Ingles

COMPULSIVE SHOPPING

A new illness, the Compulsive Buying Disorder, has been diagnosed. Its symptoms are frequent thoughts of shopping, experiencing senseless impulses to purchase unneeded items,and overspending to the extent that it harms relationships or job performance. A recent survey has found that one in twenty American adults buy things they may not even want or need. In today’s worldof consumerism, where we are constantly bombarded by ads, this is perhaps not unusual. But more surprising is a further finding that runs counter to the conventional and rather stereotyped view thatcompulsive buying is very much a "woman's disease": men are just as likely as women to suffer from compulsive buying. Gone seem to be the days when women dragged their bored men around shopping malls.Researchers say that the number of men who indulge in unnecessary shopping has rocketed. Experts claim that past trends and figures may have been unfairly distorted as male obsessive shoppers used tobe more reluctant than women to recognize that they have a problem, admit it, and seek help. While women buy more clothing and products that improve appearance, men tend to focus more on gadgets andtechnical items and can become compulsive collectors.
And help seems to be exactly what the doctor orders for any compulsive shopper who is usually not made any happier by his or her relentlessbuying. Doctors have concluded that this behaviour is a way for people to try to complete themselves. For some people, being complete is being impeccably dressed or having something new. Instead, medicalpractitioners encourage those seeking treatment to cultivate non-materialistic aspects of their lives.
A) COMPREHENSION

ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-3 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE TEXT. USEYOUR OWN WORDS (1 point per answer)

1. How does the text describe a compulsive consumer?

The text describes compulsive consumers as people who often think about buying items that they do not...