healthcare in impoverished areas of the world. [poor, without
money to live on]
Everywhere in the city you see destitute people living in shop doorways or under bridges. [without
money, food, home or possessions]
Unfortunately, the number of deprived children in the world is growing, even in so-called rich
countries. [not having the things necessary for a pleasant life – food, home, money]
When we first married we were living from hand to mouth, so it’s nice to be able to spend a bit
more now. [having just enough money to live without suffering]
Ever since I lost my job, money has been tight. [there has not been much money]

45.1 Do these statements reflect the points made in the article in A? Mark each one True or False and
correct the false statements.
1. Income poverty takes health factors into account as well as money.
2. If the 225 richest people in the world each gave up 4% of their wealth, there would be no poverty
problems in the world.
3. 15 people each have wealth that is worth more than the GDP of sub-Saharan Africa.
4. The US gives 0.7% of its GDP to overseas aid.
5. The proportion of GNP given as overseas aid is increasing.
6. More than three quarters of aid is used to pay back previous loans from richest countries.
7. Just over a quarter of overseas aid actually goes to the poorest countries.
45.2 Choose one of the words to complete each of the sentences below
absolute, alleviation, Domestic, malnutrition, relative, sanitation, servicing, National
1. The figure for a country’s Gross ______________ Product will be larger than for its Gross
__________ Product.
2. In countries where food is scarce, ______________ is inevitably a major problem.
3. Using overseas aid for debt _________ does not directly help any people who are suffering through
poverty.
4. The amount of money earned by someone suffering from _____________ poverty will be greater in
a rich area than in a poor area, whereas ____________ poverty does not take account of a person’s
immediate environment.
5. The Child Poverty Action Group does all it can for the ____________ of poverty among children in
the United Kingdom.
6. Temporary refugee camps usually have rather poor _____________ facilities.

45.3 Match the two halves of the collocations. They are all used in the text in A.
1. poverty 3. overseas 5. debt 7. trade
2. life 4. minimum 6. infant 8. income

poverty, deal, servicing, aid, standard, expectancy, line, malnutrition

45.4 Choose the best word to complete each of the sentences

1. A person who sleeps rough or on a cardboard box on the street and begs for money can best be
described as impoverished / destitute.
2. Without my husband’s income, we were very much living from hand to mouth / foot.
3. When we were children, money was always small / tight.
4. Even children with rich parents can be deprived / destitute in terms of love and affection.
5. An increasing number of people live below penury/ breadline.

LACK, SHORTAGE AND EXCESS

Read these two texts
The haves
In Santa Maxima people were well-to-do, well off and well heeled. They ate and drank to their
hearts' content and often to excess. They had plenty of delicacies to eat and ample fine wine to
drink. There was an abundance of natural resources in the country and manifold crops were plentiful.
Most people wanted for nothing: they had mountains of food, stacks of money, heaps of stocks and
shares and piles and piles of bonds and other assets.
The have-nots
In San Minimo there was abject poverty. There were insufficient crops and an acute shortage of
drinking water. Inadequate sanitation meant that standards of hygiene fell well below an acceptable
norm. Rice was scarce and many were suffering from severe vitamin deficiency. What food they got
was lacking in protein and low in nutritional value.

We can use a wide range of vocabulary to express lack, need, sufficiency and excess:
• verbs and verbal phrases:
to need to require to be in need of (could) do with (could) do without to lack
to stuff yourself to overdo it to be crying out for to satisfy a need
• adjective + noun collocations:
in desperate need of a plentiful supply in abject poverty an acute shortage
untold wealth / luxury dire need untapped resources easy money
conspicuous consumption
• adverb + adjective collocations:
severely lacking in desperately short of barely adequate fabulously wealthy
desperately poor filthy rich
• adverb + verb collocations:
badly need urgently require obviously lack want something desperately
• idiomatic phrases:
well-heeled down-at-heel down and out on the breadline more than enough
to run short of be strapped for cash to stuff yourself silly

PRACTICE
1-174 The stories of Santa Maxima and San Minimo continue below. Fill each of the numbered blanks
with one word given
1 wine hard up untold full butter need overweight fleets brimming surfeit
fraction surplus excessive unimaginable overdid
In Santa Maxima no one knew what it meant to be (1) ________ . Santa Maximans were (2) _________ of
optimism and (3) _________ over with confidence. When they hit the big time, their wealth became
(4)_______ and they lived in a (5) ________ of luxury and – often – with a (6) ________ of fat. (7)
_________ and over-indulgent, with (8)_________ riches and (9) _________ wealth, they (10) ________
everything, with their (11) ____________ of cars, their (12) ________ mountains, (13) __________ lakes and
overconsumption, desperately in(14) ___________ of a modicum of self-control to consume a
(15)______________ of what was theirs to use. That was how life was in Santa Maxima before the revolution.

