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Архитектура Аудит Военная наука Иностранные языки Медицина Металлургия Метрология Образование Политология Производство Психология Стандартизация Технологии |
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Архитектура Аудит Военная наука Иностранные языки Медицина Металлургия Метрология Образование Политология Производство Психология Стандартизация Технологии |
Helpful Words and PhrasesСтр 1 из 10Следующая ⇒
SHOPPING I. TOPICAL VOCABULARY General
2. Some Shops and Goods They Sell
Departments
Helpful Words and Phrases
Some Food Shops (Stores)
Quantities and Package
Some Useful Expressions
Idiomatic Expressions
SHOPPING Text 1 The Big Stores of London
Most of the big department stores are to be found in or near the West End. They sell cheap dresses there. One of the features of London is the number of big stores, most of which are to be found in or near the West End. These stores are a mixture of tradition and modernity. They developed in the nineteenth century; they maintain the dignity of that century, yet they are always ready to follow new trends. The big stores of London are vast buildings, many storeys high, equipped with speedy lifts and escalators, with well-planned lighting, ventilation and heating. Departments are carefully named; “Budget Dresses” are really cheap dresses – but no customer likes to be thought of as a “cheap” shopper. The same applies to “Ready-to-wear”; it used to be used for the garments that were not made-to-measure, though now off-the-peg clothes are the rule rather than the exception. “Mother-to-be” or “Lady-in-Wait-ing” will often be found instead of the conventional “Maternity Wear”. Then there are newer words for the new trends in fashion – “Mix-and-Match”, “Unisex”, which are used alongside with the more old-fashioned names: “Haberdashery”, “Millinery”, “Gowns”, and sometimes still the words derived from the French – “Mantles” for coats, “Layette” for baby-wear. Another feature of London’s shopping life is the chain-stores, in which the goods are displayed on open counters. A wide variety of goods is offered – chiefly foodstuffs, household goods, clothing and stationery. These chain-stores have branches in most British towns of importance. One very well-known firm of chemists has shops in many parts of London (and elsewhere); here you may buy not only medicines but also cosmetics and toilet supplies. Dairy firms have shops in various parts of London, too, and in these you may buy not only dairy produce but also groceries, soap and household articles. Most of the food stores, called supermarkets, operate on the self-service system: you go in, pick up a basket, walk round the shop and choose what you want. At the exit there is a check-out point; a cash-desk where you pay for all your goods together.
Text 2 Ex. 4 Insert prepositions. 1. Those who hate shopping place their orders … telephone and it saves them a lot … time. 2. Different as people’s feelings … shopping are, you somehow couldn’t think … shopping … provisions … terms … pleasure, you always think … it … terms … necessity. 3. … case you’re not a gourmand, you certainly feel happier just merely window-shopping … an expensive jeweller’s than actually buying a joint … beef … your butcher’s … all your folks at home hoping … a good dinner … their day’s work … an office, school or college. 4. I went … one department … another, … and …, … lifts and … escalators. 5. I am also a regular customer … one … the big London stores. 6. I went … the butcher’s … a small joint … beef. Text 3 In the Department Store
My friend will have a birthday party in a week, so I have decided to look for a birthday present for her. I went to the Central Department Store which is situated in the centre of our city. It’s a multistoreyed building where one can get everything in the way of food and manufactured goods. I must confess it was so difficult to make a suitable purchase in such a huge shop with a lot of counters and shelves. When I arrived at the Central Department Store I first admired the window dressing. Then I went along the ground floor and looked into the shop – windows of the grocery, where I could see all kinds of food staffs: meat, fish, tinned food, sausage, fruit, wine, sweets, chocolates, etc. There were some commercial counters on the ground floor and I found myself in a fantastic motley city of different things. Then I went upstairs to the first floor, where I couldn’t help admiring at seeing various goods. There were on sale: haberdashery, stationery, hosiery, leather-wear, knitwear. To tell you the truth, I was impressed by a great choice of silk skirts and shirts, different kinds of frocks and coats, leather boots and shoes, woolen