LESSON
LISTENING AND SPEAKING
Talk about financial responsibility
8
GET READY TO WATCH
Ben’s brother, Abe, doesn’t pay off his credit card
bills. Do you pay off your credit card bills?
Why or why not?
WATCH
Watch the video. Circle the correct answers.
1.
Abe got a Premiere card because
.
a.
he has a lot of debt
b.
they offered him a good deal
c.
he had a balance on another card
2.
Abe is carrying credit card debt because
.
a.
he had to make large purchases quickly
b.
he doesn’t like to spend cash
c.
it’s a good deal
3.
Ben thinks that credit card companies
.
a.
lure people in with offers
b.
offer good deals
c.
help people make a fortune
CONVERSATION
A
Watch part of the video. Complete the conversation.
Ben:
Abe, why are you carrying balances on your credit cards?
That’s such a
of money.
Abe:
I just had a lot of expenses this year, you know,
but I’ve got it under control.
Ben:
OK, if you say so.
Abe:
It’s just for a few months. I had to make
a couple of big purchases all of a sudden.
And I’ve got good
!
Ben:
Oh yeah?
Abe:
Yes. I’m being promoted to assistant manager in a couple of months.
Ben:
Congratulations! That’s great. That should help you get out of
.
B
PAIRS
Practice the conversation. Use your own names.
C
PAIRS
Practice the conversation again. Make similar conversations.
Talk about a financial decision that you and your partner disagree on.
PAIRS
Abe is making big purchases on credit because he’s sure that he’ll be making
more money soon to pay off his credit card debt. Do you think it is OK to spend money
you haven’t earned yet? Is it OK to have credit card debt? Why or why not?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
The words
of
and
for
usually
have a short, weak pronunciation
with the vowel sound /
ə
/.
We link these words to the
words around them.
Listen and repeat. Notice
that
of
can sound like the word
a
before a consonant sound.
That’s such a waste
of
money.
I had a lot
of
expenses.
It’s just
for
a few months.
Pronunciation Note
100
UNIT 7
