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Introductory reading and talk
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Buying foodstuffs in a modern supermarket can be considered a sort of art. It is the art of combating a temptation.
Supermarkets play a dirty trick on the customers: practically every shopper is tempted to buy things he or she does not need or cannot afford.
The mechanism of this lamentable deceit is simple. Firstly, supermarkets are laid out to make a person pass as many shelves and counters as possible. Only the hardest of souls can pass loaded racks indifferently and not collect all sorts of food from them.
Secondly, more and more supermarkets supply customers with trolleys instead of wire baskets: their bigger volume needs more purchases. One picks up a small item, say, a pack of spaghetti, puts it into a huge trolley and is immediately ashamed of its loneliness. He or she starts adding more.
Thirdly, all products are nicely displayed on the racks and all of them look fresh in their transparent wrappings with marked prices. A normal person cannot ignore attractively packed goods. And so one cannot but feel an impulse to buy. And, finally, supermarkets don't forget about those who look for bargains. The so-called "bargain bins" filled with special offers wait for their victims. No one can tell for sure if the prices are really reduced, but it is so nice to boast later that you have a very good eye for a bargain.
So when a simple-hearted customer approaches a check-out, his or her trolley is piled high. Looking at a cashier, running her pen over barcodes, he or she starts getting nervous while the cash register is adding up the prices. And, getting a receipt, he or she gives a sigh of relief if the indicated sum does not exceed the cash he or she has.
Of course, one can give a piece of advice to the simple-hearted: compile a shopping list and buy only pre-planned goods. But is it worth losing that great sensation of buying? One can really wonder.
A lot of people prefer to do their shopping in small shops. The daily shopping route of some housewives includes visits to the baker's, butcher's, grocer's, greengrocer's, fishmonger's and a dairy shop. In the end of the route their bags are full of loaves of bread, meat cuts, packs with cereals, fruit, vegetables, fish and dairy products. Only very strong women can call in at the tobacconist's after all that.
The explanation for this housewives' craze is very simple. In every shop their buys are weighed, wrapped up, their money taken and the change given back. Meanwhile they can have a chat with salesgirls and shop-assistants about their weak hearts and broken hopes.
So, friends, go shopping as often as you can. Because the simple truth is: a visit to a good shop is worth two visits to a good doctor.
1. Fancy that you take a little child to a supermarket for the first time. Explain to him what you see around and what one should do.
2. Describe a) the supermarket closest to your block of flats;
b) your favourite supermarket.
3. Say how you buy goods in an ordinary shop and in a supermarket.
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4. Say what one can buy in the shops mentioned in the text (baker's, butcher's, etc.)
○ TEXT
Shopping for One
(A story by Anne Cassidy. Abridged)
Supermarkets are much the same the world over — especially the queues at check-out points. What extraordinary things other people are buying! There are odd snatches of overheard conversation too. But what if one is living alone, 'Shopping for one'?
'So what did you say?' Jean heard the blonde woman in front of her talking to her friend.
'Well,' the darker woman began, 'I said I'm not having that woman there. I don't see why I should. I mean I'm not being old-fashioned but I don't see why I should have to put up with her at family occasions.1 After all...'
Jean noticed the other woman giving an accompaniment of nods and headshaking at the appropriate parts.2 They fell into silence and the queue moved forward a couple of steps.
Jean felt her patience beginning to itch.3 Looking into her wire basket she counted ten items. That meant she couldn't go through the quick till4 but simply had to wait behind elephantine shopping loads; giant bottles of coke crammed in beside twenty-pound bags of potatoes and 'special offer' drums of bleach. Somewhere at the bottom, Jean thought, there was always a plastic carton of eggs or a see-through tray of tomatoes which fell casualty to the rest.5 There was nothing else for it — she'd just have to wait.
'After all,' the dark woman resumed her conversation, 'how would it look if she was there when I turned up?'6 Her friend shook her head slowly from side to side and ended with a quick nod.
Should she have got such a small size salad cream? Jean wasn't sure. She was sick of throwing away half-used bottles of stuff.
'He came back to you after all,' the blonde woman suddenly said. Jean looked up quickly and immediately felt her cheeks flush. She bent over and began to rearrange the items in her shopping basket.
'On his hands and knees,' the dark woman spoke in a triumphant voice. 'Begged me take him back.'
She gritted her teeth together. Should she go and change it for a larger size? Jean looked behind and saw that she was hemmed in by three large trollies. She'd lose her place in the queue. There was something so pitiful about buying small sizes of everything. It was as though everyone knew.
'You can always tell a person by their shopping,'7 was one of her mother's favourite maxims. She looked into her shopping basket: individual fruit pies, small salad cream, yoghurt, tomatoes, cat food and a chicken quarter.