pullovers and sweaters, jeans and suits, jackets and blouses, bags and wallets. There one can get everything in the way of clothes wanted by men, women and children: footwear, knitwear, ready-made clothes, furs, and what not. I admired the cut and the style of a light summer frock. It was the latest fashion and I made up my mind to try it on. A pleasant-looking shop-assistant proposed me to put the frock on and look in the mirror. But unfortunately it was a bit loose on me and did not suit me perfectly. On the second floor of the Department Store I could see all kinds of household utensils: crockery, china, electric appliances, cutlery, pots and pans, vacuum-cleaners, washing-machines, cameras, radio and television sets, computers, stereo cassette recorders and many other things one may want in the house. Besides, there were perfumery, florist’s gift and souvenir departments. The shop-assistant suggested looking at a beautiful water-colour. I liked that nice picture very much and I was sure my friend would like it too. The price of the present was not very high, I must admit. So I paid the money at the cash-desk. The cashier gave me a receipt and I came up to the shop-assistant with it again. I produced my receipt and obtained a wrapped parcel with a water colour. She thanked me and added they were always glad to see me at their shop. I felt very excited at the thought that I had bought a very nice birthday present and left the shop. On my way home I suddenly remembered that my mother had given me a few errands. We’ve run out of bread and I had to drop in at the baker’s to buy a loaf of white bread, a loaf of brown one, five rolls and half a dozen small cakes. There was a long queue at the grocer’s, but I had nothing to do but stand in the line for half an hour to buy a kilo of sugar and some sausage. Then I bought some fruit (bananas and apples) at the vegetable stall near the bus stop. I was lucky to buy everything I wanted. Frankly speaking. I like to go shopping.
Ex.1. Find and read where it is said about: the central department store, a shop assistant, the process of making a purchase, the grocer's. Text 4 Buying from barrows Some people prefer to buy from the street market. This is a place for browsing and enjoying the sights, sounds and smells. A good place, probably, for buying fresh, locally-produced food and flowers. A good place for looking for odds and ends that you may not be able to find in ordinary shops – but keep your wits about you, for there's sure to be a lot of junk. When you get to know a market, you will discover which stall holders are reliable and sell good produce at reasonable prices. Meet your friends here If you come from the country, or just out of town, the local general shop is probably the one you are familiar with. Where buses to town are not all that frequent the local shop provides all the essential goods needed by the local community together with a very personal service. The shopkeeper will know the family and will like to exchange news when you go to buy. And there you will meet all your neighbours, who enjoy a chat while waiting to be served. It's unlikely that you will be able to shop in a hurry, but you will probably be able to telephone an order from home and have it delivered. The shop may be open on Sundays and in the evenings as well. Your family's likes and dislikes will be very well known, so your friend, the shopkeeper, will always let you know when he has the kind of cheese you like or a good piece of ham. On the whole he is likely to have fewer bargains and a smaller choice of stock than larger shops in town, but he offers a very personal and convenient service to his customers who would otherwise have to spend bus fares going into town and have the bother of carrying a large load. As a regular customer, you will probably have the convenience of an account and pay him once a month. Take your choice You may enjoy a visit to town more, and if you prefer the High Street or main shopping centre, you will have a large choice of shops and goods. If you have time, you can look in all the windows and visit several shops, comparing prices and quality. As you get to know your own High Street, you will discover which shop is best for particular things. It is not always the most expensive-looking shops that charge the most. Sometimes these shops nave items that you can't buy anywhere else – special cheeses or jams, for instance. Not all the cut-price shops really cut prices – it's up to you to find out what prices are generally low. Through experience you will learn where you are likely to get the freshest food – in the supermarket, with its large turnover of stock, or perhaps at a market stall which may sell locally-produced vegetables.
