如今，投資的種類和方式有很多，其中最流行的一種莫過于藝術(shù)品投資。幸運的買家可能會買到一個有巨大升值空間的藝術(shù)品，但幸運的人畢竟有限，那么買藝術(shù)品是成為百萬富翁的最佳方式嗎？藝術(shù)品投資的風(fēng)險大嗎？本集《隨身英語》討論藝術(shù)品投資是否一定會給你帶來經(jīng)濟(jì)上的回報。

課文內(nèi)容

Vocabulary: finance 詞匯: 財經(jīng)

We all have a different approach to money – some of us like to spend it as soon as we have it, even splashing the cash on extravagant things, while some of us like to hold on to it and spend it carefully. But for people who are very savvy about their cash, there are a number of interesting ways to invest it and, if things go well, make a tidy profit.

Buying stamps, wine, coins and books are all different ways of investing your money. It comes with risks but can be thrilling as, hopefully, you watch the value of your investment rise. However, you need to know what you're doing and making your fortune is not guaranteed.

If you're happy to take a gamble, then one of the most well-known ways of investing is by buying artwork. By purchasing a painting and holding on to it, its value can increase by a handsome sum, but of course it's only when you sell it do you feel the financial benefit. Some people get quite lucky, particularly when they don't expect to make any money. There are stories of people buying a painting in an antique shop for peanuts only to find out it's actually worth thousands of pounds.

Investing in art appears to be a hobby for the rich, but not always. Recently, an investor's dream came true when a picture believed to have been painted by Leonardo da Vinci sold for ￡341m. He had bought it about 60 years ago in an auction for just ￡45 thinking it was only painted by a follower of da Vinci.

Of course this is a rare story and investing in artwork is not a guarantee to make you a millionaire. Patrick Connolly, a financial adviser at Chase de Vere, told BBC News that to invest in art as a true investment, "you need a starting fund of at least ￡5,000, and possibly up to ￡500,000, which can be used to buy individual works of art or invested in an art fund." He feels investing in art is too risky and recommends their clients not to invest in it because the downsides outweigh the upsides.

But if you're still keen, there are art fairs, such as The Affordable Art Fair, and websites aimed at buyers with a modest budget. Patrick Connolly says the best approach here is to buy something you like and can afford and "if it goes up in value, that should be just an added bonus." If this has spoilt your plans for your investment portfolio, maybe there's more chance of winning big money by buying a lottery ticket!

詞匯表

splash the cash 花大筆的錢，揮霍
savvy 懂行的
invest 投資
a tidy profit 一筆可觀的利潤
risk 風(fēng)險
fortune 財富，一大筆錢
take a gamble 賭一把，冒險做某事
a handsome sum 一筆可觀的數(shù)目
financial benefit 經(jīng)濟(jì)效益
peanut 一小筆錢
auction 拍賣
millionaire 百萬富翁
fund 資金，?？?br /> downside 缺點，不利的一面
upside 好處，優(yōu)點
modest budget 有限的預(yù)算
an added bonus 附加的收益，額外的好處
portfolio 投資組合

測驗與練習(xí)

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. True or false? By investing in stamps, wine, coins and books, your investments my rise or fall in value.

2. If you buy a painting, what do you have to do to actually get the benefit of its financial value?

3. Was the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, bought by an art investor, actually painted by the artist?

4. According to Patrick Connolly, a financial adviser at Chase de Vere, how risky does he think it is to invest in art?

5. Which word used in the article means 'is certain that something will happen or exist'?

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習(xí)。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. The ______ of walking in the mountains at night are high but despite that, he's gone anyway.

chance       fortune       risks       upside

2. We're putting money into a special holiday ______ and hope we will have saved enough to go away next year.

funds       fund       funding       funded                      

3. The ______ of living in a beautiful village is it is very expensive.

downside       upside       fortune       chance

4. We loved seeing the show at the theatre and meeting the actors afterwards was ______.

an adding bonus       an added bonus       a bonus addition       a added bonus

5. Because I had lost my job, we didn't have much money and we had to live on a ______.

tidy profit       financial benefit       splash the cash       modest budget

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. True or false? By investing in stamps, wine, coins and books, your investments my rise or fall in value.
True. The article says "making your fortune is not guaranteed."

2. If you buy a painting, what do you have to do to actually get the benefit of its financial value?
You have to sell it.

3. Was the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, bought by an art investor, actually painted by the artist?
Yes, it is believed to have been. But when he had bought it about 60 years ago in an auction for just ￡45 he thought it was only painted by a follower of da Vinci.

4. According to Patrick Connolly, a financial adviser at Chase de Vere, how risky does he think it is to invest in art?
He thinks it's too risky and recommends their clients do not invest in it.

5. Which word used in the article means 'is certain that something will happen or exist'?
guaranteed

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習(xí)。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. The risks of walking in the mountains at night are high but despite that, he's gone anyway.

2. We're putting money into a special holiday fund and hope we will have saved enough to go away next year.

3. The downside of living in a beautiful village is it is very expensive.

4. We loved seeing the show at the theatre and meeting the actors afterwards was an added bonus.

5. Because I had lost my job, we didn't have much money and we had to live on a modest budget.