The cashier suddenly said, 'Make it out to J. Sainsbury PLC.' She was addressing a man who had been poised and waiting to write out a cheque for a few moments. His wife was loading what looked like a gross offish fingers8 into a cardboard box marked "Whiskas". It was called a division of labour.
Jean looked again at her basket and began to feel the familiar feeling of regret that visited her from time to time. Hemmed in between family-size cartons of cornflakes and giant packets of washing-powder, her individual yoghurt seemed to say it all.9 She looked up towards a plastic bookstand which stood beside the till. A slim glossy hardback caught her eye. The words Cooking for One screamed out from the front cover. Think of all the oriental foods you can get into,10 her friend had said. He was so traditional after all. Nodding in agreement with her thoughts Jean found herself eye to eye with the blonde woman, who gave her a blank, hard look and handed her what looked like a black plastic ruler with the words "Next customer please" printed on it in bold letters. She turned back to her friend. Jean put the ruler down on the conveyor belt.11
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She thought about their shopping trips, before, when they were together. All that rushing round, he pushing the trolley dejectedly, she firing questions at him. Salmon? Toilet rolls? Coffee? Peas? She remembered he only liked the processed kind.12 It was all such a performance. Standing there holding her wire basket, embarrassed by its very emptiness, was like something out of a soap opera.
'Of course, we've had our ups and downs,13' the dark woman continued, lazily passing a few items down to her friend.
Jean began to load her food on to the conveyor belt. She picked up the cookery book and felt the frustrations of indecision. It was only ninety pence but it seemed to define everything, to pinpoint her aloneness, to prescribe an empty future. She put it back in its place.
'So that's why I couldn't have her there you see,' the dark woman was summing up. The friends exchanged knowing expressions and the blonde woman got her purse out of a neat leather bag. She peeled off three ten pound notes and handed them to the cashier.
Jean opened her carrier bag ready for her shopping. She turned to watch the two women as they walked off, the blonde pushing the trolley and the other seemingly carrying on with her story.
The cashier was looking expectantly at her and Jean realized that she had totalled up. It was four pounds and eighty-seven pence. She had the right money, it just meant sorting her change out. She had an inclination that the people behind her were becoming impatient. She noticed their stack of items all lined and waiting, it seemed, for starters orders.14 Brown bread and peppers, olive oil and, in the centre, a packet of beefburgers.
She gave over her money and picked up her carrier bag. She felt a sense of relief to be away from the mass of people. She felt out of place.15
Walking out of the door she wondered what she might have for tea. Possibly chicken, she thought, with salad. Walking towards her car she thought that she should have bought the cookery book after all. She suddenly felt much better in the fresh air. She'd buy it next week. And in future she'd buy a large salad cream. After all, what if people came round unexpectedly?
Proper Names
Anne Cassidy ['{n 'k{sIdI] — Энн Кэссиди
Jean [³i:n] — Джин
J. Sainsbury PLC ['³eI 'seInsb@rI 'pi: 'el 'si:] — компания Джей Сэйнсбери (прим.: PLC — Privately Licensed Company — частная лицензированная компания)
Whiskas ['wIsk@s] — Вискас (Прим.: корм для кошек)
Vocabulary Notes
1.... why I should have to put up with her at family occasions. —... с какой стати я должна мириться с её присутствием на семейных праздниках.
2.... giving an accompaniment of nods and headshaking at the appropriate parts. —... в такт словам то кивала, то качала головой.
3. Jean felt her patience beginning to itch. — Джин чувствовала, что её терпение заканчивается.
4.... the quick till... —... касса-экспресс...
5.... a see-through tray of tomatoes which fell casualty to the rest. —... прозрачный лоток с помидорами, придавленный другими покупками.
6.... when I turned up?... когда я бы вдруг пришла?
7. You can always tell a person by their shopping. — Всегда можно определить, что за человек перед тобой, по его покупкам.
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8.... a gross of fish fingers... —... оптовая закупка рыбных палочек...
9.... her individual yoghurt seemed to say it all. —... казалось, что её единственная упаковка йогурта говорит сама за себя.
10. Think of all the oriental foods you can get into... — Как подумаешь, каких только ни бывает восточных продуктов...
11. Jean put the ruler down on the conveyor belt. — Джин положила линейку на конвейер. (Прим.: В западных супермаркетах для экономии времени несколько покупателей выгружают продукты на конвейер одновременно. Для того, чтобы кассир видела, где граница, покупатели кладут пластиковую линейку яркого цвета между своими и чужими покупками.)
12.... processed kind. —... консервированный.
13. Of course, we've had our ups and downs... — Конечно, у нас бывало то лучше, то хуже...
14.... for starters orders. —... сигналов стартеров.
15. She felt out of place. — Ей было не по себе.
Phonetic Text Drills
○ Exercise 1
Transcribe and pronounce correctly the words from the text.
