2.2 Mark the following sentences as true or false.

1. Economy is the sphere that people are not interested in.

2. Prosperous society has both advantages and disadvantages.

3. More spending leads to a better happier life.

4. Our sense of need for things prevents the economy from collapsing.

5. It’s impossible to break the vicious circle that exists in the modern economy.

2.3Answer the questions.

1. What kind of economy are people interested in mostly?

2. Are we happy to live in a modern prosperous society?

3. Do people feel optimistic or pessimistic about the future?

4. What does economic expansion mean?

5. Does more spending do good to the modern economy?

6. Can you give examples how “the need of need” is created?

7. How is it possible to break the cycle?

2.4 Express your own opinion about the following issues.

• We are supposed to be benefiting from all the advantages of a prosperous society.

• More spending doesn’t mean that the life is getting better.

• We don’t need the things the economy produces as much as the economy needs our sense of need for these things.

• There is so much craziness in the world.

• The evil of the consumption culture is the way it makes us oblivious to the impact of our own behavior.

Downshifting means working towards simple living by making conscious choices to leave materialism behind and move on to a more sustainable lifestyle. It does not mean simply cutting back and trying to live the same life only with less money. Downshifting requires prioritizing, an adjustment in values, and a totally different mindset… not just a change to a more frugal way of living.

People decide to downshift for a variety of reasons. Many want to get away from “living competitively”… job stress, consumerism, and feeling they have to live up to someone else’s expectations. Other people downshift because of a life changing experience, health reasons, or a crisis in the family. Often downshifting comes out of a wish to conserve natural resources. Whatever the reason, downshifting isn’t limited to any age or income level.

Once the decision to downshift has been made, then comes the question of how. Usually the first step is to create more free time for yourself by working fewer hours. This may involve something as simple as cutting down on overtime, or it may involve changing jobs or deciding to work at home. There is no one solution that fits every circumstance because everyone’s situation and needs are different. Taking your time to analyze your own options will prevent you from making any hasty spur of the moment decisions that you might later regret.

Hand in hand with a change in the number of hours worked is the need to consume less and therefore spend less. As you prioritize your true needs and wants, you will find that many of the “things” you used to spend money on no longer seem important. You will also discover that a more balanced life will feel very empowering because your new simple living changes will result in actually having more options and access to more discretionary money even though you are earning, spending and consuming less than you did before.

Here are some downshifting ideas to get you started, but keep in mind that living a simple life is not about self-denial… you should not give up something that is really important to you.

• Limit the number of services you purchase. Anytime you can do something for yourself instead of paying someone to do it for you, you can save considerable amounts of money.

• Eat out infrequently, if at all. It is easy to get in the habit of stopping for a quick meal instead of taking the time to cook dinner, but this is one area where there can be really big savings, plus the real food you cook at home is always much healthier.

• Change the way you shop for groceries. Comparison shopping and buying to restock your pantry and your refrigerator when items you use regularly are on sale results in huge savings.

• Live green. Recycle, start composting, and limit what you throw away. Conserve gasoline, electricity and other resources to help reduce your carbon footprint.

Over the last several years there has been a huge change in attitudes and values and for many people a change in the definition of real success. Personal growth, an enjoyment of life and feeling a real connection to family while keeping a healthy balance between work and free time have become more important than titles and big incomes. More and more people now believe that even one person can help change the world. Downshifting can be that first step!

I was well paid and too busy. I'd had enough of the fast pace in the south east and halved my salary to work in an environmentally sound role (renewable energy) and to move to the south west. First I took a few months out to tour New Zealand including some voluntary work in 3 national parks - a superb experience. When I returned, the period spent finding work, not knowing where I would be living, was the most stressful. I had decided to only look in the SW or NW - areas I already knew a little. The process took about 10 weeks during which I suffered from alopetia areata (bald patches), eczema and I couldn't sleep. But I found a job in the SW and a great place to live. As soon as I started the new job, all these pressures and symptoms fell away. The cut in salary has been very difficult to manage, but after a few months I managed to adjust all my spending to my new income and life settled down and calmed down. Now I am ready to do it again, only big time - I have been offered my perfect job and job opportunity in New Zealand and will give up my newly found calm to start again in a remote part of that country, some 2 hours drive from the nearest supermarket! I will be living only a few minutes walk from work and will be working in an area that fits my hopes and interests, re-discovered 3 years ago after working through a great book - Pathfinder (see bookshop on steppingoff.co.uk). Good luck and get out of your comfort zone! Inger

http://englishwell.info/9381-intermediate-english-listening-and-reading.html