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Текст 3. Christmas Presents. Согласитесь или не согласитесь. Выберите подходящий конец предложения (a, b, с or d) в соответствии с текстом.
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Текст 3
Christmas Presents
Some weeks before Christmas shops are very busy. People buy presents for their relatives and friends. When I buy presents I always ask myself " Would he or she like to have this thing? Will he or she like my present? " Choosing presents is a difficult business for me. I never buy whatever comes up. I think twice and try to find reasons before buying this or that. This year I've bought a saucepan for Granny. Her old one is too small for our family. I've bought a new tie for Granddad. His old one isn't trendy at all. I've bought a very beautiful flower for Mum and a nice fish for Dad's aquarium. My little sister Jane likes watching cartoons. So I've bought a disk with her favourite ones. All these presents are from the heart.
Согласитесь или не согласитесь.
1. There are a lot of people in the shops before Christmas.
2. People buy presents for nearest and dearest.
3. Choosing presents is a hard business for Michael.
4. He buys whatever comes up.
5. Michael bought a new saucepan for Mum.
6. Michael bought a fish for Granddad's aquarium.
7. Michael bought a cassette with Jane's favourite cartoons.
Текст 4
Most British housewives love window shopping. This is a pastime when you just walk round the shops and look at all those beautiful things that are displayed in every shop window. Some women can spend the whole day looking at everything they meet on their way. But it would be a mistake to say that men are against this kind of shopping. You will certainly see a lot of unmarried couples, husbands and wives, or just friends wandering about different stores without any idea of buying something in the end.
Shop managers know about this feature of people's character and try to benefit from it. They usually place the most unusual, most beautiful or most attractive items in their shop windows to attract as many customers as possible. Sometimes you'll see something which has absolutely nothing to do with the things you can buy in the shop. For example, if you see a sheep dummy pretending that it peacefully eats grass, do not expect to buy a nice piece of mutton or, say, a toy sheep. Most probably this shop sells wool and woolen clothes. There is another point about shop windows. As managers make them look better to attract people, streets become more colorful and picturesque
Выберите подходящий конец предложения (a, b, с or d) в соответствии с текстом.
1. Window shopping
a) is not very popular in Europe;
b) is a nice pastime for some people;
c) is hated by men and older people;
d) is more difficult in the evening.
2. A manager must pay special attention to the shop windows because
a) they attract customers;
b) they are colorful and picturesque;
c) everyone likes window shopping;
d) everyone can throw a stone at the glass.
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3. Things that are displayed in shop windows
a) sometimes frighten nervous customers;
b) sometimes have nothing to do with the goods;
c) sometimes look dirty;
d) sometimes pretend to be something else.
4. One of the reasons why window shopping is good is that
a) it keeps managers busy most of the time;
b) it is the best pastime for young people;
c) it protects the environment;
d) it helps to make streets look better.
Текст 5
Daily bread
Miss Martha was 40 years old but she was not married. She had her own shop, where she sold bread, both fresh and stale which was cheaper.
There was a customer who called at her shop two or three times a week. The man was not young but he was very pleasant. He wore cheap clothes but they always looked nice on him. He always bought stale bread and never fresh. Miss Martha decided that he was very poor. She always thought of him and was always sorry that she could not invite him to have dinner with her. She wanted to talk to him, to know more about him. She liked the man and began wearing her best dress. She wanted to help the poor man but she didn't know how.
Once when her customer called on her to buy stale bread, Miss Martha had an idea and a good one, as she thought, to help him. She put some butter in the stale bread.
The next day two men came into the shop. One of them was her customer and the other - a young man. The customer was very angry and couldn't speak to her. So the young man told Miss Martha everything: «We work together in the same office. We use stale bread to take away pencil lines. We have worked at a plan of new district for six month. We finished it this morning and began taking away pencil lines from it with your bread. You see, butter is not good for it, and we can't show this plan to anybody now».
When the men left Miss Martha went to her room upstairs, took off her best dress and put on her old brown one.
Согласитесь или не согласитесь.
1. Miss Martha was a young woman.
2. She had her own bakery.
3. Miss Martha was sure that the customer who called at her shop two or three times a week was well-off.
4. Once Miss Martha put some butter into the stale bread, and the customer appreciated her kindness very much.
Текст 6
Shops and Shopping Areas in Britain and in the USA
The first place you go shopping in London could be one of the large stores. This is the kind of shop that sells all kinds of things such as furniture, food, toys, etc. Two famous London department stores are Selfriges's and Harrods's.
Covent Garden is another area of shops and restaurants built in and around the old fruit and vegetable market made famous in B. Shaw's Pygmalion and the musical My Fair Lady. Covent Garden is also used for the Royal Opera House in the same area.
Department stores, supermarkets, chemists and other kinds of shops are often called chain stores, which means they are part of a group of similar stores belonging to one company. Marks and Spencer is an example of a famous chain store. You can buy quality underwear and sweaters there. Other well-known chains sell shoes, clothing, household goods, etc. and many British High Streets have shops in national chains.
At some time you'll probably visit a supermarket too. As you might expect, you'll find not only food in supermarkets but also, for example, things for the house and alcoholic drinks. You'll also quite often find a shampoo, soap and common medicines. If you want something from the last group, however, it may sometimes be a better idea to visit a chemist's, especially if you are looking for medicine.
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Shopping, however, is an art of its own and you have to learn slowly where to buy various things. In Britain as well as in America you can find different things at places you don't expect to. So if you are hungry, you can go to the chemist's (a drugstore in the USA). In large drugstores you may be able to get not only drugs, but stationary articles, candies, toys, braces, furniture. Every drugstore has a food counter with high stools in front of it and there they serve various juices, coffee, ice-cream, sandwiches and other dishes.
If you want cigarettes, go to the grocer's: if you want to have your shoes cleaned, go to the barber's; if you want a radio, go to a man's shop; if you want a suitcase, go to the chemist's. On the other hand, if you want to send telegrams they are handled by private companies. Nor has the post office anything to do with the telephone either, as the telephone service is supplied by the American Telephone and Telegraph Co.
You must be extremely careful concerning the names of certain articles. If you ask for suspenders in a man's shop, you receive a pair of braces; if you ask for a pair of pants, you receive a pair of trousers, and should you ask for a pair of braces, you receive a queer look.
You should also be careful about the prices! The sum may be more that appears on the price tags. This is because there's a sales tax in America on everything except basic foods.
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. What can you buy in a large store in London?
2. What famous London department stores do you know?
3. What is Covent Garden is famous for?
4. What have you learnt about chain stores?
5. Why is it especially convenient to do shopping at supermarkets?
6. What can you buy at a chemist's?
7. How can word use be confusing when one goes shopping in Britain and in America?
8. How are telephone and telegraph services handled in the USA?
9. What can you say about a sales tax in America?
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