Queue, extraordinary, accompaniment, appropriate, couple, to itch, wire, elephantine, giant, carton, casualty, stuff, rearrange, triumphant, trolley, maxim, yoghurt, quarter, cashier, to poise, cheque, gross, oriental, conveyor, dejectedly, salmon, processed, purse, leather, to total.
○ Exercise 2
Pronounce the words and phrases where the following clusters occur.
1. Plosive + 1
Couple, simply, plastic, immediately, what looked, glossy, blank, hard look, dejectedly, expectantly, possibly.
2. Plosive + w
Blonde woman, that woman, put up with her, quick, twenty, dark woman, ended with a quick nod, between, agreement with her thoughts, questions, and waiting.
○ Exercise 3
Pronounce after the announcer. Say what kind of false assimilation one should avoid in the following cases.
1. Of her, of steps, of tomatoes, of throwing, of stuff, of course, we've had, of people, out of place.
2. Was there, size salad, was sick, was something, as though, was so, with salad.
3. Noticed the-other, at the bottom, put the ruler, about their shopping, liked the processed kind, felt the frustration, that the people, noticed their stack, bought the book.
○ Exercise 4
Consult the dictionary and put stresses in the following compound nouns.
Half-used, cardboard, twenty-pound, family-size, cornflakes, washing-powder, hardback, pinpoint, eighty-seven, beefburgers.
○ Exercise 5
I. Intone the following general questions.
'Should she have 'got such a ↑small 'size 'salad /cream? ||
'Should she 'go and 'change it for a 'larger /size? ||
II. Explain why the following special question is pronounced with a rising intonation.
So 'what did you /say?
Comprehension Check
1. Whom did Jean hear talking in the queue?
2. Why was Jean's patience beginning to itch?
3. Why couldn't Jean go through the quick till?
4. When did Jean begin to rearrange the items in her shopping basket?
5. Was Jean the last in the queue or not?
6. What did Jean see in her own shopping basket?
7. Whom did the cashier suddenly address?
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8. What caught Jean's eye suddenly? Why?
9. What did Jean remember about the shopping trips with her friend?
10. Why did Jean put the book back in its place?
11. How much did the blonde woman pay?
12. Did Jean see the two women leave the shop or not?
13. How much did Jean pay?
14. Why did Jean think that people behind her were becoming impatient?
15. What did Jean feel after she had left the supermarket?
16.What did Jean think about while she was going towards her car?
17. What did she suddenly decide?
EXERCISES
Exercise 1
I. Find in the text words or phrases similar in meaning to the following.
A cash desk, a purchase, coca-cola, a plastic bag, big size cartons, to calculate, goods, a heap, half-empty.
II. Give your own words or expressions similar in meaning to the ones from the text.
To pinpoint, to fire questions, to rearrange, to give a blank look, to catch one's eye, a snatch of conversation, to flush, to grit one's teeth together, to beg.
Exercise 2
Below see the list of the words from the text. Think of words opposite in meaning to them.
extraordinary oriental
appropriate traditional
triumphant empty
familiar to push
individual indecision
impatient to buy
Exercise 3
The author herself uses synonymous words and expressions in the text. Say how otherwise the author puts the following.
to count — to continue —
to give over money — small salad cream—
elephantine — write out a check —
wire basket — cram in —
Exercise 4
When postpositions are added to verbs, the meanings of the latter can utterly change. Choose the right one from the two given in brackets. Explain the difference in meanings.
1. (put; put up)
a) The dark woman... all the stuff into her carrier bag.
b) Jean thought that she had to... with a loss of time.
2. (turn; turn up)
a) Jean... her head and saw a queue behind her.
b) Jean remembered the time when he suddenly... and they went on their shopping trips.
3. (pick; pick up)
a) The customers... goods from the racks while walking along the aisles.
b) Last summer there were a lot of blueberries in the forest. We often went there to... them.
4. (make; make out)
a) The gentleman at the till asked the cashier to... a bill for him.
b) Jean thought that she would... a salad in the evening, probably with chicken.
5. (write; write out)
a) When Jean and he were together they sometimes... letters to each other.
b) He always paid in cash and never... cheques.
6. (carry; carry on)
a) A lot of women never... heavy bags, as they think it to be not ladylike.
b) The people in the queue were interested in the end of the story and she... with it.
7. (pass; pass down)
a) The woman at the till... the cardboard box to her husband and they both left.
b) Jean... the rack with family-size cartons of cornflakes indifferently.
8. (come; come round)
a) Parting with her friend Jean tried to seem careless and said casually, '... some time'.
b) '...to see me', the blonde woman said to her friend.
9. (cram; cram in)
a) Though the box was already full the woman managed to... the last pack offish fingers among the rest.
b) The supermarket was... with customers on that day.
10. (walk, walk off)
a) Jean never... to the supermarket as the way was far too long; she went there by car.
b) Slowly Jean... from the supermarket deep in her thoughts.
