Questions: 1. How much did you spend yesterday? What did you spend the money on? Were the things that you bought essential, or an extravagance? 2. In the UK baked beans on toast is a cheap, simple meal to prepare. If you were going to make a very basic meal for friends, what would that be? 3. Read about Ben, a man who has invited friends to his house for supper. What is for dessert? 4. Read the text again and then answer the following questions: a How does the writer know Ben?
b Why didn’t Ben buy anything with the extra money? Do you agree with his views?
c What does especially this time of the year mean? In your country, what would be the worst day to ask people not to spend any money for 24 hours?
d The Buy Nothing Day organisers say that it is challenging to last 24 hours without spending any money. Would it be difficult for you?
e Ben says “Only 20 percent of the world’s population are consuming more than 80 percent of the world’s natural resources.” Who are in the 20 percent?
f Why does Marina hope that Ben is a good cook? Does he use a recipe?
g Do you ever eat food that is out of date?
h Why didn’t Ben serve any fish or meat to his guests?
i Is Ben always going to cook ‘free’ food from now on?
j Would you be able to make a meal from the food thrown away by
supermarkets or street markets in your country? If so, what could
you make?
5 The title of the reading is Waste. The noun has two meanings:
a loss, wrong use, or lack of full use
b used, damaged, or unwanted matter
Which meaning goes with the title of the reading? 6 Find these words or phrases in the text. Can you explain what they mean? To be frugal To be wasteful To splash out To buy compulsively To spend frivolously To waft (a smell) To be stale To be up to something To be discarded To usher somebody into a room To spill the beans
