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Poverty and Richness Corrupt People's Souls
There is a lot of
injustice in the world. When some countries are regarded wealthy
(such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of
Ireland, Norway, Japan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, South
Korea, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and many
others), other countries and their peoples live in poverty. They
are deprived of common necessities such as food, clothing,
shelter and safe drinking water. They also suffer from the lack
of access to opportunities such as education, information,
health care and employment.
There are many
different factors that cause poverty such as unemployment,
overpopulation, some historical factors (imperialism,
colonialism), war, discrimination, erosion, deforestation,
drought, water crisis and many others. Poverty may be explained
by geographic factors, for example access to fertile land, fresh
water, minerals, energy, and other natural resources, presence
or absence of natural features helping or limiting
communication, such as mountains, deserts, navigable rivers, or
coastline. Historically, geography has prevented or slowed the
spread of new technology to areas such as the Americas and
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Those living in
poverty and lacking access to essential health services,
suffering hunger or even starvation, experience mental and
physical health problems which make it harder for them to
improve their situation. One third of deaths are due to
poverty-related causes. Those living in poverty suffer lower
life expectancy. Every year nearly 11 million children living in
poverty die before their fifth birthday. In Kenya malaria kills
one in five children every year. Poverty increases the risk of
homelessness. There are over 100 million street children
worldwide. Increased risk of drug abuse may also be associated
with poverty.
Those living in
poverty in the developed world may suffer social isolation.
Rates of suicide may increase in conditions of poverty. Low
income levels and poor employment opportunities for adults in
turn create the conditions where households can depend on the
income of child members. More that 200 million children aged 5
to 17 are in child labor worldwide, excluding child domestic
labor. Areas strongly affected by poverty tend to be more
violent.
Many people argue
that poverty statistics measure inequality rather than material
deprivation or hardship. All people are born equal. So why
should they live in different conditions? It is not fair that
the rich live in luxurious houses and drive expensive cars while
the poor die from starvation. Many writers touched upon the
problem of poverty and inequality in their works. Many people
fought for the rights of the poor. But this problem still
remains very urgent and continues corrupting people's souls.
There are many
poverty reduction programs attempting to help people of
developing countries. In politics, the fight against poverty is
usually regarded as a social goal and many governments have
institutions or departments dedicated to tackling poverty. Most
developed nations give development aid to developing countries.
Sometimes
celebrities organize benefit concerts to fight hunger in
developing countries. In 1984 there was a terrible famine in
Ethiopia, when more than 1 million people died. The sight of
thousands of weak, starving children on TV reports inspired rock
singer Bob Geldof to launch a campaign to fight hunger in
Africa. The biggest stars in British pop music (Paul McCartney,
Sting, George Michael and many others) gathered in a London
studio to record Do they know it's Christmas? The charity single
raised 8 million pounds and a year later inspired Live-Aid, the
global pop concert which raised more than 60 million pounds.
1. Complete each sentence (A—H) with one of the endings
(1—8):
A. There are many different factors that cause poverty such
as
B. Historically, geography has prevented or slowed
C. Those living in poverty suffer
D. Poverty increases
E. Low income levels and poor employment opportunities for
adults in turn create the conditions where
F. Many governments have institutions or departments dedicated
to
G. Most developed nations give
H. Sometimes celebrities organize
1. the risk of homelessness.
2. tackling poverty.
3. unemployment, overpopulation, some historical factors, war,
discrimination, erosion, deforestation, drought, water crisis
and many others.
4. development aid to developing countries.
5. benefit concerts to fight hunger in developing countries.
6. the spread of new technology to areas such as the Americas
and Sub-Saharan Africa.
7. lower life expectancy.
8. households can depend on the income of child members.
2. Give the definitions of the following words
• developing country • developed country
• injustice • life expectancy
• poverty • starvation
• discrimination • famine
• malaria • drought
3. Say if you agree or disagree with the following
statements. Comment on your answer
1) There is a lot of injustice in the world.
2) Poverty begets violence.
3) Poverty statistics measure inequality rather than material
deprivation or hardship.
4) All people are born equal.
5) Developed nations must give development aid to developing
countries.
6) Poverty and richness corrupt people's souls.