Exercise 5
Find the English equivalents to the following words or expressions.
A.
Снять с полки; лента конвейера; поменять на что-либо большего размера; заплатить; продвинуться на пару шагов; перекладывать покупки; большие упаковки; походы по магазинам; найти мелочь; беготня; потерять свою очередь; выкладывать продукты на конвейер; пройти через экспресс-кассу; насчитать десять покупок; определить, что за человек, судя по его покупкам; передавать кому-либо покупки; отсчитать три банкноты; подсчитать общую сумму; оптовая закупка; выписать чек (два варианта); отдать деньги кассиру; груда покупок.
В.
Мириться с чьим-либо присутствием; семейные праздники; замолчать; на дне (корзины); качать головой; в конце концов; сжать зубы; любимая поговорка; разделение труда; время от времени; попасться на глаза; мыльная опера; бывало то лучше, то хуже; продолжить рассказ; смотреть выжидающе; почувствовать облегчение; ей было не по себе; почувствовать себя намного лучше на свежем воздухе; в будущем.
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Exercise 6
I. Pick out from the text the terms used to denote:
a) objects we use to put our purchases in,
b) amounts or quantities of some stuff,
c) certain details of the interior in a supermarket,
d) names of foodstuffs and drinks.
II. Make up a list of products which Jean saw
a) in her own wire basket,
b) in other people's baskets or trollies.
III. Find and read aloud sentences saying
a) what Jean thought of herself and her purchases,
b) what Jean thought of other people and their purchases.
Exercise 7
Find in the text sentences containing the words given below. Consult the dictionary to pick out all their meanings. Illustrate these meanings with your own examples.
wire stuff cover belt beg
item quarter bold roll change
Exercise 8
Complete the statements by choosing the answer which you think fits best.
1. Mother never buys goods displayed on the racks with the notice "... offer".
A. specific B. special C. particular
2. The customers are asked to load their purchases on to the conveyor....
A. strap B. line C. belt
3. It is a lot more convenient to push a... than to carry a wire basket in a supermarket.
A. trolley B. roller C. van
4. While shopping my brother always tries to go through a... till, as he hates queues.
A. swift B. fast C. quick
5. Housewives prefer to buy... packets of stuff, as it is a little bit cheaper.
A. gross-size B. family-size C. block-size
6. Sometimes the queues at... points are so long that the idea of leaving the supermarket without buying anything may look attractive.
A. check-out B. check-in C. check-up
7. Customers are not allowed to put things in their own bags in supermarkets; they are suposed to use....
A. iron baskets B. shop baskets C. wire baskets
8. A lot of people prefer to... a cheque than to pay in cash.
A. write out B. write in C. write up
9. Salesgirls usually put all goods bought in a supermarket into... for the customers' convenience.
A. trade bags B. carrier bags C. supermarket bags
10. 'Here's your... from a ten-pound note', said the cashier giving me three pounds.
A. exchange B. change C. bill
Exercise 9
Work in pairs. Discuss with your partner some interesting shopping experience. Use at least five expressions from the list below.
To fall into silence, to be sure, to be sick of throwing away something, to feel one's cheeks flush, on one's hands and knees, to grit one's teeth together, to look behind, a favourite maxim, from time to time, to scream out from the front cover, foods one can get into, after all, eye to eye, to give a blank look, to hand somebody something, bold letters, to fire questions, a soap opera, ups and downs, to sum up, to carry on with the story, to have the right money, a sense of relief, to be away from, to feel out of place, to feel better in the fresh air, to come round unexpectedly, to torn up, to catch one's eye.
Exercise 10
Fill in the gaps with the prepositions from the list: into, through, of, together, for, by, beside, in, on to.
1. The girl thought that glass bottles of milk would be too heavy to carry and changed them... plastic packets.
2. One can tell a good customer... the way he or she chooses goods.
3. The lady screamed and all people in the hall immediately fell... silence.
4. The guard from the security service helped the lady to go out of the shop and she felt better... the fresh air.
5. Anyone can get sick... the long queues at check-out points.
6. The customers are asked to put the stuff...... the conveyor belt.
7. If one has got not more than three items, he or she can go... a quick till.
8. When the queue is too long one can do nothing but grit his or her teeth... and wait dutifully.
9. The most annoying thing about shopping is standing... the till and watching how slowly people pay.
Exercise 11
Express the same idea using different wording and grammar.