2 dire lack utter hardship short scrap non-existent empty drop

devoid basic bereft scarcity clear lacking
(1) ________ of medical supplies, San Minimo was in (2) ________ need of help and there was a
(3)________ need for urgent action. There was a serious (4) ________ of any kind of expertise and their
educational system was virtually (5) ________. With the (6) _________ of food and (7) ________
commodities, babies were being born (8) _________ of all hope and (9) ___________ in fundamental
human rights. Whenever war broke out, they suffered even greater (10) __________ . After each war,
when the country needed completely restructuring, the Government was (11) __________ of ideas.
Survivors lived on(12) ________ of food, hardly a (13) ________ of water and just crumbs of hope from
aid agencies. They existed in(14) _________ degradation, undernourished, underfed, running
on(15)_________ , with more than enough dreams for the whole world. That was how life was in San
Minimo before the revolution.

2-175 Rewrite each sentence using the two words below it.
a We need somebody like you to help us.
in /assistance
b He may be inexperienced but he makes up for it by being enthusiastic.
what / lacks
c The pay increase didn't come up to our expectations.
short / hoped
d The company's profits have nearly doubled.
up/100%
e We don't have to do anything about payment yet.
need / done
f The fact that they have so few vitamins in their diet is their biggest problem.
vitamin / heart
g 'I guarantee you'll have everything you want,' the old man said to her.
want / nothing
h There don't seem to be many talented athletes around at the moment.
suffering /paucity

3-175 For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to
the original sentence, but using the word given. This word must not be altered in any way.
a I believe that footballers are grossly overpaid.
much
b At the moment there are sufficient restaurants in this area.
short
c There's an acute shortage of vegetable crops in the north of the country.
desperately
d A few communities in the south are severely malnourished.
enough
e She was allowed everything she wanted as a child.
nothing
f We can't go on much longer without a stable government.
 urgent
g What we really need is someone with first-hand experience.
could
h They kept on playing on the computer for as long as they wanted to.
content
i Better education is something the country simply can't do without.
crying
j There was a mountain of food on each plate.
piled

4-175 Fill each of the gaps with a suitable word or phrase

a We hoped to be better off after the budget but in fact _________ever.
b It was clear from their demeanour that they _______ help.
c This ugly old tree needs _______ back a bit.
d Don't you think there's a clear _______ the company to be restructured?
e Nobody nowadays _______ on £30 a week, can they?
f How anyone on such a high salary _______ so down-at-heel is beyond me.
g She has self-confidence _________ abundance.
h Until pay-day I've hardly _________ on.

*****

Vocabulary 10 Social problems

1-223 Read the text and decide which answer best fits each space
Ask most people for their Top Ten fears, and you’ll be sure to find being burgled fairly high on the (1)
________. An information survey I (2) ______ among friends at a party last week revealed that eight of
them had had their homes broken into more than twice, and two had been burgled five times. To put the
record (3) ________ , none of my friends owns valuable paintings or a sideboard full of family silverware.
Three of them are students, (4) _________ . The most typical burglary, it seems, (5) _________ the
theft of easily transportable items – the television, the video, even food from the freezer. This may have
something to do with the fact that the (6) ________ burglar is in his (or her) late teens, and probably
wouldn’t know what to do with a Picasso, (7) ________ selling a walkman or a vacuum cleaner is a
much easier (8) __________ . They are perhaps not so much professional criminals, as hard-up young
people who need a few pounds and some excitement. Not that this makes having your house (9) ______
upside down and your favourite things stolen any easier to (10) ________ . In most (11) ________ , the
police have no luck(12) _______ any of the stolen goods. Unless there is definite evidence, they are
probably unable to do anything at all. And alarms or special locks don’t (13) _________ to help either.
The only advice my friends could (14) _________ was “Never live on the ground floor” and “Keep two or
three very fierce dogs” , which reminded me of a case I read about, where the burglar’s ( 15) _______
included the family’s pet poodle.
1 A rank B rating C grade D list
2 A called up B held with C set about D carried out
3 A straight B right C correct D steady
4 A as well B however C in fact D at any rate
5 A means B involves C affects D covers
6 A common B medium C average D middle
7 A whereas B as yet C much as D as soon as
8 A concern B event C situation D matter
9 A put B turned C stood D pulled
10 A submit B receive C accept D admit
11 A examples B cases C items D occasions
12 A taking B making C tracking D recovering
13 A sound B look C show D seem
14 A come up with B make do with C go through with D get off with
15 A takings B profit C loot D receipts
 *****

