The price isn’t always right

how much are you willing to pay for a pair of athletic shoes, a new phone, or the latest video game? we all make decisions about spending, and the companies that sell us products often follow what we as consumers tell them. if we think the price for an item is too high, we won’t purchase it, and the price will probably come down. if one company can sell products for a lower price than others, then they all have to sell their products for a lower price to stay competitive.

prices can also change from one place to another. imagine you are on vacation in new york city from cincinnati, ohio. if you want to buy a bottle of water while strolling through central park, you may be in for a shock. the same brand of bottled water you buy at home may cost twice as much in new york city.

travel to another country, and the difference in price can be even greater. go to a store in germany to buy a garden hose, and you’ll soon realize you’re not at a hardware store in kansas. in germany, each part is sold separately. you’ll have to select from a set of hoses, each more or less expensive, with the difference in price based on factors such as how thick or long or sturdy the garden hose is. and you’ll have to pay extra for parts like the nozzle that screws onto the hose. once you’ve found all the parts you need, you could end up spending between $65 and $120 for your new garden hose!

if you go to a store in the united states to buy a garden hose, the prices will also vary, but the parts will probably come attached. there will still be a wide price range, but all the prices—from the cheapest to the most expensive—will be much lower. you’ll probably spend between $10 and $40. what accounts for this difference? two of the biggest factors are sales taxes versus value-added taxes, and perceived value.

in the united states, states need to make money to pay for the services they provide. so they charge taxes on items sold. this is called sales tax, and is usually around 7 percent of the original cost. if the sales tax is 7 percent, and a garden hose costs $10, then you’ll have to pay $10.70 for the hose.

one of germany's fiscal policies is to collect taxes in many stages during the production of items. this is called value-added tax. the makers of raw materials such as rubber sell their materials to hose manufacturers, and they pay 19 percent of what they make to the government. hose manufacturers sell their items to retail shops like hardware stores. they also pay 19 percent of what they make to the government, minus the taxes the raw material makers have already paid. the retail stores sell the hoses to people like you, and they pay 19 percent to the government, minus the taxes the raw material makers and manufacturers have already paid. these extra costs to businesses get passed along to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

even with different tax costs, however, sometimes the difference in price between two places is hard to explain. it fluctuates slightly, but the price a store in germany asks for a garden hose is probably higher than the price a store in the united states asks. the price a consumer is willing to pay for a garden hose – its “perceived value” – is a lot higher in germany than in the united states. people in germany just think a garden hose is worth more than do people in the united states.

most consumers look for the best quality item for the lowest possible price. the price they’re willing to pay is influenced by many factors, such as how much they earn at work, how much they need the item, and how much they pay for necessities such as food, clothing, and housing. these factors change so much from one place to another that it’s no wonder prices vary, too.

this price variance could soon be changing, however. as more people gain internet access, they’re researching item prices in other countries. slowly but surely, the demand for cheaper garden hoses is spreading throughout germany, and the phrase “getting hosed” no longer has two meanings.

which statement about value-added taxes best develops the central idea of this text?

a. they are added on to the cost of items sold.

b. they states pay for public services.

c. they are set at a specific rate.

d. they include taxes paid by the manufacturers.

For years, women’s professional golf was all but ignored. women’s tournaments received very little attention in the sports pages, but all that is changing. golfers like michelle wie are becoming almost as well-known as jordan spieth. the espn television channel covers major women’s tournaments. most impressive of all, the winnings on the women’s tour are getting downright hefty. top money for the recent founders cup in phoenix, arizona,was $225,000. who is michelle wie? what does the word hefty refer to? the national weather service has issued a winter storm warning for loudon and augusta counties beginning at 7: 00 p.m., est, friday, december 12, through 3: 00 a.m., est, sunday, december 14. snowfall of between 4 and 8 inches is predicted. school closings will be announced on channel 10 through the evening. how much snow is the storm likely to produce? what do you think est stands for?

Compare and contrast author charlotte brontë with her heroine jane eyre. how did bronte’s life experiences influence the development of jane? what aspects of brontë herself do we see in jane? your answer should be at least one hundred words.

Preparing for a group discussion the first step in participating in a group discussion is to understand the purpose and process of a group discussion. your approach to a group discussion will differ from other assignments, such as writing a research paper. read through the discussion guidelines to understand how you should prepare for a group discussion assignment. your discussion process for this task, you’ll need to work as part of a group of three or four students who can meet together for a face-to-face or virtual discussion. your teacher will identify a process for this task that fits your learning situation. for instance, if you’re working primarily on your own in this course with no on-site classmates (self-paced course), the process will be a little different than if you are learning with at least two other students in the same building and on the same schedule (group-paced course). discussions in those two cases are outlined below. group-paced course the teacher organizes groups or enables students to self-organize. in the discussion session, students take turns presenting their thesis and then discussing each thesis with the group. one student (not the presenter) acts as a discussion facilitator. the discussion will be a round-robin, rotating the presenter and facilitator roles for each thesis. plan to spend at least 15 minutes to present and discuss each thesis. refer to the discussion summary below. you will want to take brief notes during the discussion so that you can easily complete the discussion summary afterwards. self-paced course you will find at least two people to participate in this discussion with you. they could be classmates from other courses, friends, or siblings. they should be roughly your age, if possible, so you can have a thoughtful discussion with peers. you will set a time and place for the discussion and share the discussion guidelines for them to read prior to the discussion. you will be the only presenter for this discussion. you will also play the role of facilitator. you will present your thesis and then discuss it with your group. your invited group members are only required to be active, thinking participants. except for reading through the discussion guidelines ahead of time, they do not have to prepare for the discussion beforehand or do any follow-up afterwards. since you will be presenting and facilitating during the discussion, you may want to ask one of the participants to take brief notes for you on key points that come up during the discussion. these notes will you compose your discussion summary below. since there is only one thesis to discuss, plan to spend at least 30 minutes presenting and discussing your thesis. here is an outline of the whole process for this task: 1. you will formulate a thesis and outline a set of points that support your thesis. this may include some initial research. 2. depending upon your learning situation, you may need to organize the discussion group, place, and time. 3. read the discussion guidelines for how to conduct, facilitate, or participate constructively in a discussion with your peers. 4. the group meets to discuss the theses for your learning situation: the discussions should be fair, democratic, and orderly. each member of the group should have an opportunity to express their views; all members should actively contribute to the discussion. group members should show respect for others' views and make their points politely. the goal of the discussion is to gather opposing viewpoints and additional perspectives that would support or oppose your thesis. each participant should come to the discussion prepared to the presenter deepen the understanding of the topic. 5. after you've discussed your thesis, you will complete the discussion summary section below and submit it to your teacher. leading a discussion be sure that all the participants have read the discussion guidelines before beginning your discussion. with three or four peers, start the discussion by presenting your thoughts and findings from your research. present a question to the group to begin the discussion. allow your group to ask you follow-up questions. using an audio recording tool, record the questions your team asks as well as your response to these questions. finally, consider how the discussion changed or influenced your initial research and thoughts about the discussion questions. you will submit your responses to the questions asked in the discussion summary. use your notes from your research and your discussion to you complete the summary. discussion summary part a using an audio recording tool, record the names of the discussion participants below. if you organized the discussion, using an audio recording tool, record how you know each person and summarize how you chose and invited the participants and how you organized the time and place for the discussion.