OXFORD LISTENING PRACTICE TEST - NANCY AND FIONA'S DISCUSSION (HD) скачать в хорошем качестве

OXFORD LISTENING PRACTICE TEST - NANCY AND FIONA'S DISCUSSION (HD)

OXFORD LISTENING PRACTICE TEST - NANCY AND FIONA'S DISCUSSION (HD) TRANSCRIPT FOR SECTION 4 Section 4 Now listen carefully to the talk and answer Questions 31-40. Welcome to today's public lecture on the topic of personal debt. I'm Ray Goodman from the Community Debt Centre, and I'd like to present to you today the second part of our three-lecture series.Today we are going to look at how debt affects our lives.Debt is nothing new. It's found throughout human history and in every society. Many people know what it feels like to be in debt. Those of you who have bought a house will probably have a mortgage. Perhaps you have borrowed money from family or friends, or got a loan for a car. Debt can sometimes be a way of juggling financial commitments and of paying in advance for things that you really need. For everyday living, you might not earn enough money from your job to pay for all the things that you need.You may require a little extra money in the form of credit cards.But debt has a darker side. Imagine how you would feel if you were deeply in debt and unable to repay what you owed. The consequences for many people can be disastrous.Today, people in the richer countries of the world live in a society where credit is easily accessible.Banks, building societies and credit card companies often encourage people to take out loans. They then make money by charging interest.For very low income earners, borrowing from a bank can be impossible. Instead, they are forced to take out a much higher-interest loan from a private lender. They soon find that, despite cutting back on many essentials, they are unable to keep up with these repayments. They are forced to take out another loan and find themselves plunging deeper and deeper into debt.People can find themselves with growing debts if they are unable to repay interest. This may be because of a sudden life-changing event, such as a business failure or losing a job. But, for many households, debt is a means of survival.In developing countries people borrow a tiny sum of money from a local landowner, for example, to pay for medical treatment.They agree that a child would work as a full-time servant to repay the debt, and that child becomes a bonded labourer. But, since they are never paid, there is no hope of clearing the debt. Their life is ruled by fear. W ith no money, education or experience of life, it is impossible for them to escape.Today debt bondage is a major form of slavery.As you can see, debt affects everyone all over the world, to varying degrees. I hope the information I have presented to you today will make you think twice about getting into spiralling debt. Of course, if you are already finding yourself in financial difficulties, please make an appointment to see one of our helpful staffmembers after this talk.