Preview Activity (I) Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2019. For use only with license.

Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) (B1-B2)

Work with a partner or group. Do the activities below together.

PART I Discuss and write your own definitions for the words below.

DEFINITIONS

CONSUMERISM

MINIMALISM

BLACK FRIDAY

• What do you think are some negative effects of consumerism?

• How can consumption be done ethically?
• What are some benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle?
• Why do you think Black Friday is called ‘Black Friday’?

PART II Discuss why you think the USA is a hyper-consumerist society. Then list what you
think are the 3 most advertised types of products on American TV commercials:

PART III Which idea below do you agree with the most? Explain your opinion.

1 Consuming and buying more things generally makes people happier.

2 Consuming can be a good thing, but the way people consume is a problem.
3 Consuming and buying is generally a bad thing and makes people depressed.

PART IV Discuss the two topics below:

1 Imagine you plan to start living a minimalist lifestyle. How do you start? What’s
your plan? What things are you going to miss?

2 Some people think that marketers and stores can trick you into buying something.
Can you try to explain what this means? How can stores and advertisers trick you?
Preview Activity (II) Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) (B1-B2)

PART I Choose the correct definition for each verb below based on the context.

1 Society has tricked people into thinking that we need more things to be happy.

2 I want to get rid of many of my things and live a more minimalist lifestyle.

3 It was a successful year for our company. We acquired a thousand new customers.

4 Consumption and pollution cause a lot of damage to the environment.

5 In the new year, I’m going to give up my bad habits, like eating fast food regularly.

1 trick a. to make happen

2 get rid of b. to throw something away or remove from your life
3 acquire c. to quit or stop doing something
4 cause d. to make someone believe something that isn’t true
5 give up e. to get or gain something

PART II Choose the correct definition or synonym for the bold words / phrases below.

(1) If you really want something and can’t have it, you can start to feel miserable.

miserable means... a. energetic or filled with positivity
b. really unhappy or depressed
c. excited or looking forward to something
(2) Too many people are obsessed with the idea of being rich and famous.
to be obsessed means.... a. to be financially dependent on someone
b. to quickly forget some information
c. to not be able to stop thinking about something
(3) It’s compulsory for all employees at the company to take monthly drug tests.
compulsory means.... a. required / necessary
b. motivated / hard-working
c. activated / functional
PART III Can you explain the meaning of the highlighted vocabulary words based on context?

(1) I’m on the hunt to buy a house, but it’s hard to find a good price in this market.

Synonym / Definition:

(2) I got wrapped up in my work project and forgot to pick my son up from school!

Synonym / Definition:
Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) (B1-B2)

Preview Discussion Questions

Have you ever heard of ‘The American

Dream’? What do you think it means?

Do you know what it means to lose your

mind? How could this be connected to your
Viewing Activity shopping or consumption habits?

PART I Finish each sentence below according to the information from the video.

0:13 1 In the videos which show Black Friday in the USA, you can see people...

0:53 2 Often, when the new version of a product comes out, we...

1:16 3 There’s nothing wrong with consumption, the problem is...

1:29 4 One minimalist says that minimalism for him was about taking...

2:06 5 Consumerism not only makes us unhappy, but it also causes...

2:17 6 Minimalism is an idea which says, “Let’s...

PART II How were the words below used in the context of the video?

miserable compulsory wrapped up tricked acquiring

Sometimes we get so (1) in the hunt for new things, which

makes us (2) . Some minimalists say that we’ve become tired of
(3) new things. People are starting to feel like they have been
(4) by the idea that it’s (5) to buy new
things.
 Post-Viewing Activity (I) Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) (B1-B2)

PART I Can you explain the meaning of the sentences below in connection to consumerism?

(1) We’re always on the hunt. Nothing ever quite does it for us.

Meaning:

(2) There’s no question that what it means to have achieved the American Dream has
increased tremendously in material terms.

Meaning:

(3) There is no “out” until you become aware.

Meaning:

(4) We’re going to have to give up a lot, but the secret is that a lot of that we’re not
actually going to miss.

Meaning:

PART II Answer the questions about the line from the video using the going to form below.

In the video, one man talks about becoming minimalist. He says...

“We’re going to have to give up a lot, but the secret is that a lot of that
we’re not actually going to miss.”

