Buy Nothing Day

Buy Nothing Day started in North America in the early 90's and has grown to an international day celebrated in over 50 countries. It is celebrated the day after Thanksgiving Day. However, in England they celebrate on Saturday because it's the busiest day of the week.

Here are some activities that you can do on the topic.

You'll find a PAU text on the topic under the PAU Text section.

The environment

Would you rather switch off lights or take fewer foreign holidays?

Few people are willing to give up air travel in order to reduce carbon emissions, according to a new study, even though they are concerned enough about climate change to cut energy use in their homes.
The Loughborough University study asked 500 people whether they would be willing not to fly in the next 12 months in order to cut emissions. Just 26 per cent of people were willing to forego air travel. In comparison 88 per cent of people were willing to cut the amount of energy they use in the home. For example by switching off lights and wearing a jumper rather than putting on the central heating.
Dr Tim Ryley said: "It is cost and not environmental consequences that deter people from flying more often." "Obviously households are on a tight budget at the moment because of the recession but they will not give up air travel easily," he said.
The research found fares will have to go up by £50 or more in order to persuade people to fly less. Air passenger duty, the government’s tax on air fares, is changing later this year, with the duty on short-haul flights rising from £10 to £12 in 2010. The increase in long-haul trips will be higher, with duty on economy class flights of more than 6,000 miles – such as London to Sydney – jumping from £55 to £85.
Air travel is making an increasing contribution to greenhouse gases in Britain. While total greenhouse gas emissions from the EU fell by three per cent between 1990 and 2002, emissions from international aviation increased by nearly 70 per cent. The Government's adviser on climate change has warned that if growth in flights was left unchecked emissions from global aviation could account for 15 to 20 per cent of all CO2 produced in 2050.

Question 1 (2 points)
Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) Loughborough university interviewed 500 people over a period of 12 months.
b) Most people said they would try to fly less and reduce their energy consumption at
home.
c) Families have less money to spend at the moment.
d) In 40 years, air travel could cause as much as one fifth of carbon dioxide pollution.
Question 2 (2 points)
Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What action are people taking at home to save energy?
b) How much more will air passengers travelling from the UK to Australia have to pay?
Question 3 (1.5 points)
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) do without something (paragraph 2)
b) the people who live together (paragraph 3)
c) not limited or controlled (paragraph 5)
Question 4 (1.5 points)
Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) Dr.Ryley said “"Obviously households are on a tight budget at the moment because of the recession but they will not give up air travel easily,"
Dr. Ryley said that……………………………..
b) The research found fares will have to go up by £50 or more in order to persuade people to fly less.
The research claims that if the government wants ………………………………..
c) The increase in tax on long-haul trips will be higher than the rise on short distance flights.
The rise in tax on short distance flights will…………………………………………………………….
Question 5 (5 points)
Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
“Everyone can help to save our planet”. Do you agree?
Self-Access Group CEP Santander

Google Street View

Google's Street View service taken to court

Google’s quest to map and photograph the entire world has been stopped in its tracks by a country not usually associated with confrontation. Google Street View Car, the search engine's Big Brother days are over in Switzerland. Switzerland's federal data protection and information commission is taking Google to court over its Street View mapping service.
Switzerland’s privacy watchdog is preparing to battle the internet giant over its Street View service, which shows panoramic street-level pictures of 100 cities globally, with people, cars and businesses clearly visible in many shots.
According to The Daily Mail the Swiss data protection commissioner, Hanspeter Thuer, has demanded that Google ensures all faces and car plates are blurred to protect people’s privacy, and that enclosed areas such as walled gardens and private roads are removed from the images. He also wants the California firm to declare at least one week in advance which Swiss towns and cities it plans to send its teams to, so residents are informed before they are unwittingly photographed and their pictures posted online.
Mr Thuer said he decided to take the case to Switzerland's federal administrative tribunal because Google had failed to comply with his request that it take “various measures to protect personal privacy in its Street View online service”.
The service has also proved controversial in Britain, Germany, Japan and elsewhere for allowing individuals to be identified without their knowledge or consent.
A spokesman for Google said: “We believe that Google Street View is absolutely legal, also in Switzerland.” He said the service was extremely popular in the country and that new software which can obscure details such as car plates would deal with Mr Thuer's concerns.

Question 1 (2 Points)
Indicate whether the following questions are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) Google’s goal is to have pictures of 100 cities.
b) Switzerland has already taken Google to court.
c) Mr Thuer had been in touch with Google before taken them to court.
d) Google thinks that the situation is easy to manage.

Question 2 (2 Points)
Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What are the commissioner biggest demands?
b) How has Google reacted to this situation?

Question 3 (1.5 points)
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions below.
a) Guarantee: paragraph 3
b) Without knowing: paragraph 3
c) fulfil, obey: paragraph 4

Question 4 (1.5 points)
Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) A spokesman for Google said: “We believe that Google Street View is absolutely legal, also in Switzerland.”
A spokesman for Google said that……………………………………………….
b) The service has proved controversial for allowing individuals to be identified.
If the service hadn’t...…………………………………………………
c) Switzerland's federal data protection and information commission is taking Google to court.
Google………………………………………

Question 5 (3 points)
Write a short essay (120-150 words) about the following topic.
People’s privacy is unprotected nowadays.

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander

Buy Nothing Day

Buy Nothing Day

Once a year, in countries around the world, people demonstrate their discontent with consumer culture by holding a Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day began in 1990 in ten countries and has been celebrated every year since then. Each year, more and more people and countries join in the celebration. The intention is to encourage people to say no to consumerism and to remind them that they shouldn’t be slaves to material possessions.
On Buy Nothing Day, activists organise various free and creative forms of entertainment to prove to people that it is possible to have fun without spending money. Activists also pass out colourful booklets and stick up posters to encourage people to think twice about the dangers of consumerism. Some activists publicly cut up their credit cards at mass demonstrations, as a protest against the pressure on people to spend more than they can afford.
Buy Nothing Day campaigners in the United States have also produced a special TV commercial called an “uncommercial”, which asks people not to buy anything! However, the most imaginative suggestion of the Buy Nothing Day activists is their “Christmas Gift Exemption Vouchers”. The idea is to give people you love a voucher which states that they are exempt from buying Christmas presents, on condition that they spend quality time with you instead.
The message of Buy Nothing Day is not supposed to be heard only once a year. Its supporters insist that the spirit of simplicity is timeless, and they want people to fight materialism with imagination and creativity all year round.


Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text
a) The aim of the Buy Nothing Day activists is to show people how consumerism is enslaving them.
b) The more money you spend, the more fun you have.
c) Buy Nothing Day activists try to make people aware of the dangers of consumerism.
d) The idea behind Buy Nothing Day is to criticise materialism once a year.
Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words:
a) Why was Buy Nothing Day created?
b) What things do activists do on Buy Nothing Day?
Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:
a) deny (par.1)
b) distribute (par. 2)
c) excused, without obligation (par. 3)
Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning:
a) They advertised our products on TV.
We had...
b) Buy Nothing Day campaigners in the United States have also produced a special TV commercial.
A special...
c) They said to people, “Don’t buy anything unless you really need it.”
They told...
Question 5 Write a short essay (120 to 150 words) on the following topic:

Are we easily influenced by advertising?

SELF-ACCESS GROUP. CEP SANTANDER

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of each November all over America.

If you want to know more about it, click here

Don't forget to do the quiz after reading.