新视野英语5 unit n.doc

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 same time, they tell us that unless we save more, our country is in?grave?danger.?Banks offer higher interest rates so we increase savings.?Then the same banks send us credit card offers so we can spend more. 1 你是不是跟我一样对“我应该花钱还是存钱”这个问题感到困惑，且有被操纵的感觉？?我觉得我们从生活的环境里所获得的信息似乎是有违常识、互相矛盾的。?政府告诉我们要花钱，否则我们将永远走不出衰退；与此同时，他们又告诉我们，除非我们节省更多的钱，否则我们的国家会处于严重危险之中。?银行提供较高的利率以增加储蓄。?然后，同样是这些银行又提供信用卡让我们可以花更多的钱。 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. 2 这里还有一个大家熟悉的例子：如果我们不按时支付信用卡账单，我们会收到从信用卡公司发来的类似这样的令人讨厌的催缴账单的电子邮件：不还款是不可接受的。请立即缴付，否则后果自负！?之后，一旦还款，我们就会收到一封跟进的电子邮件，语气和蔼可亲，说我们是多么宝贵的客户，并鼓励我们继续花钱。?到底哪一个描述是正确的？有麻烦的失败消费者还是宝贵的客户？?这两者之间可是天壤之别！ 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 gr