1. Jean noticed the other woman giving an accompaniment of nods and headshaking at the appropriate parts.
2. Jean felt her patience beginning to itch.
3. There was nothing else for it — she'd just have to wait.
4. She was sick of throwing away half-used bottles.
5. Jean looked behind and saw that she was hemmed in by three large trollies.
6. She was addressing a man who had been poised and waiting to write out a cheque for a few moments.
7. Jean looked again at her basket and began to feel the familiar feeling of regret that visited her from time to time.
8. Nodding in agreement with her thoughts Jean found herself eye to eye with the blonde woman.
9. She picked up the cookery book and felt the frustration of indecision.
10. She peeled off three ten pound notes and handed them to the cashier.
11. She had the right money, it just meant sorting her change out.
12. She had an inclination that the people behind her were becoming impatient.
13. She noticed their stack of items all lined and waiting, it seemed, for starters orders.
14. She felt a sense of relief to be away from the mass of people.
Exercise 12
Find the bit starting with the following words and explain why Jean was feeling that way
'Jean looked up quickly and...'
'She gritted her teeth together...'
'Jean looked again at her basket and began to feel...'
'It was all such a performance.'
'She suddenly felt much better in the fresh air.'
Exercise 13
Speak about Jean's visit to the supermarket:
1. in the third person;
2. in the person of Jean herself;
3. in the person of the blonde woman;
4. in the person of the cashier.
Exercise 14
Discussion points.
1. What can you say about Jean as a person? Try to derive information from the minor details of her behaviour.
2. Was parting with her friend a shocking experience for Jean or not?
3. What can you say about the two women?
4. Do you agree that one can always tell a person by their shopping?
5. Why does the story end with a question? What does it mean?
Exercise 15
I. Imagine that your mother gives you a shopping list, which you see below. Think in what shops you can buy these things and put the names of items in the graphs of the chart.
a loaf of brown bread 1 kg of pork
1 large cod a bottle of vinegar
1 kg of pork 2 medium-sized herrings
3 lemons a tin of sardines in oil
0.3 kg of ham 2 kg of potatoes
1 small cabbage a large chicken
a tin of condensed milk biscuits
a bunch of radishes a bag ofnour
a drum of margarine a 0.5 kg pack of sour cream
0.5 kg of cheese 0.2 kg of butter
| dairy shop | butcher's | baker's | fishmonger's | grocer's | greengrocer's |
II. Sum up what you have written and say what and where you can buy.
► Pattern: I can buy... at the baker's.
Exercise 16
I. Match the phrases in the left column with the words in the right column.
1. a bottle of A. jam
2. a packet of B. parsley
3. a dmm of C. toothpaste
4. a cake of D. cleanser
5. a carton of E. juice
6. a jar of F. chocolates
7. a tin of G. eggs
8. a tube of H. honey
9. a bunch of I. sugar
10. a box of J. soap
11. a tub of K. luncheon meat
II. Think and say what else can be sold in cartons, bunches, etc.
Exercise 17
I. Look through the list of products and say which of them are sold in Russia:
1) by the kilo,
2) by quantity,
3) by tens.
Fish, carrots, kiwi, meat, eggs, pineapples, sausages, rye bread, oranges.
II. Look through the list of products and say which of them are soldin Great Britain:
1) by lbs*
2) by quantity
3) by dozens.
* lb — abbreviation from the Latin word "libra" — «фунт», in speech it is pronounced "pound". E.g. 3 lbs — three pounds.
Cheese, lemons, grapes, white bread, ham, mangoes, eggs, potatoes, chickens.
III. Say which products from the list below are priced:
1) per kilo,
2) per each.
Onions, tomatoes, wheat bread, tinned meat, cabbages, mangoes, buns, chops, apples, cucumbers.
Exercise 18
Exclude from the lists below products which cannot be sold as preprepared, frozen, dried, tinned.
| pre-prepared | frozen | dried | tinned |
| garlics steaks fish fillet potatoes tomatoes | cherries onions turkey bread spaghetti | bananas fish meat ham plums | flour pork peaches lettuce tuna |
Exercise 19
Read the text and reconstruct the family situation. Tell the story to your classmates.
Exercise 20
I. Say what and how much you should buy if you are going to make:
1) Russian beet and cabbage soup — borsch;
2) Salad which they call in Russia "Olivier salad";
3) An apple pie.
► Pattern: If I am going to make... I will buy....
II. Say what and how much you buy to cook your favourite dish.
III. Guess what a housewife was going to cook if her shopping list included:
1. 2 lbs beef; 1 lb pork; white bread; eggs; 1/2 lb onions, 1 bottle milk.
2. 2 lbs wheat flour; 1/2 doz eggs; 2 bottles milk; 1 pack yeast;
1/2 Ib sugar.
3. 1/2 lb rice; 1 lb smoked fish; 1 lb onions; 1/2 dbz eggs; 1 jar mayonnaise.
4. 4 lbs lamb; 2 lbs tomatoes; 2 lbs onions; 1 bottle dry white wine; 1 pack pepper.
5. 2 lbs pork; 1 bag potatoes; 1 lb carrots; 1 head cabbage; 1/2 lbs onions; 1 bunch celery; 1 bunch parsley; 1 pack laurel leaves.
► Pattern: The housewife was going to cook... if she bought....
