A shopper waited forty-eight hours before buying a discounted device and realised the old one still worked.
/ə ˈʃɑpɚ ˈweɪtɪd ˈfɔɹti eɪt ˈaʊɚz bɪˈfɔɹ ˈbaɪɪŋ ə ˈdɪˌskaʊntɪd dɪˈvaɪs ænd ˈɹiəˌlaɪzd ðə oʊld wʌn stɪl wɚkt./
At first, this looked like a small decision about consumerism, but its result soon became visible.
/æt fɚst, ðɪs lʊkt laɪk ə smɔl dɪˈsɪʒən əˈbaʊt kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm, bʌt ɪts ɹɪˈzʌlt sun bɪˈkeɪm ˈvɪzɪbəl./
The case raises a broader question: how convenience and status influence what people buy.
/ðə keɪs ˈɹeɪzɪz ə ˈbɹɔdɚ ˈkwɛst͡ʃən: haʊ kənˈvinjəns ænd ˈstætəs ˈɪnfluəns wʌt ˈpipəl baɪ./
If the warning had been ignored, the consequences of consumerism would have been more serious.
/ɪf ðə ˈwɔɹnɪŋ hæd bɪn ɪɡˈnɔɹd, ðə ˈkɑnsəˌkwɛnsɪz əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm wʊd hæv bɪn mɔɹ ˈsɪɹiəs./
The example draws attention to a consumer choice, which can shape how people respond to consumerism.
/ðə ɪɡˈzæmpəl dɹɔz əˈtɛnʃən tə ə kənˈsumɚ t͡ʃɔɪs, wɪt͡ʃ kən ʃeɪp haʊ ˈpipəl ɹɪˈspɑnd tə kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm./
A closer look at an excessive consumption reveals a practical side of consumerism that general opinions often miss.
/ə ˈkloʊsɚ lʊk æt ən ɪkˈsɛsɪv kənˈsʌmpʃən ɹɪˈvilz ə ˈpɹæktɪkəl saɪd əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ðæt ˈd͡ʒɛnɚəl əˈpɪnjənz ˈɔftən mɪs./
A long-term consequence of consumerism may be less visible than the immediate result.
/ə lɔŋ tɚm ˈkɑnsəkwəns əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm meɪ bi lɛs ˈvɪzɪbəl ðən ðə ɪˈmidiɪt ɹɪˈzʌlt./
People usually notice the value of consumerism only after a real event changes their routine.
/ˈpipəl ˈjuʒəli ˈnoʊtɪs ðə ˈvælju əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ˈoʊnli ˈæftɚ ə ɹil ɪˈvɛnt ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒɪz ðɛɹ ɹuˈtin./
When discussing consumerism, people should explain why a clear explanation matters.
/wɛn dɪˈskʌsɪŋ kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm, ˈpipəl ʃʊd ɪkˈspleɪn waɪ ə klɪɹ ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən ˈmætɚz./
A useful question about consumerism focuses on what happened, why it matters, and what should happen next.
/ə ˈjusfəl ˈkwɛst͡ʃən əˈbaʊt kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ˈfoʊkəsɪz ɔn wʌt ˈhæpənd, waɪ ɪt ˈmætɚz, ænd wʌt ʃʊd ˈhæpən nɛkst./
The immediate effect of consumerism may be easy to see, while the longer-term effect is often less obvious.
/ðə ɪˈmidiɪt ɪˈfɛkt əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm meɪ bi ˈizi tə si, waɪl ðə ˈlɔŋɡɚ tɚm ɪˈfɛkt ɪz ˈɔftən lɛs ˈɑbviəs./
A careful comparison uses the same standard for both choices and separates convenience from lasting value.
/ə ˈkɛɹfəl kəmˈpɛɹəsən ˈjuzɪz ðə seɪm ˈstændɚd fɚ boʊθ ˈt͡ʃɔɪsɪz ænd ˈsɛpɚˌeɪts kənˈvinjəns fɹʌm ˈlæstɪŋ ˈvælju./
Once the difference is clear, a speaker can give a preference without pretending that the other option has no merit.
/wʌns ðə ˈdɪfɹəns ɪz klɪɹ, ə ˈspikɚ kən ɡɪv ə ˈpɹɛfɚəns wɪˈðaʊt pɹiˈtɛndɪŋ ðæt ðə ˈʌðɚ ˈɑpʃən hæz noʊ ˈmɛɹɪt./
A concrete example of consumerism makes the central idea easier to understand and evaluate.
/ə ˈkɑŋkɹit ɪɡˈzæmpəl əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm meɪks ðə ˈsɛntɹəl aɪˈdiə ˈiziɚ tə ˌʌndɚˈstænd ænd ɪˈvæljuˌeɪt./
The meaning of consumerism becomes clearer when people connect it to a real experience.
/ðə ˈminɪŋ əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm bɪˈkʌmz ˈklɪɹɚ wɛn ˈpipəl kəˈnɛkt ɪt tə ə ɹil ɪkˈspɪɹiəns./
People can describe an experience when a real situation involving consumerism requires action.
/ˈpipəl kən dɪˈskɹaɪb ən ɪkˈspɪɹiəns wɛn ə ɹil ˌsɪt͡ʃuˈeɪʃən ɪnˈvɑlvɪŋ kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ɹiˈkwaɪɚz ˈækʃən./
People can compare two responses to consumerism only when they use the same criteria.
/ˈpipəl kən kəmˈpɛɹ tu ɹɪˈspɑnsɪz tə kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ˈoʊnli wɛn ðeɪ juz ðə seɪm kɹaɪˈtɪɹiə./
The effect of consumerism may vary according to a person's needs, resources, and circumstances.
/ðə ɪˈfɛkt əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm meɪ ˈvɛɹi əˈkɔɹdɪŋ tə ə ˈpɚsənz nidz, ˈɹisɔɹsɪz, ænd ˈsɚkəmˌstænsɪz./
However, an early success can hide a cost that appears later.
/ˌhaʊˈɛvɚ, ən ˈɚli səkˈsɛs kən haɪd ə kɔst ðæt əˈpɪɹz ˈleɪtɚ./
This matters because the decision changes what people can do in ordinary life.
/ðɪs ˈmætɚz bɪˈkʌz ðə dɪˈsɪʒən ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒɪz wʌt ˈpipəl kən du ɪn ˈɔɹdɪˌnɛɹi laɪf./
The most practical lesson is that consumerism should be judged through real effects rather than attractive slogans.
/ðə moʊst ˈpɹæktɪkəl ˈlɛsən ɪz ðæt kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ʃʊd bi d͡ʒʌd͡ʒd θɹu ɹil ɪˈfɛkts ˈɹæðɚ ðən əˈtɹæktɪv ˈsloʊɡənz./
Good decisions connect a clear purpose with evidence, human experience, and the willingness to revise a weak approach.
/ɡʊd dɪˈsɪʒənz kəˈnɛkt ə klɪɹ ˈpɚpəs wɪθ ˈɛvədəns, ˈhjumən ɪkˈspɪɹiəns, ænd ðə ˈwɪlɪŋnəs tə ɹɪˈvaɪz ə wik əˈpɹoʊt͡ʃ./
When those parts stay connected, the topic becomes easier to discuss in daily conversation and in an IELTS answer.
/wɛn ðoʊz pɑɹts steɪ kəˈnɛktɪd, ðə ˈtɑpɪk bɪˈkʌmz ˈiziɚ tə dɪˈskʌs ɪn ˈdeɪli ˌkɑnvɚˈseɪʃən ænd ɪn ən aɪ ɛl ti ɛs ˈænsɚ./