2019年公共英语四级口语话题：追求名牌

　　“Aren’t your shoes Nike’s latest release?” “I like the Mickey bag you bought yesterday.” “I hear the Jack & Jones store is on sale this week. Do you wanna come along?” Don’t feel surprised if you hear them coming out of the mouth of college students. It’s quite common to hear and see college students swapping information about the brands they like and the products they use. In fact, discussions about brand names have become one of the college students’ favourite pastimes. They learn about the latest fashion from each other, exchange tips about when and where to get the item, and buy it at their earliest convenience. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is their conviction —“If the Joneses have it, how could I have not?” About this current mindset of the college students, many people may hasten to show their disapproval. They’ll probably take it to be a reflection of the students’ vanity and superficiality. And they may lecture them on the virtue of being thrifty.

　　However, I beg to differ. For one thing, name-brand products are usually quality products. They are something beautiful, endurable, and reliable. “The love of beauty is common to all,” goes the proverb; therefore, there’s nothing to blame about the pursuit of famous brands. For the other, college students are old enough to make their own decisions. Likewise, they must abide by the consequences if they make an ill-advised one. If they let their pursuit of brands eat into their budget for other more important issues, they should be able to correct their mistakes and keep everything in moderation. So this becomes no other than a good chance to learn management, isn’t it?