Exercise 21
Standing in a queue at the check-out is a boring business. Some people invent games to make the time pass quicker. One of them comes to guessing what people's lifestyles are likely to be judging by the contents of their shopping baskets.
I. Read the following passages and try to say something about people's families, homes, lifestyles.
Body language can tell a stranger a lot about one's personality, so can the fruits of one's shopping expedition.
Yesterday I observed a beautiful young lady. While her little daughter begged unsuccessfully for a bun, she was carefully choosing a shampoo, hair conditioner and bath perfume. Then she picked up a couple of cinema magazines and went to the check-out.
I looked down into her trolley and shuddered: three gallons of milk, 3 loaves of bread, four chickens, a mountain of baby-food jars, cakes and pies.
I especially like to observe male shoppers. I don't mean househusbands dutifiilly checking items off a list. I prefer a gourmet who knows the real taste of things: imported cheeses, exotic spices, a whole leg of lamb, early asparagus.
I felt hostility flowing from the woman standing behind me in the supermarket check-out queue. Had I cut in front of her? She was glaring into my basket. I quickly surveyed my selections to see what could be generating such hostility. Let's see: two bottles of champagne, a lovely avocado, a pound of shrimp, and a quart of purified water.
II. Fancy what one can see in a shopping basket of:
1) a good housewife;
2) a divorced man;
3) a woman on a diet;
4) a hearty eater;
5) someone expecting guests.
III. Think of other games you can play in your head to make the time pass when you are waiting in a queue.
Exercise 22
I. Read and translate the following dialogues. Reproduce them.
○ Dialogue 1
At the Grocery store
Grocer: Hello, Ann, how are you doing today?
Ann: Fine, thanks. How are you?
Grocer: I am okay, thank you. What can I get for you, Ann?
Ann: I 'd like half a pound of butter, a pound jar of strawberry jam, a large bottle of vinegar and a tin of sardines.
Grocer: Will that be all?
Ann: No, I'd also like a small-sized packet of mushroom soup and a piece of smoked bacon. Grocer Will this do? It's all we have at the moment, I'mafraid.
Ann: No, it's much too fat. I wanted it leaner. I think I'd better take some ham instead. How much is it?
Grocer: Eighty pence a pound.
Ann: Good. Half a pound, please. That'll be all. How much does it come to?
Grocer: Five pounds thirty seven pence, please.
Ann: Right. Here is six pounds.
Grocer: And here is your change.
Ann: Thanks.
Grocer: Good-bye, Ann. Thank you. Come tomorrow, we'll have a new stock.
○ Dialogue 2
At the Butcher's
Shop assistant: Can I help you, madam?
Mrs. Gi1bert: I'd like a leg of lamb. Do you sell it?
Shop assistant: Yes, we do, but I'm afraid we've sold out at the moment. If you'd care to call in tomorrow.
Mrs. Gi1bert: Thank you, I won't bother! I'll buy some pork instead.
Shop assistant: Oh, yes. We've got excellent choice today. What part would you like to get — shoulder, leg or some other?
Mrs. Gilbert: This bit of shoulder is fine with me.
Shop assistant: Okay. It weighs four pounds.
Mrs.Gilbert: I'll also have a chicken.
Shop assistant: Boiling or frying?
Mrs. Gilbert: Boiling, please.
Shop assistant: Will this do?
Mrs. Gilbert: Nice. That will be all. How much is it?
Shop assistant: Three pounds twenty pence.
Mrs.Gilbert:Here you are.
Shop assistant: Your change, madam. Thank you. Have a nice day.
○ Dialogue 3
At the Greengrocer's
Greengrocer: Good morning, Mrs. Daisy. How are you this morning?
Mrs. Daisy: Fine, thanks. And how are you?
Greengrocer: I'm having a little trouble. Some of my supplies aren't here yet. So I don't have tomatoes and peppers.
Mrs. Daisy: Oh, that's a shame. Will you have some later?
Greengrocer: Oh, yes, they will be delivered in the afternoon. I'll save them for you.
Mrs. Daisy: Thanks. It's very kind of you. And now I'll take a bag of potatoes, a couple of beets and some carrots.
Greengrocer: All right. Notice the fruit we've got today. The peaches are very good.
Mrs. Daisy: The peaches do look good. What do they cost? Greengrocer: Peaches are quite cheap this time of the year. Thirty pence a pound.
Mrs.Daisy: That's a real bargain. I'll take three pounds.
Greengrocer: Okay. Now, what else?
Mrs. Daisy: Well, that's all for today. How much do I owe you?
Greengrocer: That's four pounds seventy five pence. Here's your change from your five pound note — twenty five pence.
Mrs. Daisy: Thank you. Good-bye.
Greengrocer: Good-bye, Mrs. Daisy. Thanks a lot.
II. Pick out from the three dialogues sentences, which denote the shop assistants'
a) greeting their customers,
b) offering goods,
c) telling the price of goods.