Text 5 Some More Shopping
For suits of clothes my husband prefers all-round wool in grey or navy-blue. In the department store they always have a broad selection of greys and blues in the line of men’s clothes there. So we got him that grey suit but it was a bit broad in the shoulders and long in the sleeves so they offered some slight alterations free. They took his measurement and asked us to leave his purchase in the shop till the next day, when they delivered it to our place right. We also got him a tie to match. We had some trouble choosing a pair of quality shoes for our son. He must have overgrown his size. All the shoes that he tried were pinching his toes. But when they offered us a pair a size larger, it fitted him well. We paid for it at the cashier’s counter, and while the bill was being receipted, the assistant ran a ribbon two times round the shoe-box and handed it over to us. On the way back we dropped in at the hosiery department and bought him a pair of nice socks to match. We were perfectly outfitted and went home quite happy. Ex.1 Translate into Russian: a broad selection of greys and blues, to take measurements, to get a tie to match, to overgrow one's size, to pinch toes, the bill was being receipted, to run a ribbon round the box, to be perfectly outfitted. Text 6 American Supermarkets
The shopping centre (when she reached it) was all that she could wish for. There was a Woolworth’s, and a hardware store that sold every kind of nail the world had ever made, a florist where she bought her plants, a drugstore with a soda fountain where she treated herself to banana splits, and finally the supermarket. (Which she did not think she would ever cease to enjoy, however long she lived in America.) The supermarket has become one of the natural phenomena of American life. It would be a small and backward village indeed that did not have one. Children are brought up to it and never know the friendly tea and biscuit smell of a corner grocery. The first time Christine ventured into her local supermarket she thought she was in heaven. She took her little wire basket on wheels and pushed it round, gaping at the thousands of tins on the shelves, at the vegetables freshly washed and wrapped in cellophane, the deep-freeze locker where you could get whole meals all ready to be thawed out and eaten, and the butcher’s glass – fronted refrigerator with pork chops, lamb chops, legs of veal, breasts of chicken and crimson rounds of the kind of steaks Christine had long since forgotten. Soon, however, she had to curb her enthusiasm. She had to, because she was spending too much. The prices were terrifying. When you got to the cash register at the end of the store where the incredibly quick man reckoned up the contents of your basket, the final sum that sprang up on the till was always more than you expected. Text 7 Universam – a Supermarket
When you come to the “Universam” supermarket, you see the following picture. A huge sales floor with pretty pyramids of goods, a lavish assortment of groceries, bakery and confectionery goods, canned vegetables, fruit and dairy products; wines, spirits, mineral water, juices and syrups. Perishables – cold meats, meat, fish, milk and all dairy products – are kept in special reach-in refrigerator units. Fresh vegetables, fruit and citrus fruits are displayed in trolleys. There is a special stand with all sorts of household knick-knacks, where every housewife is bound to buy something. There is a large range of baby foods. The smallest customers, who are led by the hand or sit importantly on special benches or in the trolleys where mother or father deposit their purchases, have not been forgotten. Each item has a label which indicates the date, price, weight and cost. The automatic tills determine the cost of purchases and the amount of change in a flash. A large number of items on sale, the open display of goods, the possibility to buy everything in one shop and the swift service draw customers to such shops from the day they opened. The equipment on the sales floor, the packaging departments and in the storage premises is of the latest design. The optical and electronic scales have stepped up immeasurably the process of weighing a purchase, and determining the cost of a given weight. The special vacuum packaging ensures that foods retain their quality and look, up to 5 days, unimpaired. All the goods are prepared for sale in the packaging departments which are separated from the sales floor by windows, i.e., the customers can see the process. The population of the district is very pleased with such new shops.
Ex. 1 Comprehension questions: 1. What is a "Universam"? 2. What can you say about the assortment of goods in "universam" supermarkets? 3. Where are perishables kept? Fresh vegetables and fruit? 4. What is attached to every item you buy there? 5. How do automatic tills help the cashiers? 6. What scales are used to weigh a purchase and determine its cost? 7. What helps the foods sold there retain their quality and look unimpaired for 5 days? 8. What draws customers to such shops? Ex. 2 Give your points of view and find in the text facts to prove that: - many factors make "universam" supermarkets popular with customers, - supermarkets are stocked with a very wide range of goods. - all the goods are ready packed. Ex. 3 Describe your visit to a supermarket. Use the following words and phrases: to go to a supermarket to buy …; to be back soon; not to have been there for more than 30 minutes; it's one of the best things about them; had I gone to half a dozen different shops I would have taken much longer; not to be overcrowded; brightly lit; well laid out; there is plenty of room for the customers to walk about; to move along the aisles of goods; to push one's little cart (or to carry a basket in one's hand); to fill it with packets; a few assistants; there is no need for many assistants; ready-packed; the goods are tidily arranged on trays and long shelves; the shelves are well stocked with a very wide selection of attractively packed goods; the goods are within easy reach; the price is printed on every packet; the prices are clearly marked; the assistants fill up (the) shelves and cases that become empty; they see that everything has a price stamped on it. Text 8 I'm Addicted to shopping from home!