4. Read the following proverbs. Find their Russian equivalents
and explain what they mean
• Poverty breeds strife.
• Poverty is no disgrace, but it is a great inconvenience.
• Beggars cannot be choosers.
• He that is warm thinks all so.
• Necessity knows no law.
• A hungry man is an angry man.
• Hunger finds no fault in cookery.
5. Answer the questions
1) What are developing countries usually deprived of?
2) What are the factors that cause poverty?
3) What are the consequences of poverty and inequality?
4) What do you think of child labor?
5) Do you know any people who are fighting or fought for the
rights of the poor? Say a few words about them.
6) Why is it so important to reduce poverty?
7) Is it possible 'to cure' poverty? How?
6. Read the quotations below. Choose any statement and
comment on it
• Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly
destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and
others extremely difficult.' (Samuel Johnson)
• Poverty is everyone's problem. It cuts across any line you can
name: age, race, social, geographic or religious. Whether you
are black or white; rich, middle-class or poor, we are ALL
touched by poverty.' (Kathleen Blanco)
• 'We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked
and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared
for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to
remedy this kind of poverty.' (Mother Teresa)
• 'Poverty must be reduced not only for reasons of moral and
justice, but also of security.' (Anna Lindh)
• 'You can't get rid of poverty by giving people money.' (P. J.
O'Rourke)
• 'Poverty is the mother of crime.' (Marcus Aurelius)
Read the article below. Explain the meaning of the words in
italics. Summarize the contents of the article and discuss the
major problems touched in it.
In a world of wealth, poverty has become a necessity
Poverty is not a static condition which people may be rescued
from or "raised out of. Poverty has as many guises as the words
that describe it...
As
western governments never cease to affirm, poverty is relative.
(They do not state what it is relative to: whether to
neighbours, to the rich, or to those whose personal fortunes
outstrip the GDP of whole countries.) If anyone with below 60%
of median income is said to remain in poverty, a significant
proportion of the people will always be poor. It should not be
imagined that poverty in the rich countries is a mitigated or
sheltered experience, as the existence of gun and violent crime,
a knife culture, gang warfare and a drug economy testifies.
There is an even more compelling reason why poverty is destined
to remain a spectre at the global feast. Poverty will not be
eliminated for the very reason that the global developmental
paradigm gives priority to the market over government, and even
to the market over society. Governments everywhere have more or
less voluntarily withdrawn from responsibility for distributive
justice; and since free markets distribute their rewards
according to their own promiscuous and capricious laws, this
ensures that wealth flows unevenly. ...
Of course governments routinely express their desire to create a
more equal society, and make provision to alleviate the worst
sufferings of the poor. But their capacity to do so is far
behind the adroit effects of markets to lavish prizes on those
they favour. ...
Perhaps the most astonishing obstacle to the removal of poverty
from the world has been the transformation of the super-rich.
These have ceased to be regarded as the greedy devourers of the
substance of the poor, the ugly monopolists of resources: no
longer the exploiters and bloodsuckers of 19th-century
industrial lore, they have been turned into philanthropists, the
virtuous possessors of fabulous fortunes, by whose grace and
charity alone the dire poverty of the destitute will be
relieved. ...
Poverty is not a question of the laggards and the left-behind of
globalisation, but remains an inescapable structural necessity -
required to justify continued growth and expansion beyond
sufficiency. Natural scarcity gives way to human-made
impoverishments: this is recognised in the word "deprivation"
which, like many terms in the lexicon of poverty, betrays its
meaning. "Deprivation" means something is taken away from
people, in order to maintain them in a state of poverty to which
they will never become accustomed; thereby justifying a system
that lays waste a world without meeting more than a fraction of
human need.
Jeremy Seabrook The Guardian, Thursday 27 July 2006
A.
The problem of poverty is very urgent nowadays. What do you know
about poverty in the modern world? What countries are affected
more than others?
B. Read the text 'Poverty and Richness Corrupt People's Souls'
and be ready to speak about its leading ideas.
Из учебного пособия
"Открывая
мир с английским языком. Современные темы для обсуждения.
Готовимся к ЕГЭ" Юнёва С.А. 2012г.
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