FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH - KSEEB -CONSUMERIST CULTURE - FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH NOTES - CLASS 10

Unit-9

CONSUMERIST CULTURE

        Cheriyan Alexander

 

Read paragraph 4 carefully and match the statements under A with the examples given under B.

1. Shopping has become more than a need- I was so impressed by this latest version of the smartphone that I bought it using my credit card.

2. It has become an obsessive compulsion over which we have no control- buying additional pairs of branded shoes because they are on 50% sale.

3. Shopping is an end in itself- I spend my weekend evenings in the nearby Mall.

4. It has become a form of entertainment- I enjoy shopping.

 

 IV. Vocabulary

A. Select from the box, two synonyms for the words given below:

(display, different, come up, tempt, plentiful, varied, broadcast, attract, excessive, develop, bear, existence, perplexing, unheard of, support, singular, forceful, confusing, pushing, survival.)

1. Lure: attract, tempt

2. Abundant: plentiful, excessive

3. Sprout: come up, develop

4. Diverse: different, varied

5. Advertise: display, broadcast

6. Bewildering: perplexing, confusing

7. Unprecedented: unheard of, singular

8. Subsistence: existence, survival

9. Aggressive: excessive, forceful

10. Sustain: bear, support

 

B. Find out from the lesson, one word for the following definitions.

1. The preoccupation of society with buying goods consumerism.

2. Goods for sale merchandise.

3. Borderless economic order global economy.

4. Foreign’ trading companies which export capital along with their products international trade.

5. Anything that is meant for the public commodities.

 

C. Fill in the blanks with the opposites of the word given in brackets.

In a largely uncertain (certain) world, even, with gold prices moving upwards, the craze for the yellow metal remains unabated (abated). A key reason is the disgust (enchantment) with other investments. A large percentage of savings are held in unproductive (productive) gold assets and a lot of banks and non-banking (banking) companies are offering loans against gold. But the supply is sadly inadequate (adequate), in spite of unbridled (bridled) mining. Gold attracts unwanted (wanted) attention and is its major disadvantage (advantage). So, do you feel that gold is non-essential? (essential).

 

D. Bring out the difference in meaning between the words in pairs, by using each of the following in sentences of your own.

Present (n) – presence

He gave an unforgettable present on her birthday.

His presence was very elegant.

 

Later – latter

You can go out to play later; first you finish your project.

Kohinoor is worth buying, its latter is too expensive.

 

Decent – descent

Her decent new attire is so attractive.

His descents are African.

 

Career – carrier

Everyone should decide career carefully.

Jeep driver kept luggage in carrier.

 

Cloth – clothes

He covered whole table with a piece of a cloth.

She wore beautiful clothes today.

 

Alternate – alternative

They play kho-kho and kabbadi alternate days.

He has to do alternative to enhance his income.

 

Lonely – alone

I am feeling lonely without my friends.

She lives alone in a big bungalow.

 

Advice – advise

Many parents do not follow teacher’s advises to improve their kids.

You must follow advice given by your parents.

 

F. “These sellers of colored, sweetened water are giant multinational corporations…”

“multinational” means foreign manufacturing and trading companies. The prefix “multi” – means many, more than one. With the help of a dictionary, find out the meaning of the following “multi”-words.

 

Multimedia – the use of a variety of artistic or communicative media.

Multicultural — Relating to or containing several cultural or ethnic groups within a society.

Multifaceted – Having many different aspects or features.

Multilingual – Using several languages.

Multifarious – Many and of various types.

Multilateral – having members or contributors from several groups, especially several different countries.

Multimillionaire -a person with assets worth several million pounds or dollars.

 

 

V. Grammar Revisited

Subordination: Simple to Complex

Note: Main points generally go into main clauses. Any simple sentence can be changed to a subordinate clause but the choice of subordination or main clause must be guided by your purpose. For example,

i) Students were protesting.

ii) The lecture was canceled. If your focus is on the students’ protest, you can say:

Students were protesting because the lecture was canceled.

If your focus is on the cancellation of the lecture, you can say:

The lecture was canceled because the students were protesting.

A. Combine each sequence of sentences below into a complex sentence by using at least one noun clause. The first one is done for you. Your teacher will help you with the rest.

 

1.       i) He tells me.

ii) He distrusts his own sons.

iii) It is difficult to understand his reason.

He tells me that he distrusts his own sons, which is difficult to understand.

 

2.       i) Someone said this.

ii) History is a record of dates and battles.

iii) This ignores most of history’s significance.

iv) This makes history merely a list of selected events.

Someone said that history is just a record of dates and battles, which ignores its significance, making history merely a list of selected events.

3.       i) A restaurant becomes a five-star restaurant.

ii) This means the restaurant has consistently maintained superior standards.

iii) The standards are of quality in food and service.

A restaurant becomes a five-star restaurant when its superior standards of quality in food and service are consistently maintained.

 

4.       i) The earth’s climate changes.

ii) The earth’s climate even now may be changing rapidly.

iii) This is widely recognized.

It is a widely known fact that the earth’s climate is changing rapidly.

 

5.       i) He pretended to be one of us.

ii) He took part in all our pranks.

iii) This helped hide his identity.

iv) He was a policeman.