III. Pick out from the three dialogues sentences, which denote the customer's
a) greeting shop assistants,
b) telling what they need,
c) asking about the price.
IV. Make up your own dialogues and enact them in class.
Exercise 23
Translate into English.
1. Покупать продукты в супермаркете очень удобно: все покупки можно сделать одновременно.
2. Супермаркеты оборудуют таким образом, чтобы покупатели проходили мимо большого количества полок и видели широкий ассортимент продуктов.
3. В супермаркетах Великобритании цены на товары проставлены очень отчётливо и, как правило, в конце стоит число 99.
4. Рядом с нашим домом есть все магазины: мясной, молочный, овощной, рыбный, а также бакалея и булочная.
5. Я никогда не составляю список продуктов, когда собираюсь идти в магазин, но всегда планирую, в какие магазины я зайду.
6. Когда мы с подругой приходим в супермаркет, я беру корзину, а она — тележку. У нас разный стиль: я покупаю только то, что мне нужно; а она — всё, что красиво упаковано.
7. Натуральные продукты питания предпочтительнее консервированных и замороженных, хотя могут стоить дороже.
8. У кассира не было сдачи с крупной купюры, и пришлось ждать, пока расплатится следующий покупатель.
9. Лучше не покупать продукты по сниженной цене: они могут быть просрочены.
10. Мой сосед — старый холостяк. Он всегда покупает одно и то же: буханку хлеба, десяток яиц, пару килограммов картофеля и пару банок мясных консервов.
11. Когда есть деньги, я покупаю что-нибудь повкуснее — хороший кусок мяса, салями, банку шпрот, кусочек ветчины, коробку шоколадных конфет, банку болгарских огурчиков. Потом устраиваю пир.
12. Больше всего я не люблю стоять в очереди, поэтому стараюсь пройти через экспресс-кассу.
13. Уже стоя у кассы, она вдруг вспомнила, что забыла купить молока, и пошла назад к прилавку с молочными продуктами.
14. Кассир сидела за кассовым аппаратом и наблюдала за тем, как покупатель выкладывал продукты на ленту конвейера.
15. Очередь двигалась очень медленно, потому что у всех были груды покупок.
Exercise 24
In five minutes write what you buy often and seldom. Compare what you have written with the lists of other students. Discuss the results and try to classify your classmates by putting them in certain categories of shoppers. You can give the names to these categories yourselves.
► Patterns: 1) I often buy bread,... I seldom buy caviar,... 2) In my opinion, Kate is a careless shopper, because...
Exercise 25
Work in groups. Each group should make up a list of products which people usually buy at the age of ten. fifteen, thirty, fifty, seventy. Compare your lists and discuss them agreeing, adding details or criticizing.
► Use:
I completely agree that.. I'm not sure that...
There is no doubt that... I really doubt that...
I also have the idea that I utterly disagree that
Who would argue that... I don't think that...
Exercise 26
Discuss the following points in class.
1. What is preferable for you — to buy food in a big supermarket or in small shops? Why?
2. Where are the best shops for food in your city or town?
3. Speak about foodstuffs sold in your shops. Say whether they are shipped in or grown locally; say which are expensive and inexpensive; say what foodstuffs which you might have seen in the shops abroad are not sold in this country.
4. Do they sell foodstuffs under the counter nowadays? What kind of goods can those be?
5. Do you pay attention to the brand name when you buy food? If not, how do you make your choice?
6. What is your personal style of shopping for food? Do you buy at once or do you take your time to look around for lower prices?
7. How often do you buy very expensive foodstuffs? What kind of products are those? When does it happen?
Exercise 27
Match the English idioms in the left columnn with their Russian equivalents in the right column.
1. to put a hole in one's pocketbook А. любой ценой
2. to go to pot В. сбыть с рук
3. to go for a song С. ни за какие деньги
4. at all costs D. обойтись в копеечку
5. to jack up the price Е. вылететь в трубу
6. to flood the market F. пойти за бесценок
7. to feather one's nest G. быть не по карману
8. not for love or money Н. платить втридорога
9. to cost a pretty penny I. нагреть руки
10. to pay through the nose J. наводнить рынок
11. to get something off one's hands К. набить цену
Exercise 28
Highlight the meanings of the English proverbs and make up situations to illustrate them.
1. Forbidden fruit is sweet.
2. Tastes differ.
3. Honey is sweet but the bee stings.
4. Take it or leave it.
Exercise 29
Translate the following quotations into Russian and comment upon them.
'The public buys its opinions as it buys its meat, or takes in its milk, on the principle that it is cheaper to do this than keep a cow. So it is, but the milk is more likely to be watered.'
Samuel Butler
'Creditors have better memories than debtors.'
Benjamin Franklin
'Necessity never made a good bargain.'
Benjamin Franklin
'England is a nation of shopkeepers.'