Shopping from your living room used to be decidedly unglamorous. But with the explosion of top quality catalogues, the Internet and TV shopping channels. That's not the case any more… Ali Quinn 38, from Surbiton, Surrey, is married to Paddy, 50. She's a community nurse and they have two children. My nickname at home is Catalogue Quinn. Paddy thinks it's hilarious that I'm so addicted to catalogue shopping. Before we married five years ago, I wasn't the least bit interested in any of the catalogue that arrive with the weekend papers. Now, though, Paddy throws them across the room to me and I spend the next half-hour fantasying about what I can buy from McCord or The Costwold Company. As I was working long hours, this was easier said than done. I didn't have time to wander around the shops – and if I had, I'd never have found all the wonderful things I've now bought from catalogue land. Since having children my life has been so chaotic and I'm so short of time that I scour the catalogues for anything that will help simplify things. I also do virtually all my gift shopping from catalogues. The only things I don't buy from catalogues are my own clothes. I used to but I found that they often didn't fit the way I wanted them to, so now I force myself to go clothes shopping. But the children's clothes come from catalogues and I even bought a sofa from Argos catalogue because it saved Paddy and me from spending our day off together trekking around department stores. Maybe one day I'll convert to Internet shopping but there's something special about being able to curl up in an armchair with a catalogue on your knees, your shopping list in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Val Moody, 57, from Peterborough, is married to Brian, 56. The couple have two grown-up children. I've always been a shopaholic – I get a real thrill out buying something new and I can't help buying on implulse if I see something that really takes my fancy. But four years ago I had major surgery on my back and I was laid up in bed for several weeks. I was so bored that the only thing I could do to fill the time was flick between TV channels. Then one day while I was doing this, I discovered the world of TV shopping and since then, I haven't looked back. Even though I'm now back on my feet, I'm still a total TV shopping addict. I spend at least three hours a day watching the shopping channels, Ideal World TV, and I shell out around 5000 pounds a month on goods I've seen advertised on it. We don't have a mortgage to pay but my daughter Lisa thinks I'm mad. She asked the other day why I've bought myself another bread maker. I explained that the one I've already got (also bought from TV shopping) takes two hours to make bread and this new one takes just 58 minutes. I couldn't resist it. The great thing is that, unlike department stores where the assistants never seem to know anything about the products they are selling, on TV you get a complete demonstration of the item before you buy it. I'm always on the lookout for more new cleaning equipment – we've got four Great Danes, a small dog and four cats. So far I've bought six vacuum cleaners and a fantastic steam cleaner that does everything from curtains and carpets to work surfaces and the oven! My husband is a plumber and he always needs new tools. They come up for sale on the TV a lot, so I buy him anything useful I see. I've never been a browser and I can't understand anyone who goes window shopping when the shops are closed. Why bother if you can't buy anything? No, for me the buzz is in the purchase and if it's a bargain, I've got to have it. Sharon Burns, 27, from Woking in Surrey, is a marketing director. She's engaged to Kieron, 28. Without the Internet, I'd be the world's worst shopper. I used to work in the West End of London but I found it so stressful at lunchtimes trying to beat my way through the crowds, make a halfway decent purchase and get back to my office in time, that I gave up altogether. Then, about four years ago, I discovered the Internet shopping and I was hooked. I started by buying books and CDs for my mum. She lives in Coventry and sending presents to her was always a hassle. But by shopping online, I could get gifts directly to her – and I could afford to buy more too because prices were so competitive. I then started doing all my food shopping online. Having worked in finance in the past, I know your credit details are safer on the Net than over the phone, so I've never had any qualms about that. I shop every week at Tesco's website – it only takes a few minutes to do and my groceries are delivered to my kitchen, saving me trouble of having to lug them upstairs to my second-floor flat. People wonder how I can bear to let someone else choose my vegetables and fruit. What if they're bruised or overripe? Well, I get round that by making fussy notes on every order, I even state the sell-by date I want. I've bought everything from theatre tickets and holidays to Kieron's engagement present online. One thing I'm still waiting for is an online clothes facility that will tempt me away from old-fashioned department stores. So far I haven't plucked up the courage to