Những thứ không bình thường được bán trên eBay. Trình độ: Intermediate
Mục tiêu: Tăng cường kỹ năng đọc
Trả lời các câu hỏi sau: Have you ever sold anything online? What was it? Which of the objects from this page would you like to buy? Why? Which of your possessions would you like to put up for sale? How much would you sell them for?
Kỳ thi: Bài đọc này giúp bạn chuẩn bị cho các kỳ thi tiếng Anh như PET và TOEFL.
Pre-reading
Look at the product names in the article. What do you think the products consist of exactly?
Why would someone pay for them?
Reading I
Read or listen to the article once. What’s the most ridiculous or unusual product that was sold on eBay? Why?
Những thứ không bình thường được bán trên eBay
Reading II
Read the article again. Then, answer the questions.
1. How much was “the meaning of life” sold for?
2. Who sold his imaginary friend?
3. What was the imaginary friend’s name?
4. What did Ian Usher sell?
5. What part of his body did Andrew Fischer put up for sale?
6. Who gave Scarlett Johansson a cold?
Unusual things sold on eBay
eBay is one of the world’s biggest online retailers.
You can buy everything from clothes to toys to antiques to furniture and books. You can also get some unusual items. Margaret Thatcher’s handbag once sold for £103,000. Justin Timberlake’s half-eaten French toast went for $3,154 in 2006, and J.D. Sallinger’s un-cleaned toilet was put up for auction in 2011 at a starting price of $1million. Here are some more unusual things that have been sold on eBay.
Product: The meaning of life
Trung tâm học tiếng anh trực tuyến – Học tiếng anh online qua Skype
Sold for: $3.26 dollars
Have you ever wondered about the meaning of life? For a mere $3.26, you could have had the answer.
Product: An imaginary friend
Những thứ không bình thường được bán trên eBay
Sold for:
$3,082.15 dollars
A man with the username “thewildandcrazyoli” felt he was getting a bit too old for his imaginary friend Jon Malipieman so he put him up for sale. “He is really friendly and I will send you a list of things he likes and dislikes,” the seller explained. Amazingly Jon Malipieman got 31 bids.
Product: A man’s life
Trung tâm học tiếng anh trực tuyến – Học tiếng anh online qua Skype
Sold for: Just over $200,000
Ian Usher was so sick and tired of his life and everyone in it that he decided to sell it.
The sale included all his material possessions – his house, his furniture, his car, etc. – as well as the possibility of getting introduced to all his friends. Talk about a new beginning!
Product: a man’s forehead
Sold for: $37,375
When Andrew Fischer was a little short on cash he decided to put his forehead up for sale as advertising space. He eventually got $37,375 to advertise the snoring remedy, SnoreStop. “I look forward to an enjoyable association [with Andrew],” SnoreStop CEO Christian de Rivel said in an interview with NBC news.
Product: Used tissue
Sold for: $5,300
Of course, this isn’t just any tissue – this is Scarlett Johansson’s. After blowing her nose once, the superstar thought it would be a good idea to sell it for charity. And as she claims to have caught the cold from fellow-actor Samuel L. Jackson, the tissue has double celebrity value.
GLOSSARY
an online retailer n
a website business that sells things
an antique n
an object that is old and valuable
Margaret Thatcher n
a British prime minister from 1979 to 1990
French toast n
bread that is covered in an egg mixture and then fried
to put up for auction exp
if you “put an object up for auction”, you sell it at a public sale. The person who offers the highest price can buy it
a username n
a name you type in so you can access a website
an imaginary friend n
a friend who exists in your head
a bid n
an offer of a price for an object at an auction or public sale
short on cash exp
if you’re “short on cash”, you don’t have much money
a forehead n
the part of your head above your eyes and below your hair
snoring adj
if someone “snores”, they make a loud sound through their mouth or nose when they’re sleeping. “Snoring” is the adjective
a remedy n
a cure for an illness
an association exp
if you have an “association” with someone, you do business or work with them
a CEO abbr
the chief executive officer – the most important person in a company
a tissue n
a thin piece of paper you can use to clean your nose
a charity n
an organisation that helps poor people (for example)
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