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This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanglobal.com It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2011. 1 Lesson plan 57: Free! ‘The best things in life are free.’ ‘It’s better to give than to receive.’ How many times have you heard old sayings like these? But do they really mean anything in our modern, globalised world? This week, we focus on three social networks which bring together old-fashioned values and modern technology to bring ‘giving’ into the 21 st century. Would you be willing to let a complete stranger stay in your house for a few days, while they find their feet in a new town? That ’s what millions of people all over the world are doing through online sites like this. Each member completes a profile describing themselves and giving the lowdown on any accommodation they have to offer. For cash-strapped travellers, the attraction is obvious. Why pay through the nose for impersonal hotel accommodation when you can stay with friendly locals free of charge? But what ’s in it for the hosts? Well, in a nutshell, interesting company and personal satisfaction. And there ’s no danger of travellers turning up on your doorstep completely out of the blue. Before giving any personal details, you can check out the profiles of any potential guests, including the references left by others. OK, so you ’d like to help, but draw the line at hosting strangers. How about sharing your time or expertise? After all, each one of us has unique knowledge and skills. It could be something as simple as knowing your stuff when it comes to digital cameras. Don ’t take this for granted – there could be someone in your town right now who ’d give their right arm for your skills. But would you give your knowledge and time, free of charge, to a complete stranger? Without knowing if there ’s anyone who will do anything for you? That’s the sixty-four thousand dollar question! For those who answer ‘Yes’, this site matches them up with people desperate for their services, with a minimum of red tape. All you ’ll get in return is the chance to feel good – a feeling, perhaps, that money can ’t buy. And money can ’t buy anything at all on our final site; that’s because every single item is offered completely free of charge. But why give stuff away when you could sell it? The fact is that not everything has much monetary value or people simply don ’t have the time to wait for someone to come along who ’s prepared to part with their hard-earned cash. This could mean
(…)
… waste piling up
every day in our cities, when they could actually be of practical use for somebody else. If that
happens, it really is a classic win–win – good for the people concerned and good for the
environment.
1 Which paragraph of the text (2–4) describes the organisations below?
1 The Freecycle Network _____
2 The Freeconomics Community _____
3 CouchSurfing _____
2 Decide if the sentences are…
… appear in the article.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
get used to a new environment ____________________
provide key information ____________________
pay a very high price ____________________
what is the benefit for (somebody)? ____________________
to summarise, in a few words ____________________
at your house ____________________
completely unexpectedly ____________________
decide on a personal…
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