If you are one of the estimated 17 million people who shop compulsively, consider the following steps to address shopaholic tendencies: Step 1 is to only shop for necessities and avoid shopping after paychecks. Step 2 is to consider how shopping makes you feel and if you feel guilt after the initial rush. Step 3 is to check what items you truly need versus just want. Step 4 is to go through your closets and see if clothes still have price tags. Getting therapy can help understand the problems behind compulsive spending.

1. Read the following text carefully.
a) preventing something from causing
problems
b) not having any money
c) having just enough for the basic needs
d) sharing the cost of something
e) doing something in a way that is not
controlled
f) reducing expenditure
1. Cashed-up teenagers are letting loose on spending sprees.
2. Teens should try to keep greed at bay.
3. Many adults had to tighten their belts because of rising costs.
4. Most families have to live from hand to mouth.
5. Young people today tend to go Dutch when they go out
together.
6. Her salary is so low that she finds it hard to make ends meet.
1. Young people spend their money mostly
on…
2. Only a small percentage of teens claim to…
3. Teens are able to spend continuously due
to …
4. Young consumers spend up to…
5. Some teens work while…
6. Boys can afford to … than girls because…
1. What are parents advised to do in the first
paragraph?
2. Why is it important for teens to earn some
of their own money?
3. Where do young consumers mostly get
their money from?
4. Why do some parents give their children
so much money?
1. cashed-up 2. well-meaning
3. showering … with 4. shelling out
5. swallow 6. enabling
7. reluctant 8. haphazardly
a) giving a lot b) allowing
c) consume / use up d) without care
e) having plenty of money f) spending
g) unwilling h) having good
intentions
ENGLISH WRITTEN TEST – YEAR 11 – OCTOBER 2016
Cashed-up teenagers are letting loose on
spending sprees averaging $5000 a year
Well-meaning mums and dads are showering kids with
money and financial freedom so they don't go without,
experts say. But parents have been warned to ensure teens
earn some of their keep through household chores such as
mowing lawns and cleaning, or encourage part-time
employment, to keep greed at bay.
"There should be a small base allowance of about $10 a
week. Anything after that should be earned so they can
develop a sense of saving and learn that money doesn't
grow on trees," psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack said.
Market Research Company TNS's Tru Study found that
young consumers have become a spending force in their
own right, shelling out on average $96 a week. Clothes,
electronics and fast food swallow the most cash. Parents,
part-time jobs, gifts and allowances are their main income
source.
The report also revealed children are being introduced
to the seductive power of plastic from a tender age, with
one in 10 saying they regularly used credit to make
purchases.
"Teenagers are receiving money from their parents
regularly, enabling them to have constant buying power,"
the report states further. Average weekly spending ranged
from $56 for 12 and 13-year-olds to $192 for 18 and 19-year-
olds. One in four aged 16-plus combined study with a part-
time job. Boys with a love of expensive techno toys and
video games had a bigger budget than girls, outlaying an
average $54 a week more.
Ms McCormack said many adults who had tightened
their belts because of cost-of-living pressures were
reluctant to deprive their children. Some gave money to
avoid conflict at the expense of teaching valuable
budgeting skills. "We give a very poor message to children if
we haphazardly give them money for immediate
gratification," Ms McCormack said.
Karen Collier, Sunday Herald Sun, October28, 2012
A. Match the words from the text with
their corresponding meaning. (16p)
B. Answer the following questions in your
own words as far as possible. (32p)
C. Reread paragraphs 3 – 5 and complete
the following accordingly. (35p)
D. Look at the idioms below and match them with their corresponding meaning. (12p)

2. If you are one of the -1- million people that shop compulsively, consider the following steps:
Step 1 – Go shopping only for the right -2-. You should definitely avoid going shopping after you
have received your -3-.
Step 2 – Consider how shopping makes you feel. Do you experience a feeling of -4- after the initial -
5-?
Step 3 – Check if the items you have at home are really things you -6- or just stuff you -7-.
Step 4 – Go through your -8-. Do your clothes still have the price -9-?
Comment on the following quotation by Ivan illich (Austrian philosopher, 1926 – 2002) in about 180
words.
“In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners
of envy.”
1. It is difficult to quantify how much children are
affected by their parents' attitudes towards
spending,
2. Rich teens own everything they want;
3. Some people usually pay cash
4. Although many people dislike credit cards,
5. Despite having learnt about debt from their
parents,
6. Credit cards may cause irresponsible spending
patterns;
1. Every morning Linda (drive) her children to the shopping centre.
2. (you/be) to the new clothes shop yet?
3. I (spend) way too much on clothes these days.
4. Since the Industrial Revolution, the world (consume) at a higher rate than ever before.
5. I (not buy) anything lately.
a) they can’t live without them anymore.
b) however, they never seem to have
enough.
c) many teens still don’t know how to
manage their money.
d) whereas others prefer to use a credit card.
e) nonetheless they allow people to buy
things that they wouldn’t otherwise be able
to afford.
f) but it must have an impact on them for
sure.
E. TENSES – Use an appropriate present tense of the verbs in brackets. (15p)
F. CLAUSES OF CONTRAST – Match the beginnings of the sentences to their endings. (20p)
G. WRITING (50p)
H. LISTENING (20p)
Listen to the text and complete the gaps.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE A SHOPAHOLIC
If you are one of the -1- million people that shop compulsively, consider the following steps:
Step 1 – Go shopping only for the right -2-. You should definitely avoid going shopping after you have
received your -3-.
Step 2 – Consider how shopping makes you feel. Do you experience a feeling of -4- after the initial -5-?
Step 3 – Check if the items you have at home are really things you -6- or just stuff you -7-.
Step 4 – Go through your -8-. Do your clothes still have the price -9-?
Step 5 – Don’t -10- from others the things you buy, nor -11- about how much money you’ve spent.
Step 6 – Assess your -12-. See if you can -13- temptation when your -14- are maxed out.
Step 7 – Get help. Getting -15- is a great way for you to understand the problems behind your -16-.

3. Key - CASHED-UP teenagers are letting loose on spending sprees averaging $5000 a year
A. 1e) 2h) 3a) 4f) 5c) 6b) 7g) 8d)
B.
1. Parents should make their children work (part-time or do small chores) to earn extra
money/their own money.
2. This is important so that teens learn to save and manage their money better – they
need to know that “money doesn’t grow on trees” and so spend more wisely.
3. They mostly get their money from their parents, part-time jobs, gifts and allowances.
4. Some parents give them so much money in order to avoid conflicts and guarantee
children’s instant satisfaction (to make them happy) – so they don’t want to deprive their
children of anything.
C.
1. clothes, electronics and fast food.
2. use credit (cards) / plastic regularly to make purchases / buy things.
3. the money their get from their parents.
4. $192 a week.
5. (they are) still at school/ (they are still) studying.
6. spend more money (on expensive techno toys and video games) / they have a bigger
budget.
D. 1e) 2a) 3f) 4b) 5d) 6c)
E.
1. drives 2. Have you been 3. am spending 4. has been consuming 5. haven’t bought
F. 1f) 2b) 3d) 4a) 5c) 6e)
H.
B. 1) 17 2) reasons 3) paycheck 4) guilt 5) rush 6) needed 7) wanted 8)
closets/wardrobe 9) tags 10) hide 11) lie 12) willpower 13) resist 14) credit cards 15)
therapy 16) compulsive spending
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