A. Find evidence for the following.

1) The holidays are a tricky time for shopaholics 1

since they are tempted by the low prices. 8
2) Some experts think people shop to relieve their
For an estimated 6% of Americans with compulsive frustrations.
buying tendencies, this is a tough time of the year as attractive 3) Compulsive shopping becomes a disease when
bargains egg people on to spend.
it gets out of control and starts to ruin people’s
"The whole culture conspires against us in the holiday
life.
season," says April Lane Benson, a Manhattan psychologist.
4) It is just as difficult to control as other types of
Besides tempting sales and the urge to shop for oneself, she
obsessive behaviour.
says, "the holidays bring up a lot of unfulfilled longing for some
5) Some people are totally reckless when it comes
people - and that's one reason why they shop, as a salve for
disappointment." to buying the things they love.
While the stereotypical compulsive shopper is 6) Shopping helps them to deal with their lack of
traditionally a woman in her 30s, experts say the ease and confidence.
2
speed of Internet shopping is luring more men and more young B. Answer the following questions in your
own words as far as possible. 4
people. Over Black Friday weekend, men outspent women
$484 to $317, on average, according to the National Retail
Federation. They also spent an average of $200 online - twice 1) Is online shopping a safe alternative for
as much as the average woman. compulsive buyers? Justify.
In a 2005 survey of 195 U.K. teenagers, who grew up 2) In what way does obsessive shopping affect
with the Internet, 44% showed signs of compulsive shopping people’s lives?
habits, according to research published in the British Journal of 3) How do shopaholics try to cheat others about
Psychology. "The Internet is dangerous for compulsive buyers," their spending?
says psychiatrist Elias Aboujaoude. Transactions move so 4) Why do you think was it difficult for Arzu to
quickly that it is hard to pause to reassess the buying urge, he control her spending habits?
says. 1
But when does "retail therapy" cross the line into C. Explain the following in your own words.
compulsive shopping? Experts say purchasing turns 2
pathological when people continue to do it even though it 1) ...”men outspent women”… (3rd ¶)
causes financial problems, disrupts work, family or social life 2) ...”the thrill fades fast and is often followed by
or involves deceit, such as hiding bills and packages. Feeling remorse”… (6th ¶)
out of control is another tip-off.
Compulsive buying disorder is generally considered an D. Match the words from the text with 1
impulse-control problem, like gambling or sex addiction. Some their meaning on the right. 6
sufferers describe feeling their hearts race, cheeks flush and
abandoning all sense of caution when they're stalking favorite 1) compulsive (1st ¶) a) warning/sign
items. "Usually, the idea is, 'I see it, I like it, I want it, I'll buy it - 2) egg on (1st ¶) b) desire/wish
and damn the consequences,'" says Donald W. Black, a 3) tempting (2nd ¶) c) to attract
professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa. But the thrill 4) urge (2nd ¶) d) obsessive
fades fast and is often followed by remorse, and then more 5) luring (3rd ¶) e) to triumph over
shopping to feel better again. 6) disrupts (5th ¶) f) to encourage
Many compulsive shoppers also suffer from depression, 7) tip-off (5th ¶) g) to interfere with
anxiety or eating disorders, and about half of them are also
8) overcome (7th ¶) h) appealing
hoarders. Compulsive shoppers themselves often have a sense
of what drives them. Some suffer from low self-esteem and 1
think the perfect dress or accessory will help overcome it. E. What do the underlined words refer to
6
Arzu Yonak says she shopped out of boredom growing in the text?
up in rural Ohio. The habit got out of hand when she had an
internship in New York - and her father's credit cards - at age 1) this (1st ¶) 2) she (2nd ¶)
20. "I remember having five shopping bags in one hand and the 3) they (3rd ¶) 4) who (4th ¶)
phone in the other, saying 'Mom, I can't stop!'" 5) it (5th¶ ) 6) their (6th ¶)
(abridged and adapted) 7) them (7th ¶) 8) it (7th ¶)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204903804577080261756886728.html
F. Read this text on consumerism and complete it with the words below: 1
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buying  unnecessary  bored  purchase  behavior  ads  shoppers  need

A recent survey has found that one in 20 American adults (1) things they may not even want or never (2) or use. In
today’s world of consumerism, where we are constantly bombarded by (3), men are just as likely as women to
suffer from compulsive (4). Gone seem to be the days when women dragged their (5) men around shopping
centers. The new research from Stanford University has revealed that men are now just as avid and compulsive
(6) as their female counterparts. Researcher Dr Lorrin Koram said that the numbers of men who indulge in (7)
shopping sprees has rocketed: "That's the biggest surprise - men engage in this (8) almost as commonly as
women," he said.

G. Rewrite each sentence using a RELATIVE PRONOUN – use commas where necessary. 2
4
1) One of April Benson’s patients got fired. He was compulsively shopping on the Internet all day.
2) You’ve spent all the money I gave you. This is totally unacceptable.
3) We met a nice lady the other day. Her son spends a lot of money on clothes.
4) Shopping centers now look like cathedrals. People love to shop there.
5) Young people are constantly exposed to advertising messages. They are designed to make them believe
they can’t live without a certain product.
6) A young man was accused of shop-lifting. I saw him getting arrested yesterday.

H. Complete each sentence with a suitable verb tense. 2

4
1. I ... (buy) this new pair of trousers. Do you like them?
2. She lost her credit card, while she (shop).
3. She ... (already spend) a lot of money when her mother arrived at the store.
4. Thomas (go) shopping every Saturday morning. This is a little bit too much, don’t you think?
5. They (arrive) from the shopping centre 5 minutes ago.
6. We’ll go shopping, when the rain (stop).
7. It’s time to go home now. You (shop) all afternoon.
8. He (try) to save some money for a new car at the moment.

I. In no less than 200 words, do one of the following. 5

0
1) Bearing in mind the text and the role of advertising write an opinion essay explaining why people are victims of
consumerism and at what cost. What about you? Are you a victim as well? Explain.
2) Use the ads below as examples and write about the techniques used by advertisers to convince people to buy.

Carlsberg – Probably the best beer in the world.