Elif Su Toker

Mehmetcan Alataş
Oğuzhan Balaban
Şükriye Karaca

1
 Elif Su Toker
Mehmetcan Alataş
Oğuzhan Balaban
Şükriye Karaca

1
 Before Reading
Brainstorming

In small groups discuss and list the products and

industries where ethical consumer choices are crucial.
What do you know about the ‘’Ethical consumerism’’?
How do you think about the act of excessive buying
affects the individuals and the environment?
How often do you buy things you don’t need?

Reading

The Buy Nothing

Movement
Nevertheless, an opposing trend, the 'buy nothing'
In today's world, social media, magazines, and shop
movement, could be emerging in resistance to
windows continuously bombard people with enticing
consumerism. Originating in Canada in the early 1990s
items to buy, leading consumers to purchase more
and later spreading to the US, this movement emerged
clothes and shoes than ever before. The ease of online
as a rejection of the overspending during events like
shopping means customers could buy without much
Black Friday and Cyber Monday. On Buy Nothing Day,
thought, while major brands should offer such cheap
people might organize various protests and could even
clothes that they can be treated as disposable items –
consider cutting up their credit cards. Throughout the
worn a couple of times and then discarded. According
year, Buy Nothing groups might organize exchanges and
to a 2021 study by Bolt Insight in Turkiye, consumers
repairs of items they already own. This trend might have
might shop for clothes an average of 2.5 times a month,
now reached social media influencers who ordinarily
spending an average of 2,408 TL per year. This might
recommend products for people to buy.
not seem significant, but these figures might hide two
alarming trends for society and the environment.
Even if managing an entire year without shopping might
seem challenging, individuals could participate in the
Firstly, a significant portion of consumer spending might
anti-consumerist movement by refusing to buy
occur via credit cards. In Turkiye, one in two people, or
unnecessary items. Buy Nothing groups might send a
60 out of every 100, might have credit debt. Not only
clear message to companies that people are no longer
could people be spending money they don't have, but
willing to tolerate the environmental and human costs of
they might also be using it to buy things they don't
overconsumption.
really need. Individuals might not realize they contribute
to the disposable clothing problem when they donate
their unwanted clothes to charities. However, charity
shops might not be able to sell all these unwanted
clothes. 'Fast fashion' might quickly fall out of favor and
often might be of such poor quality that it might not be
easily recyclable or desired second-hand. Consequently,
huge quantities might end up being discarded, and
many unsold clothes might be sent abroad, leading to
further economic and environmental issues.

Are these sentences true or false according to

Word Matching
the reading activity? Match the bolded words in the text with their definitions.
1- People buy clothes because they want to throw them
away. 0 Disposable Excessive spending beyond
one's means
2- The writer thinks it is worrying that people spend 1 Overspending Purchasing more than necessary
money on things they do not need. People who impact others'
2 Consumerism choices on social media
3- Only a very small proportion of unwanted clothes are Items worn out quickly and
thrown away. 3 Debt discarded
Credit amount owed by
4- Buy Nothing Day is a protest against credit cards. 4 Influencer
2
consumers
Grammar: Modals, could and might. Writing
Write about your shopping habits:
Complete the sentences with words from the reading article. 1- how many clothes do you buy in a month?
Use could or might. Then complete the rule. 2- do you buy new clothes or second-hand clothes?
3- do you think you are a consumer?
1. The ease of online shopping means customers _______ buy without
much thought. 4- how can people change their overspending habits?

2. According to a 2021 study, consumers _______ shop for clothes an

average of 2.5 times a month.

3. Not only _____ people be spending money they don't have, but they
________ also be using it to buy things they don't really need.

RULE
Use ______ when something is possibly true or when someone has the
ability to do something but isn't certain.

Use _______ when there's a possibility of something happening, but it's

uncertain or less likely.

Complete the sentences with the modal verbs: could or might.

Sometimes there’s more than one answer.
Explain the meaning difference in class.
1.When shopping, people ___________ forget how their choices affect
nature, just caring about the price.

2.The idea of always buying ___________ come from thinking about

our own money more than others.

3.Ads online ___________ make us feel like we need more things, so

we keep buying.

4.Wanting lots of stuff ___________ make us forget what's really

important, like friends.

5.People often think buying more things ___________ make them

happier, but it doesn't always work; sometimes, it just makes us want
more stuff.

3
 Match the words and phrases with the meanings. Write the numbers in the boxes.

1-On offer / 2-Limited Edition / 3- Designer / 4-Discount / 5- Cash on delivery / 6- Divulge

A method of payment in which a person or
A product that has specified small
organization buying goods pays for the goods
number of copies
at the time that they receive them

Available to be bought or used

A reduction in the usual price

Made by a famous or fashionable artist

To make something secret known

T
T II M
MEET
TOO LL II SS T
TEEN
N
Before Listening, work in small
groups, and answer the
questions.
1- Do you trust online shopping
Before Listening, work in pairs and answer the
apps or websites?
questions.
2- How do you know if a
1- Do you like shopping?
shopping app/website is
2- Do you prefer shopping online or in-person?
trustable?
3- Did you buy anything from a big sale?
3- Do you think that online
advertisements influences our
Listen to the conversation between a shopping habits?
mother and her children and answer the
questions below.
Listening 1 1- What do you think the idiom ‘’Money does
not grow on trees’’ means?
Listen to the story of Jane’s
unfortunate shopping, and
2- What do the children want to buy? answer the questions below.
3- Why do they want them? 1- Which items did she buy
online?
2- How did she pay for her
shopping, why?

Listening 2
3- What kind of problem did
she have?

Fill in the blanks according to the listening texts

Boy: Mom! I want to get

this__________ . All my friends have Jane looked at the items on sale. A
one. There is also a dress she liked had a great ________.
__________________badminton (...)
racket I would like to buy. June usually pays _______________.
(...) She does not use her credit card. She
does not want to ____________ her
Mom: You are buying it because it is personal information.
on sale. Money does not grow on
trees you know.
 Speaking Activity
Work in pairs. Discuss these questions:

1- How do social media and ads affect the way people buy
clothes, according to the text?

2- What are the financial problems mentioned in the text,

especially regarding credit cards?

3- What environmental issues come from throwing away

too many clothes, and how does the 'buy nothing' trend try
to help?

Vocabulary Activity
Complete the sentences with words from the box.

sites hand spending shops fashion away

1. Fast ……………………………… is made quickly and cheaply.

2. Some clothing is so cheap that people can afford to wear it
a couple of times and throw it ……………………………… .
3. There is a worrying trend for more consumers
……………………………… on credit cards.
4. Giving clothes to charity ……………………………… does not
completely solve the problem.
5. Make sure you only donate clothes that people will want to
buy second-……………………………… .
6. A lot of clothes donated to charity cannot be reused and
end up in landfill ……………………………… .