Read the text and do the tasks that follow:
by John Leyton
Before going shopping we make a list of items that we require. We can go to a big department store which sells a variety of goods and has a large selection, a supermarket, or to one of the numerous small retail shops. Wholesalers sell to the shops and stores, and the retailers sell to the customers who purchase or buy.
Behind the counter, ready to serve you, is the shopkeeper, or shop-assistant, or saleswoman (salesman). They put your money in a cash register, give you a receipt, and wrap up the article purchased.
In the shops, we see women arguing that the goods are too expensive (dear) or smiling when something seems to be cheap, or when they get good value for their money (a bargain). We see persons giving demonstrations trying to talk the housewives into buying some gadget, or persuading them to buy larger packets of something.
At the sales, we can see women fighting or pushing to get something is from the shop’s stock advertised at a low price. Some of them queue up for a long time.
The shoppers may pay for something by cheque, in cash or buy it on ‘hire purchase’ (often called the ‘never-never’). To do this, they pay a deposit and then weekly or monthly installments according to the terms.
But in self-service shops there are sometimes people who do not pay for the things they have taken from the shelves. They are a real problem for many shops. Security measures and electronic gadgets are installed to prevent and detect shop-lifting. Many stores install camera scanners, which are quite effective.
Many women prefer to shop in the market where goods are usually cheaper. The owners of the stalls or barrows do not have such large expenses (overheads) as a shop owner. There we see people with bags, baskets, parcels, and packets in their hands and tucked under their arms.
People who cannot afford the things they want, or who have an eye on the household budget, go window-shopping. Some people simply enjoy it and spend their spare time window-shopping. They look at the window displays, which are made by a window dresser.
a. Explain the meaning of the following expressions:
to go window-shopping window display bargain
to buy on hire-purchase retailers wholesalers
to have an eye on the household budget
b. Find in the text English equivalents for:
Покупать, продавать, большой выбор товаров, составлять список покупок, касса, кассовый чек, продавец, платить наличными, заворачивать, уговаривать, техническое приспособление (новинка), платить задаток, кражи из магазинов.
Read the following texts and answer the questions given below. Shopping Online
I really love shopping online. I buy everything on the Internet: books, CD’s, even my groceries. It wasn’t always like this, though. I have had my computer for years and I always enjoyed surfing the Net but I had never used it to buy anything. Even though I knew most sites were safe and trustworthy, I was worried about who might get hold of my credit card number and whether anything I paid for would actually arrive. Finally, one of my friends convinced me to give it a try and so I decided to do my Christmas shopping online. It was so easy; everything I wanted was there at the touch of a button. I didn’t have to find my way through the crowds in bad weather or struggle to carry my shopping home at the end of the day. Everything arrived in time and in perfect condition, and since then I’ve been hooked. It saves me time and makes shopping a real pleasure.
Why was the woman afraid to shop online at first?
Why did she change her attitude to shopping online?
What can be bought online?
Why do people shop online?
Have you ever shopped this way?
List the advantages and disadvantages of shopping online.