Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- annualized / ˈæn yu əˌlaɪzd / (adj.) – calculated amount of something such as interest or inflation for a full year
Example:The country’s exports rose at an annualized rate of 13.5 percent.
- necessity / nəˈsɛs ɪ ti / (n.) – the need for something
Example:My parents felt the necessity to work abroad to give us a better life.
- supplementary / ˌsʌp ləˈmɛn tə ri / (adj.) – added to something in order to improve or complete it
Example:I need some supplementary income because my current job doesn’t pay enough.
- pension / ˈpɛn ʃən / (n.) – money that’s regularly given by the government to people who can no longer work because of their age and health
Example:My grandma uses her pension to pay for her monthly bills.
- generalized / ˈdʒɛn ər əˌlaɪzd / (adj.) – happening or felt in a lot of places or among many people
Example:The students in this school have a generalized interest in arts and sports.
Article
Read the text below.
Mexico’s annualized inflation rate hit 8.15% in July, the highest in more than two decades, the national statistics institute announced.
But inflation in prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages is even higher, with prices rising 14.5% over the last 12 months.
Many Mexican families are feeling the pinch and going without some of the costlier items like meat.
The Mexican government raised the country’s minimum wage by 22% in 2022 to about $8.50 per day, but much of that increase has now been consumed by inflation.
Housewife Carla Valadez was shopping at a Mexico City market and had to buy vegetables instead of pork because of the prices.
“We are going to become vegetarians out of necessity,” said Valadez.
Tinga, a traditional dish made of tomatoes, onions and chili with shredded chicken or beef, is now prohibitively expensive.
“Now my son asks me to make carrot tinga,” said Valadez.
Juana Pardo, a retiree who tries to make ends meet on an $82-per-month supplementary pension program for the elderly, says “what I get from the government isn’t enough anymore.”
Pardo is buying some nopal cactus leaves, and has taken to eating more vegetables and beans instead of chicken and eggs, because of the prices. “There is nothing else I can do, if I can’t make ends meet.”
The government has lifted import duties on 21 basic food items and has encouraged Mexicans to grow more food, but it is not clear how much that will help in a world where high inflation has become generalized.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Valadez said that they are becoming vegetarians out of necessity due to the increasing prices of meat. Would you ever become a vegetarian if the prices of meat in your country became too expensive? Why or why not? Discuss.
- The government of Mexico encourages its citizens to grow more food to ease the effects of inflation. If your government encourages you to do the same, what foods would you grow at home? Why? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Pardo, a retiree who is receiving an $82 support for the elderly from the government, said the pension is no longer enough to make ends meet. In your opinion, should the government increase her pension or should she look for another way to support her needs herself? Why? Discuss.
- Aside from giving a monthly pension, what other things can governments do to support their elderly (ex. give free rides on public transportation)? Discuss.