Interviews
“Charitable Giving”
Level
High-intermediate
Pre-Listening Question
Charitable Cause Brainstorm:
- Before listening to the interview, divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a set of index cards or sticky notes.
- Instruct students to brainstorm and write down different charitable causes or organizations they are familiar with, based on their personal interests or experiences. Include the goals of each organization.
- Encourage them to think broadly, considering local, national, and international causes.
- After a few minutes of brainstorming, have each group share their ideas with the class, creating a master list of charitable causes on the board.
- Prompt a brief discussion on the diversity of charitable work and the potential impact of different causes.
Vocabulary and Expressions
Here are some words and expressions that appear in the video:
charitable (adjective): Showing kindness and goodwill towards others, especially by giving money or resources to those in need.
- The couple made a charitable donation to the local food bank to help families in their community.
- She has a charitable nature and is always looking for ways to support worthy causes.
inheritance (noun): Property or money received from someone who has died, typically passed down to heirs or beneficiaries.
- She inherited her grandmother’s antique jewelry collection as part of her inheritance.
- The siblings disagreed about how to divide their father’s inheritance among themselves.
maternal (adjective): Relating to motherhood or the process of giving birth.
- The hospital offers maternal health services to support expecting mothers throughout their pregnancies.
- The government implemented policies to improve maternal healthcare and reduce infant mortality rates.
philanthropy (noun): The practice of donating money, time, or resources to help others, especially for the benefit of society.
- The wealthy businessman engaged in philanthropy by funding education initiatives in underserved communities.
- Her philanthropy extended beyond financial contributions, as she volunteered at local shelters and charities.
impact (noun): The effect or influence of one thing on another; the result or consequence of an action or event.
- The new environmental regulations had a positive impact on reducing pollution in the river.
- The charity’s programs had a significant impact on improving access to clean water in rural villages.
Listening Comprehension Questions
Now, watch the interview and answer the comprehension questions. You can also turn on the automatically-generated captions for the video once you start it.
Transcript
Randall: In this video, Aubrey, let’s talk about giving to charity. And imagine, for example, your lost Uncle Fred dies and leaves you $2 million: one to spend on yourself and 1 million to spend on any charity or charities of your choosing. How would you use that money and . . . .not the money that you would get for yourself, but the money that you could leave to charity?
Aubrey: Well, I was going to say it sounds like I’m getting a great tax break here. Okay.
Randall: All right. But what specific charities?
Aubrey: I would want to donate to like a humane Society shelter. There’s partners in health that is working on decreasing maternal mortality in Sierra Leone. That would be something I’d probably want to donate to, but mostly like animal stuff, I don’t know.
Randall: Okay. And that’s important with the idea of donating to different organizations. You mentioned about the Humane Society. I know here in Utah we have Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. That’s another organization that is available to people. So thank you for sharing your thoughts on donating to charitable organizations.
Conversation Questions
Intermediate:
- What types of charitable causes does Aubrey express interest in supporting?
- Why does Aubrey mention tax breaks with charitable donations?
- What organization does Aubrey mention that focuses on decreasing maternal mortality in Sierra Leone?
- How might tax incentives, like deductions for charitable donations, influence individuals’ decisions to give to charity?
- Discuss the significance of Aubrey’s preference for donating to animal-related causes versus other charitable initiatives.
- In what ways do Aubrey’s choices of charitable organizations reflect her personal values and interests?
Advanced:
- How do societal factors, such as tax policies and cultural norms, shape individuals’ philanthropic behavior and preferences?
- Analyze the ethical implications of prioritizing certain charitable causes over others, considering factors like effectiveness, impact, and personal affinity.
- Explore the role of research and due diligence in effective charitable giving, using examples from the interview to illustrate the importance of informed decision-making and strategic philanthropy.