B2 – Upper Intermediate
There’s a saying that goes, “It’s better to give than to receive.“
This is what Burmeses and Iraqis are trying to do in their lives. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) found that Myanmar is the country where the most generous people in the world live. While the most helpful people to strangers are from Iraq.
Read the article about how people from the countries Myanmar and Iraq are the most generous in the world.
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1610/161028-charity.html
Discussion Questions:
1. What are your thoughts on the results of the study?
2. Do you think doing charitable acts are necessary? Why or why not?
3. Would you say being generous and helpful are two traits that most Spanish people have?
4. What’s the most generous thing you’ve ever done?
5. Name some important charities in your country.
6 replies on “Myanmar and Iraq Most Generous Countries”
The results of the study are quite surprising, because from Irak, what we received is war news almost all of the time, but if you think a little bit about it, then is not that surprising, because when people have suffered that much, maybe is more understable that they are more willing to help.
I think charitable acts are necessary. But is not that easy how to help. When people have problems, we shouldn´t look the other way, but when we received news all the time from all over the world, what can we do to help? When we live in a system based on consuming things that we don´t really need… we can help of course, but maybe we are part of the problem.
I would say that most Spanish people is generous and helpful. When a natural disaster happens or when charities ask for help in order to research a cure for a disease for example, a lot of people answer.
The most generous thing I’ve ever done is helping a rural school no to close, helping them in community works and organizing events in order to get financial support.
Anyway, we always think about financial help, but in our lifes we can help a lot just being kind to each others.
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1. To be honest the first thing that came up to my mind it’s that these countries are very different one from each other since in developed countries citizens pay taxes so that the money can be redistributed. Maybe this could be the reason why people in developed countries could think that they are already contributing for the well-being of others and that should be a government task more than an individual one.
2. Depending on the situation. On one hand, charitable acts make the world a better place and help people to understand what others are going through. On the other hand, I think that governments and NGOs have a great impact on this subject. Firstly, governments create the rules that allow to help people, for example, via taxes, by imposing a minimum wage or the way they asses companies to give a public contract (i.e., if they hire unemployed people, if they use eco-friendly devices and procedures…). Secondly, NGOs help not only with their charity projects but they also assist governments by gaining insight into the current needs of the community by collecting data and statistics that can aid understanding the issue and eventually with the decision-making process.
3. In general, I think that these traits are common to all humans. However, sometimes, due to the distance to the problem itself, the prejudges that people may have or the fear to something bad could happen – sometimes behaviors are imposed by the society itself and they are not a free personal option – people don’t behave in this way.
4. It occurs to me a lot of examples but I wouldn’t say that one of them stands out the others.
5. Red cross, Doctors Without Borders.
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1. I think to be generous an d giving is the people’s way to show the government what they don’t like. What they want to become, a better country.
2. I think is necessary if it reaches who really needs it. For example, help old people that can’t work, and don’t have a family, or children that can’t go to school because they have to walk hoours to the nearest school.
3. I think spanish peopley is generous and helpful, yes. Today they are financing all the immigrants coming from africa, with house, food, and money. that’s why there are so many of them coming every day.
4. From many years now, i take care of my sister, she’s down sindrome and she is very old , and i have to help her to do everything. she’s not autonomous anymore.
5. Here in spain: Caritas , Proyde, sonrisas de lunares. There are a lot of ONG’s helping local children and elder.
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