TEXT 1
1 Read through the text quickly, ignoring the gaps for the moment, and decide what it’s about.
Choose the best description from the list below.
A How to save money when you go shopping
B How to get rid of your rubbish
C The problem about the rubbish we create
D The problem about the food we eat
A LOT OF OLD RUBBISH?
'Waste not, want not,' my great-aunt used to say to me as she carefully snipped the string
from parcels and folded brown paper away for re-use. If she received anything wrapped in fancy
paper, she kept if for next year's presents.
Such economy seems strange in our throwaway society, where disposable means
convenient, and cupboards are filled with boxes and packets and cartons.
1 [B ] The idea of a 'gift pack', where the gift wrapping is as important as the gift itself,
would have been regarded as a cheat 30 years ago. Today it is acceptable for even a packet of
biscuits to be enclosed in three layers of wrapping.
2 [ ] It costs Britain £720 million a year to dispose of its rubbish (70 per cent of which
is packaging). The average family uses up six trees' worth of paper a year and, if all the cans
used in Britain in one year were placed end to end, they would reach to the moon and back
twice!
Just how much rubbish does go into our bins? 3 [ ] As a young professional couple
working long hours, most of our shopping consists of convenience foods. We had expected to
have a lot of rubbish, but even I was shocked to find that our final waste bag was 1 metre high
and weighed over 6 kilos!
4 [ ] In one week alone we threw out 300 sheets of newspaper, 12 bits of junk mail,
all unread, five old magazines and nine brightly coloured paper boxes which had once been
home to a pre-cooked meal, assorted pizzas and biscuits. The rest of our rubbish was a sad
smelly assortment of baked bean and sweetcorn tins and burger cartons. “Yuk,” said my
husband, as we sorted through our bin bag.
5 [ ] According to Pippa Hyam of Friends of the Earth, our paper and the metal in our
cans are valuable materials which could easily have been reprocessed and re-used. She was more
worried about our use of plastic, which is difficult to dispose of and may last for hundreds of
years. She would like to see people using less plastic. 6 [ ] Making plastic uses oil, which is
running out. It should not be thought of as a cheap disposable product,' she says.

2 Six sentences have been removed from the text. Choose a sentence from the list (A-F) below to
fill each of the gaps. Write the correct letter in the space. The first one has been done for you as
an example.
A I'm prepared to pay a little more for things that aren't packaged in plastic.
B Nowadays, packaging is not only used to protect goods but also as a positive selling
feature.
C Our bin was bulging with paper.
D My husband and I offered to analyse the contents of our weekly household waste.
E “Is this really what we eat?”
F But we pay a high price for our sophisticated packaging.

3 Find words and phrases in the text which mean the same as the following. The paragraph
numbers are given in brackets.
1. cut with scissors (1)
2. not plain or ordinary, with a lot of decoration (1)
3. saving of money (2)
4. intended to be thrown away (2)
5. a dishonest risk (3)
6. get rid of (4)
7. advertising material sent through the post (6)
8. collection of various things (7)

LAND OF THE GIANTS

Ignore the politicians. Big business is now the most powerful force on Earth. Countries don't matter any
more. Companies do. Don't worry about who wins the next general election. Worry about who's running
General Electric. Company presidents, not White House presidents, are finally in charge.
Nearly as many people work for General Motors as live in Wales. Fewer than four hundred billionaires
control as much capital as half the global population. Bill Gates alone is worth more than a hundred and
thirty-five countries. If we compare the biggest companies' annual turnover with national GDP, Philip
Morris makes more money than New Zealand, Ford makes more than Thailand, and Exxon Mobil as much
as South Africa and Nigeria put together.
Just three hundred corporations control 25% of all the productive assets on earth. Within the next ten
years, many multinationals could open their own embassies and even start issuing their own currency!
Impossible? Not according to futurists, Jim Taylor and Watts Wacker. They argue that as cross-border
trade increases, national frontiers become increasingly unimportant and global business begins to take
over from government. Goodbye United Nations. Hello United Corporations.
A few years ago, it was fashionable to disregard the 'Old Economy', as we welcomed in the Digital Age.
Small entrepreneurial companies were going to kill off 'corporate dinosaurs' like Ford and Levi's. It never
happened. Billions were wasted on dotcom disasters run by kids with no business brains, while the big
companies, slow at first, simply took the technology and used it more intelligently.
Size alone may not guarantee competitiveness, but to go from innovation to mass production quickly and
efficiently takes a big company with substantial resources and an aggressive marketing strategy. In the
words of Andrew Grove, head of Intel: 'We don't beat the competition, we crush it.' Now, more than
ever, big is beautiful.