Napoleon I
'If a continental greengrocer asks 14 schillings (or crowns, or franks..., or whatever you like) for a bunch of radishes, and his customer offers 2, and finally they strike a bargain agreeing on 6 schillings, francs, roubles, etc., this is just the low continental habit of bargaining.'
George Mikes
Exercise 30
Role Play "Organising a Party".
Setting: 1) A university refectory, where the students distribute duties to make purchases.
2) A supermarket.
Situation: You decide to celebrate some holiday or just organise a party at someone's home. Everyone will have to bring something for the table and later you'll cook together. Enact buying things in a shop. Elaborate the situation yourselves. Fancy that you've left money at home or there are no goods you need on sale or you forget something at the last instant.
Characters:
Card I — Molly, the girl, who is going to organise it all. She decides who should buy things and says what you will need them for.
Card II — Sally, the assistant who serves you in the shop you choose.
Card III—IV — Bob and Rob, boys who will buy heavy things in the shop.
CardV-X - Nelly, Kelly, Dolly, Polly, Lilly, Tilly, tree pairs of students who walk around the supermarket and discuss what they have to buy.
Card XI — Penny, the cashier at the till.
WRITING
Exercise 1
Learn the spelling of the italicized words from Introductory Reading and the words from exercise 1 on page 120. Prepare to write a dictation.
Exercise 2
Translate into English in writing.
A.
Мы быстро привыкли к нашей новой жизни. Всё так просто в этом микромире! Не надо ходить в магазин и стоять в очередях — здоровенная женщина в белом фартуке, которая могла бы сойти за английскую бонну, если бы не вес под сто килограммов, каждый день разгружает на кухне огромную корзину со свежайшими продуктами.
(...) Поскольку мне очень неловко жить за счет советской власти (...), я решаю ходить за покупками сама.
В первый же день я обалдеваю от выбора продуктов в ближайшем магазине. Сначала я даже подумала, что это случайный завоз или что директор устроил спектакль для ревизора. Но и через неделю выбор оставался таким же богатым. Каждый день я нахожу в магазине свежие яйца, колбасу, вполне приличное мясо на котлеты, копченую рыбу, даже крабов.
В.
У меня возникает мысль заглянуть в продуктовый магазин. Во-первых, мне надо пройтись, а во-вторых, я хочу купить кое-какие продукты — хлеб, сыр, масло, а может, мне повезёт, и по счастливой случайности здесь окажутся апельсины, какие-нибудь перемороженные куры или даже батон колбасы с чесноком, которую ты так любишь и которую вдруг выбрасывает на прилавки Главное управление торговли, когда у хозяек не остается ничего, ну буквально ничего, что бы можно было подать к столу.
(...) Этот магазин самообслуживания совсем новый, но полки уже в безобразном состоянии, а у корзин осталось по одной ручке. Редко лежащие продукты завернуты в противную толстую серую бумагу, на которой фиолетовыми чернилами помечена цена. Это — мой первый поход в магазин в новом районе.
Я покупаю кое-что из продуктов и становлюсь в очередь в кассу. У меня пять пакетов разных размеров. Я плачу и собираюсь уже уходить, но тут контролёрша на выходе заставляет меня открыть сумку, вынимает оттуда все мои покупки и потрясает каким-то свёртком. Какой ужас — у меня оказался лишний кусок сыра на двадцать восемь копеек, который кассирша не пробила! (...) Я робко говорю, что кассирша забыла пробить, что ничего страшного не произошло, я сейчас доплачу... (...) Женщин это приводит в бешенство.
(М. Влади. «Владимир, или прерванный полет»)
Exercise 3
Write a short essay on one of the following topics.
1. Buying Delicacies Gives the Greatest Pleasure When One Hasn't Got Enough Money.
2. Shopping for Food — a Boring Routine or a Revealing Experience?
3. Why I Always Buy Food in the Same Place.
4. The Main Principles I Observe When I Shop for Food.
5. Why Men and Women Have Different Styles of Shopping for Food.
Note:
Punctuation (continued from page 82).
A colon is put:
1) before an enumeration (e.g. The reasons are as follows: we haven't prepared well enough, the circumstances are unfavourable and there is no help);
2) between clauses when the second clause is an explanation or an extension of the first one (e.g. Some things we can, and others we cannot do: we can walk, but we cannot fly);
3) before a short quotation (e.g. Always remember the ancient maxim: Know thyself).
A semicolon is put:
1) between asyndetic coordinate clauses in complex sentences (e.g. He was the only guest present who had never met her; he decided that matters would be easier if he walked up and introduced himself);
2) between extended homogeneous parts of the sentence, particularly if there are other punctuation marks within them (e.g. I thought that we had to act quickly; that we had to do something, to get the information). (to be continued on page 198).
Lesson 6 SHOPPING FOR CONSUMER GOODS
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