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Self-Esteem and Luxury Goods
According to a study, lowself-esteem is a big factor in whether a person will buy luxury goods that hemay not be able to afford.

For consumers trapped ininstitutionalized poverty or those living paycheck to paycheck, a luxury goodcan go a long way in increasing self-esteem or providing a sense of belonging.

A sense ofaccomplishment is yet another reason why some people buy luxury goods. Theywant to reward themselves for their hard work by treating themselves tosomething they typically can't afford.

institutionalized(adj) 体制化的  
poverty (n) 贫穷  
livepaycheck to paycheck 日子拮据、月光族  
go along way 大有帮助、大有好处

The Irrational Consumer
It’s well known that people don’t behave rationally, and considering the enormous consumer debt Americans have, consumers clearly don’t always act in their best financial interests.

Luxury goods are a great example of how irrational we can be; a decent and sturdy handbag can be purchased for $50, yet people will still spend thousands to buy a brand name.

It's always been this way and consumers' desire to own the finer things in life will likely never change.

rational (adj) 理性的  
enormous (adj) 巨大的  
sturdy (adj) 结实的  
brand name 品牌、名牌  

Taking on new challenges makes yo better on paper
Changing jobs at least once every four years can make your resume more attractive to employers for several reasons. For one, it says, ‘I’m willing to try new things and not get too comfortable.

But staying at the same job for a long while can make your resume look stagnant and give employers the impression that you lack drive and don’t enjoy learning new things.

Candidates who have not changed jobs in a decade or more run the risk of being considered stuck and afraid of change, and perhaps even‘wedded to the company.'

take on 承担、接受   
stagnant （adj） 停滞不前的、无发展的   
drive （n） 干劲、冲劲
run the riskof… 冒着。。。的风险    
stuck（adj） 困住   
bewedded to… 献身于。。。

Whystay?


In fact, staying for ten years or more on a job can be a positive thing, if you've gained seniority and leadership opportunities and have more say in the company.

It might say to potential employers that you're dependable and loyal.

A worker who constantly switches jobs or starts new ventures may have difficulty getting jobs in the future, because employers have to invest resources to train a worker, and that investment is lost if the worker leaves the company.

seniority (n) 资历、级别高  
say (n) 发言权  
venture (n) 冒险项目、公司

Kids Aren't So Great For Your Relationship

Many couples think that having kids will bring them closer, enhance their relationship and make it stronger, because they now get to bond over a little person that they created.

But the facts don't exactly back this line of thinking up. As Dr. Ellen Walker explained in Psychology Today, “Marital satisfaction rates actually plummet after the birth of the first child."

Accordingto a study, 70 percent of couples experience a“significant slump” in the quality of their relationship within the first three years of the birth of their first child.

This can be due to sleeplessness, unrealistic expectations, and the fact that clashing ideas about how to raise a child can sometimes drive a couple apart.

enhance(v) 提高、增进  
over (prep) 由于  
back…up 支持   
marital (adj) 婚姻的   
plummet(v) 暴跌  
slump (n) 骤降  
clashing (adj) 冲突的  
apart (adv) 分开

To Carry on the Family Name and Values
There are plenty of people out there who want to carry on the family name and the family values.

Of course, this tends to apply to the father's family name, but the point is that many prospective parents want to continue the historic family lineage.

They find joy in knowing that their child will bear their last name and keep the family going. Again, this is all based around societal customs.

prospective(adj) 可能成为的   
lineage (n) 家系、家族  
bear (v) 持有、带有