Receiving money makes me uncomfortable.
Section 1 Before you read
PAIRWORK
1a Write how you would feel
if you received the following gifts.
1b Discuss your answers with a partner.
Would you have the same feeling?
Section 2 While You Read
Learning strategy:
PERSONALIZING WHAT YOU LEARN
To learn something effectively,
it is important to "make it your own".
Instead of learning the example in the book,
create one yourself,using your own experience and ideas.
Receiving money makes me uncomfortable.
Many books have been written about "the art of giving".
But what about the art of receiving?
Sometimes,receiving a gift can be difficult,
especially when someone buys you a gift you don't want!
"I remember when I was about twelve years old,
my parents bought me a purple purse,"
laughs Guo Xiaojing.
"It really made me feel embarrassed, because to be honest,
I thought the purse was really ugly!
Still, I pretended that I liked it
because I knew it would make my parents happy!"
Han Ling agrees.
"That sounds like my grandparents!
A few years ago,my grandparents gave me
an orange sweater for my birthday.
I used to wear it every time I visited them,
but when I left their house,I took it off!
Of course, this made me feel guilty.
It was a very nice thought,
but my grandparents and I have different tastes!
I think it's hard to buy clothes
or other personal things for people."
To make things easier,
some people would rather just give money.
In some cultures, however,
receiving money can make people uncomfortable.
"When someone gives me money,
it just makes me think they're being lazy," says John Wilson.
"In England, we have a saying:
It's the thought that counts.
When someone gives me money,
I feel they didn't think at all.
I prefer to receive a gift that has some thought behind it.
I don't mind if it's something I don't need.
If someone has thought about a gift for me,
it always makes me happy."
Different people have very different thoughts on this subject!
So maybe the art of receiving
is even more difficult than the art of giving!
What do you think?
Section 3 After You Read
3a Finish the sentences according to the reading
3b Choose an adjective from the reading
that expresses a feeling.
To "make the word your own",
write about a time when you felt this way.
Section 4 Go For It!
Imagine Tina and Peter are your classmates.
Make some suggestions for gifts for each of them
Then discuss and decide with a group which gift would be best.
If you have time!
Make notes about a gift that you have received.
Tell your group about this experience.
1.What was the gift,who gave it to you and why?
2.How did you feel when you opened it,
and do you think the person who gave it thought
carefully about it?