1 Why does he use going to in this sentence?

a. He is imagining something which is unrealistic about becoming a minimalist.

b. He is telling a story about something he did in the past to become a minimalist.
c. He is speaking about a plan for future action to become a minimalist.

2 What does going to + have to express in sentence above?

a. It expresses something necessary you must do (same idea as must)

b. It expresses a recommendation, or something you should do (same idea as should)
c. It expresses something possible which you can do (same idea as can)

Think about a skill you have. Imagine you are teaching a friend how to do it. Tell your friend 3
things he/she is going to have to do if they want to acquire the same skill.

3
 Post-Viewing Activity (II) Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) (B1-B2)

PART I Are the sentences below examples of past simple or present perfect?

a. The idea of achieving the American Dream has increased tremendously in material terms.
b. This is not something that happened yesterday.
c. This is something that has been sold to us over the past hundred years.
d. People are beginning to recognize that they have been tricked.
e. When I heard about minimalism, it wasn’t just about getting rid of my stuff.
f. When I started reducing the amount of things in my life, I found out I had 51 things in the entire world.

PAST SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT

PART II Study the two sentences below and answer the questions.

“This is not something that happened yesterday.”
“This is something that has been sold to us over the past hundred years.”

1 Why does the speaker use past simple in the first and present perfect in the second?

2 What differences do you see in the structure of the sentences and form of the verbs?

PART III Study the two sentences below and answer the question.

“When I heard about minimalism, it wasn’t just about getting rid of my stuff.”
“When I started reducing the amount of things in my life, I found out I had 51 things in
the entire world.”

1 Why is the past simple used in these two sentences and not the present perfect?
Post-Viewing Activity (III) Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) (B1-B2)

EXERCISE I Choose the correct past simple or present perfect form below.

1 The day I became / have become a minimalist, my life changed / has changed tremendously.

2 Our family bought / has bought many new things for the house over the past few weeks.

3 We were / have been to many stores for Black Friday shopping discounts the past few days.

4 I didn’t go / haven’t gone shopping yesterday on Black Friday. The stores were / have been
too chaotic.

5 Traffic in the area increased / has increased since the holiday season started / has started
last week.

6 When I heard / have heard about the discount for the new video game, I immediately went /
have gone online and bought / have bought one.

7 The amount of shopping malls in the area grew / has grown a lot over the past few decades.

Read the story below. Write a past simple or present perfect form in the spaces
EXERCISE II
according to the context. Choose a verb which fits the context.

Yesterday me and my husband (1) an interview with a magazine

about our minimalists lifestyle. They (2) us many questions about how
our life (3) over the past few years after we (4)
the decision to become minimalists. We (5) them that we (6)
a lot less ecological impact. My husband (7) a lot
of weight too because we (8) eating such big portions. Since starting
our new lifestyle, I (8) a portion larger than 100 grams. In the beginning,
I really (9) hungry all the time, but over time I (10)
used to it.

EXERCISE III Express the change in each sentence using present perfect. Use the verb provided.

1 A few days ago I didn’t know what minimalism was. Now I know a lot about it. (verb: learn)

2 Decades ago I owned too many things. Now I don’t own many things at all. (verb: get rid of)
 Quiz & Review Activity Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
Minimalism: A Documentary (Official Trailer) (B1-B2)

Work with a partner. Complete the quiz and review activities below.

PART I Questions. Discuss the answers to the questions below about consumerism.

1. What do you see in the video from Black Friday in the USA?
2. What often happens when the new version of a product comes out?
3. What does one woman say about the American Dream in the video?
4. What do some minimalists say about consumerism and minimalism?
5. Many people today prefer spending money on experiences rather than things. What
do you think about this mentality?

PART II Vocabulary: Discuss what each word means. Write how it was used it in the video.

1. wrapped up

2. compulsory

3. cause

4. acquiring

5. getting rid of

PART III Grammar: Explain when to use past simple and when to use present perfect. Can
you remember a few examples from the video?

PART IV One way we use present perfect is to express change over time. Can you describe some
changes that have happened in your life or the area where you live...

...over the past few hours?

Ex. I have worked much more than normal over the past few days.

...over the past few days

1

...over the past few weeks

2

...over the past few years