The policeman, pretending to be one of us, took part in our plans, which helped him hide his identity.

 

B. Combine each sequence of sentences below into a complex sentence by using at least one adjective/relative clause. The first one is done for you. Your teacher will help you with the rest.

 

1.       i)Walden Pond is now the site of many tourist stands.

ii) Walden Pond was once admired by Thoreau for its natural beauty.

iii) Henry David Thoreau built himself a solitary hut on the shore of Walden.

iv) He lived there for two and a half years.

Walden Pond which is now the site of many tourist stands was once admired by Henry David Thoreau who built himself a solitary hut on its shore where he lived for two and a half years.

 

2.       i) Alcohol, a drying agent, is frequently used in cosmetics.

ii) The drying agent evaporates rapidly.

iii) The drying agent, therefore, has a cooling effect.

Alcohol which is a drying agent is often used in cosmetics as it evaporates rapidly and therefore gives a cooling effect.

 

3.       i) The roller coaster is still one of the most exciting rides.

ii) The rides are in an amusement park.

iii)  The roller coaster made its appearance in 1884.

The roller coaster which made its appearance in 1884 in amusement parks is still one of the most exciting rides.

 

 

4.       i) The man shoved the woman into a car.

ii) The man was fat.

iii) The man had a nasal voice.

iv) The woman was startled.

v) The man mistakenly thought the woman was about to have a baby.

A man with a nasal voice who mistakenly thought a fat woman was pregnant, startled her by shoving her into a car.

 

5.       i) A cottage and his wife had a hen.

ii) The hen laid an egg every day.

iii) They were lucky.

iv) The egg was golden.

A cottage and his wife were lucky as they had a hen which laid a golden egg every day.

 

C. Combine each sequence of sentences below into a complex sentence by using at least one Adverbial clause. The first one is done for you. Your teacher will help you with the rest.

 

1.       i) Suppose there isn’t any cake.

ii) Suppose there aren’t any friends around.

iii) A birthday cannot really be fun.

iv) His birthday is on 4 January.

If there is no cake and if there are no friends, his birthday on 4 January cannot really be fun.

 

2.       i) The experiences were sung about in poems.

ii) The poems were written by pupils.

iii) The pupils were between the ages of 70 and 90.

iv) The pupils were residents in a nursing home.

The experiences were sung about in poems written by pupils between the ages of 70 and 90 residing in a nursing home.

 

3.       i) Poet Kenneth Koch would teach folk poetry.

ii) He hoped to free them from bonds.

iii) The bonds were cruel.

iv) The bonds were of growing old.

v)  He hoped to free them for moments, at least.

Kenneth Koch would teach folk poetry and hope to free them from the cruel bonds of growing old for a moment at least.

 

 

4.       i) “Good evening. I am Count Dracula”

ii) Bela Lugosi’s voice chilled theatergoers.

iii) His voice is now famous.

iv) Then it ushered in the modem Dracula era.

v) He did this 70 years ago.

Bela Lugosi’s famous voice, “Good evening, I am Count Dracula,” chilled theatre goers 70 years ago when it ushered in the modern Dracula era.

 

5.       i) The train arrived at the station.

ii) A man sprang out of one of the carriages on to the platform.

iii) His clothes were torn.

iv) They were stained with blood.

v) The policeman saw this.

When the train arrived at the station, the policeman saw a man spring out of one of the carriages onto the platform wearing clothes that were torn and stained with blood.

 

Coordination: Simple to Compound

Note: We use coordination to suggest that the two clauses are logically related but neither has more weight than the other. Combine each sequence of sentences below into a compound sentence using at least two main clauses. The first one is done for you. Your teacher will help you with the rest.

 

1.       i) Some species of whales are nearing extinction

ii) Many countries refuse to accept even a partial ban on whale hunting.

Some species of whales are nearing extinction and yet many countries refuse to accept even a partial ban on whale hunting.

 

2.       i)  In private life he was kind.

ii) In private life, he was even generous.

iii) In public life he was severe.

iv)  In public life, he administered strict justice.

In his private life, he was kind and generous but in his public life, he was severe and administered strict justice.

 

3.       i) He does not study.

ii) He does not allow his friends to study.

iii) That’s why many of his friends avoid him.

Many of his friends avoid him because not only does he not study but he doesn’t allow his friends to study too.

 

4.       i) You may not care for wealth.

ii) You may not care for fame.

iii) You shall have to care for the truth.

iv) Life without truth is a degraded life.

You may care neither for wealth nor for fame but you shall have to care for truth because life without truth is a degraded life.

 

5.       i) I shall not oppose your plan of action.

ii)  I cannot approve of it.

I shall not oppose your plan of action but I cannot approve of it.

 

 

P.S. you might also want to check out:

# A WRONG MAN IN A WORKERS' PARADISE

# THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

# THE GIFT OF MAGI

# LOUIS PASTEUR, CONQUEROR OF DISEASES

# WHAT IS MORAL ACTION? 

# EYES ARE NOT HERE 

# THE GIRL WHO WAS ANNE FRANK

# A VILLAGE CRICKET MATCH

# THE PIE AND THE TART