Jun 08

JUNIO 2008
Compulsive shopping
A new illness, the Compulsive Buying Disorder, has been diagnosed. Its symptoms are frequent...

QUESTIONS
1. Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks
are given for only TRUE or FALSE.
a. According to the survey, women are more compulsive shoppers than men.
Solución.
FALSE: […] men are just as likely as women to suffer from compulsive buying.
b. Experts believe that buying is a form of self-realization for compulsive shoppers.
Solución.
FALSE: […] for any compulsive shopper who is usually not made any happier
by his or her relentless buying.
(Puntuación máxima 2 puntos)
2. In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do
not copy from the text
a. How does the text describe a compulsive consumer?
Solución.
It could be a person (either a man or a woman) who often buys some objects
which are not necessary at all for him or her, without thinking previously about it.
b. What are the differences between male and female compulsive buyers?
Solución.
Men usually acquire electronic gadgets (technical items in general such as
laptops, music players, PDAs, mobile phones…) while women mostly buy things to
improve their physical appearance, as clothing or make up.
(Puntuación máxima 2 puntos)
3. Find the words in the text that mean:
a. result (paragraph 1) extent
b. increased (paragraph 2) rocketed
c. tendencies (paragraph 2) trends
d. looking for (paragraph 3) seeking
(Puntuación máxima 1 punto)
Autor: Alejandro Holguín Rouco
4. Complete the following sentences. Use the appropriate form of the word in brackets when
given.
a. As a result of too much shopping, some anxiety or depression may  be experiencied (experience)
and this might interfere inwork or school performance.
b. Contrary to the general idea that shopping is a ladies' habit, men are now being admitted(admit)
that they also have this problem, and they even ask for some help.
c. Doctors suggest that compulsive shoppers who cultivate more spiritual aspects of their
lives, rather than buying material things to complete themselves.
Complete the following sentence in reported speech.
d. Yesterday the salesman said to me: Dont pay now.

Yesterday the salesman said to me not to pay in that moment.

5. Write about 100 to 150 words on one of the following topics.
a. Do you ever buy things that you dont need? Why?
b. The Compulsive Buying Disorder has become worse with the arrival of online shopping and
television programmes devoted to buying goods 24 hours a day. Discuss.
(Puntuación máxima 3 puntos)
Para este ejercicio es muy importante la organización del texto. Siempre respetando las
tres partes fundamentales de introducción, cuerpo y conclusión final. Es importante
buscar estructuras que nos sean conocidas para evitar cometer errores, sin caer en el
simplismo.
Autor: Alejandro Holguín Rouco
a. Do you ever buy things that you dont need? Why?

Ithinkwe boughtmany thingsthatdo notneed.
Only buy for the pleasure of spending money.
For example, no need for us to go shopping every semana.

Yo know people who do it.
I acknowledge that I have ever bought things that did not need a cell phone as expensiveclothes move ...
Is guilty of all this TV, because it emits ads. These ads encourage you to buy. 

Like, forexample, at Christmas.
But that does not take away some of the blame, because we buy these products.
In short, I think we should help those who do not have money.

 And I prefer not to spendtodo.Yo help the poor, rather than having a new skirt in my closet.
Do not know if many people think so, but that the crisis was slow.

b) The Compulsive Buying Disorder has become worse with the arrival of
online shopping and television programmes devoted to buying goods 24
hours a day. Discuss.

As anintroduction, Iwould liketo comment thatin recenttimes, technologyhasgrown.
People before they could not order by phone or online.
Now click a button and send him home.
So there are impulse buys.
The advertising makes buying things we do not need.
On the Internet, there are sites where you enter your card number and purchasing. 

That'sdangerous, because there are people who have no limit.
Even children, with a little intelligence, can be purchased online.

Ofcourse,thisnew facilitywill helpeveryonetoimproveourthere
problems in this regard: of addiction.
We live in a society that only thinks about spending.
In conclusion, technical advances are good for improving our lives, 

but we must open our minds, as this involves some disorders such as compulsive buying.