Q3. The whole audience had some deep feelings about money and God. Para. 2-5
I struggled [5] to bring these two ultimate [6] subjects together in the same breath[7]. One businessman wanted to make it simple. He said, “Money is God. Anything you can say about God, you can also about money.”
What do you mean?” I responded [8].
“Well, think of the traditional [9] statements about God,” he said. “Okay. God is love. God is everywhere. God is infinite [10]. God is all powerful,” I remarked.
Q1. What did the businessman think of money? 5. struggle: fight; make great efforts e.g. John struggled to control his temper. 6. ultimate: final; basic
e.g. They?re going to London first, but their ultimate destination is Rome. 7. in the same breath: 同时
e.g. You told me in the same breath that it was useless to investigate the matter and that you desired me to do it .
8. respond: answer; react
e.g. They still haven?t respond to your letter.
9. traditional: belonging to the tradition of a country or group of people e.g. The dancers wore traditional Chinese costume. 10. infinite: endless; without end
e.g. She seems to have infinite patience with her students. Q1. He thought that money was God. Para. 6
“That?s it!” he said with delight [11]. “Money is love. Money is everywhere. Money is infinite. Money is all powerful. People want to treat you as if they love you when have lots of money. Everywhere I go there is money ─ an ATM machine or bank in every part of the world. Money is so powerful th
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at we go to war and give up our lives (one?s life) for (money) it. And, since money is abstract [12], we can create [13] infinite mounts out of it. Therefore Money is like God, Money is God.”
Q1. What do you think of this businessman?s attitude towards money? 11. delight: a great pleasure and satisfaction; joy
e.g. She looked forward to the English evening with keen delight. 12. abstract: based on general ideas rather than real things and events e.g. A flower is beautiful, but beauty itself is abstract.
13. create: cause (something new) to exist; produce (something new) e.g. His behavior created a bad impression.
Q1. I think there is some sense in what he said. /I do not agree with him.
Para. 7
This businessman was serious. I could see that he was deeply disturbed [13] by his position. He was admitting [14] an awesome truth that most people would not take seriously.
Q1. What did the author think of the businessman?s reply? Q2. Why did the author say the businessman was disturbed?
14. disturb: 1) interrupt someone and stop them from working, thinking, sleeping, etc.
2) make someone feel worried or upset 3) change the usual or natural condition of e.g. I do not wish to be disturbed in my work. He was disturbed to hear of your illness. He disturbed the papers on my desk.
15. admit: 1) accept and agree unwillingly that something is true or right 2) allow to enter or join
e.g. He admitted taking these goods without paying for them. This ticket admits two people to the football match. Q1. He thought the businessman was serious in saying so.
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Q2. The businessman was revealing a truth which most people would avoid facing.
Para. 8
Afterwards an older white-bearded gentleman came (come) up to [16] me and asked this question: “ With what do you buy your money?” I looked at him, just to make sure [17] I understood what he said.
Q1. What is old man?s view on the relationship between money and life? Q2. Why do you think the author looked at the old white-bearded gentleman?
16. come up to: 走上前来,走近;出现
e.g. A beggar came up to us and asked for money. 17. make sure: act so as to be certain
e.g. He made sure that all the lights were off before he left the classroom.
Q1. He thinks that one buys money with his or her life. Q2. Probably the author was a little puzzled. Para. 9-12
Again he asked, “With what do you buy your money?”
“I can only think of one good answer.” I said, “I buy my money with my life.”
“Right!” he said. “You might win the game of life. I wish I had asked myself this question when I was much younger. I worked for money for so many years, not realizing that I was trading (trade one?s) life for [16] money.”
“Don?t the bad guys always say, ?Your money or your life??” I said. Q1. Why do you think the old gentleman said the author might win the game of life?
Q2. How do you understand the phrase “to trade one?s life for money”? Q3. How do you understand the sentence “Your money or your life”? 18. trade … for: exchange
e.g. The early settlers here trade their copper ware for corn.
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Q1. The old gentleman thought that the author might succeed in making money, but that was really at the expense of his life worth living.
Q2. That means people make money at the cost of their lives.
Q3. That means: Do you want your money or your life? You can only choose between the two. It is a threat often used by robbers, but here it means “ a worthwhile life”.
Para. 13
This old had the clear eyes of a wisdom seeker, not those of a man (be) lost in the money game. Perhaps, I thought half in jest, he had put away [19] a good sum (of money) for his retirement, and was living(live)well off [20] of it. Yet, most older people that I knew were still (be) obsessed with [21]money even if they had enough. They had spent their youth (be) fixated on [22] it; such lifetime habits cannot e easily dropped.
Q1. What attitude do most people hold toward money and life? 19. put away: save (money) for later use e.g. She put away her clothes in the dresser. 20. live well off: 衣食无忧,过着富足的生活
e.g. He earned a great sum of money and has lived well off of it since. 21. be obsessed with: 迷恋于,财迷心窍
e.g. As John grew older, he became obsessed with making money. 22. fixated on: thinking, talking, etc. continuously about one particular thing, so as not to give enough attention to anything else
e.g. He was fixated on fame and fortune, yet he failed in everything. Q1. Most people believe that money is important but it is not everything in life.
Para. 14
Ultimately, all of my investments start with how I use my time. Some say, “Time is money.” I say, “Life is the time we have, so use the time allotted [23] well. You may not have(no)any time to spare.” I may spend so much
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