Contemporary Topics 3

Pre- test Contemporary Topics 3, Unit 3 Note to Teacher: This is a 25 item pre-test activity designed to assess the students’ current knowledge of language related to the unit topic and familiarity wiith the basic concepts from the lecture. The pre-test is (will be) self-scoring, with a simple rubric so students get some sense of how much they will be expected to learn during the course of the unit. Scores on the pre-test should be made available to the teacher, so you will know who has attempted it, their scores, and a general idea of your students’ beginning familiarity with the language and concepts in the unit. Example Rubric: Vocabulary 5/10 : You know some of the key words from the unit, but you will need to learn about 20-30 new terms in order to do well in this lesson. Concepts 10/15: You are already familiar with many of the concepts from this unit. As you go through the unit, think about the connections between the ideas.

How much do you know about Social Status? Try this pre-test before you begin the unit. Don’t worry about the score! This pretest will help you prepare for what you will learn in this unit.

Part 1: Vocabulary (10 points) Fill in. Read the following sentences. Complete the words in each blank. Whether we like it or not, our status in society d___________s on things like class, education wealth, and recognition of succ_____ . And it is society who forms a general consensus of what these things signify -- what v__________ they have. In most societies, people generally want to be asso_____ed with success. Why? Because it makes them valued in s__________y and it gives them power ,influence and pres_______. Because wealth and success are so important to people, they also value the sym_____s that signify wealth and success. These so-called “status symbols” --

usually poss________s or activities -- are the things we use to m_________e a person's social or economic pres________. Part 2: Concepts (10 points) Match the first part and the second part of each sentence. 1. Most people don't just want to be affluent and successful….

(a) they also want others to know they’re affluent and successful (b) they want other people to be less affluent and successful than they are

2. Status symbols allow us to …..

(a) become more successful (b) advertise our success

3. People generally want to be associated with… 4. Conspicuous consumption refers to…

(a) power and influence (b) skills and situations

(a) buying things that only wealthy people can afford (b) showing off your ability to purchase expensive things

5. Ralph Lauren, Armani, and Dior are examples of…

(a) expensive garments (b) designer labels

6. Media tends to fuel interest in social status by…

(a) encouraging consumers to spend more (b) advertising high status items

7. By putting their brand logo on the outside of the garment, prestigious fashion houses are…

(a) effectively advertising the price of the item for the person wearing it (b) gaining additional advertising revenue from the person who bought it

8. “Trophy wife”, “Trophy husband”, and “Trophy kids” are examples of…

9. By mastering certain elite abilities such as scuba diving or gourmet cooking, a person can… 10. “Storytelling”, in relation to social status, may be defined as….

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(a) the ways in which people are rewarded for being members of affluent families (b) the ways in which people use even their family members to signal their status (a) demonstrate “status skills”. (b) share a “work ethic.” (a) showing off what you have acquired by talking about it (b) reading about how other people have acquired their social status