新视野三版 读写 B2 U5 Text A新视野三版 读写 B2 U5 Text A Spend or save The students dilemma 1 Do you feel as confused and manipulated as I do with this question, “Should I spend or should I save?“ I think that the messages we get from our environment seem to defy common sense and contradict each other. The government tells us to spend or well never get out of the recession. At the sametime,theytellusthatunlesswesavemore,ourcountryis ingravedanger.Banksofferhigherinterestratessoweincrease savings. Then the same banks send us credit card offers so we can spend more. 2 Heres another familiar example: If we dont pay our credit card bill on time, we get demanding, nasty emails from the credit card company saying something like: “Your failure to pay is unacceptable. Pay immediately or youll be in trouble!“ Then, as soon as we pay, we get a follow-up email in a charming tone telling us how valuable a customer we are and encouraging us to resume spending. Which depiction is correct: a failing consumer in trouble or a valued customer? The gap between these two messages is enormous. 3 The paradox is that every day we get two sets of messages at odds with each other. One is the “permissive“ perspective, “Buy, spend, get it now. You need this!“ The other we could call an “upright“ message, which urges us, “Work hard and save. Suspend your desires. Avoid luxuries.Control your appetite for more than you truly need.“ This message comes to us from many sources: from school, from parents, even from political figures referring to “traditional values“. Hard work, family loyalty, and the capacity to postpone desires are core American values that have made our country great. 4Buttheoppositemessage,advertisingspermissivemessage,is inescapable. Though sometimes disguised, the messages are everywhere we look: on TV, in movies on printed media and road signs, in stores, and on buses, trains and subways.Advertisements invade our daily lives. We are constantly surrounded by the message to spend, spend, spend. Someone recently said, “The only time you can escape advertising is when youre in your bed asleep!“ 5 Its been calculated that by the age of 18, the average American will have seen 600,000 ads; by the age of 40, the total is almost one million. Each advertisement is doing its utmost to influence our diverse buying decisions, from the breakfast cereal we eat to which cruise line we will use for our vacation. There is no shortage of ideas and things to buy! Now, of course, we dont remember exactly what the products were, but the essential message is cemented into our consciousness, “Its good to satisfy your desires. You should have what you want. You deserve the best. So, you should buy it now!“ A famous advertisement said it perfectly, “I love me. Im a good friend to myself. I do what makes me feel good. I derive pleasure from nice things and feel nourished by them. I used to put things off. Not anymore. Today Ill buy new ski equipment, look at new compact cars, and buy that camera Ive always wanted. I live my dreams today, not tomorrow.“ 6Whathappensaswetakeinthesecontradictory but explicit messages? What are the psychological and social consequences of this campaign to control our spending habits? On one hand, we want more things because we want to satisfy our material appetite. Most of us derive pleasure from treating ourselves. On the other hand, a little voice inside us echoes those upright messages: “Watch out, take stock of your life, dont let your attention get scattered. Postpone your desires. Dont fall into debt. Wait! Retain control over your own life. It will make you stronger.“ 7 Anyway, many of the skills you need as a successful student can be applied to your finances. Consider your financial well-beings a key ingredient of your universityeducationasmoneyworriesareextremelystressfuland distracting. They can make you feel terrible and hinder your ability to focus on your prime objective: successfully completing your education. 8 How can you be a smart and educated consumer? Many schools, community organizations, and even some banks offer financial literacy classes. Consider consulting with your schools financial aid office or seek input from your parents or other respected adults in setting up a budget. An additional option is finding a partner to help you stay on track and find pleasure in the administration of your own financial affairs. Most importantly, if you find yourself getting into financial trouble, dont let your ego get in your way; urgently get help with tackling your problem before it spins out of control and lands you in legal troubles. 9 All this will help you become an educated consumer and saver. As you learn to balance spending and saving, you will become the captain of your own ship, steeringyourlifeinasuccessfulandproductivedirectionthrough the choppy waters. Language Points： 1 Do you feel as confused and manipulated as I do with this question, “Should I spend or should I save?” (Para. 1)