buy clothes online because I know that if they don't fit I'll have to deal with returning them. But I've dipped my toes in the water by visiting a shoe website, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I finally take the plunge! Ex. 1 Think of the possible attributes to the word "shopping". (catalogue, gift, clothes, Internet, TV, window, food, online) Ex.2 In the text find the phrases synonymous to the following ones: attractive, to be involved, to do smth without being able to stop wanting to, to make things easier, to go window shopping, to be pressed for time, to doubt, to make smb do what you want. Ex. 3 Find in the text the words and phases: Фактически, скоротать время, тащить сумки наверх, собраться с духом, тщательно просматривать каталоги, легче сказать, чем сделать, рекламировать, покупать одежду по компьютеру. Ex. 4 Translate from English into Russian: Paddy thinks it's hilarious that I'm so addicted to catalogue shopping. … this was easier said than done. I didn't have time to wander around shops. I scour the catalogues for anything that will help simplify things. … it saved Paddy and me from spending our day off together trekking around department stores. Maybe one day I'll convert to Internet shopping. I can't help buying on impulse if I see smth that really takes my fancy. … on TV you get a complete demonstration of the item before you buy it. They (new tools) come up for sale on the TV a lot … … for me the buzz is in the purchase and if it's a bargain, I've got to have it. … but I found it so stressful at lunchtimes trying to beat my way through the crowds, make a halfway decent purchase and get back to my office in time, that I gave it up. I discovered the Internet shopping and I was hooked. I shop every week at Tesco's website. What if they are bruised or overripe? Well, I get round that by making fussy notes on every order, I even state the sell-by date I want. So far I haven't plucked up courage to buy clothes online because I know that if they don't fit I'll have to deal with returning them. Ex. 5 Explain in your own words: Shopaholic, mortgage, browser, it's a bargain, I coudn't resist it, to make a halfway decent purchase, shopping online, prices are competitive. Ex. 8. Give the Russian equivalent to the following saying. Think of your own situation where you can use it. I've dipped my toes in the water … Ex. 6 Think of the sentences with the phrases: To wander around the shop, .. help to simplify things, to convert to Internet shopping, I can't help buying on impulse, TV shopping, I couldn't resist, It's a bargain, to make a halfway decent purchase, shopping online, state the sell-by date, to pluck up the courage to buy clothes online, to have qualms about, to take fancy. Text 9 Fashion
Fashion is an entirely unnecessary and yet delightful detail of human life. No one could contend that a person who did not follow the fashion was lacking in any great mental or moral quality; yet to be in the fashion has given joy in age after age, not only to the women who are thus up-to-date in the costume, but to the men who behold them. As a rule, men’s attitude towards women’s fashion is one of amused tolerance. They pretend that they are unable to detect the nice distinctions between the latest model from Paris and a dress that is hopelessly out of date. But they are in reality just as eager to conform to the popular idea of what is and what is not worn. But men’s fashions change slowly, and men, unlike women, like to be the last to leave an old fashion rather than the first to embrace a new. They have no desire either, that their womenfolk should be in the very front rank of fashion. It would make them embarrassed to be seen in public with a woman who was wearing something which caused every eye to be turned upon her. But they like their wives to be dressed as most other women are dressed. Fashion is an arbitrary mistress to whom most women are slaves, but though her mandates are often unreasonable and not seldom absurd, she is followed willingly, for the reward she offers is that sense of adventure and variety which is the spice of life. Ex. 1. Find English equivalents to the following: Совершенно бесполезная и все же восхитительная деталь, никто не смог бы утверждать, из поколения в поколение; созерцать; не в состоянии различить; подчиниться мнению; первыми броситься в объятия новому; их женщины; быть в первых рядах моды; приводить в смущение; притягивать к себе каждый взгляд; капризная владычица; награда; ощущение приключения и разнообразия; изюминка жизни.
QUIZ Value If we are buying some big item that has to last a long time, we cannot afford to make a mistake. We often learn by hard experience, but there are many precautions we can take and tips we can learn to make sure that we receive value for our money and choose what we really want. Best buyers We all buy things – occasionally something exciting that we have been wanting for a long time, more often rather dull, routine things that we need for everyday living. In both cases we want to enjoy spending our money and have satisfaction from the purchases. We want the best we can get; no one wants to feel cheated or that money has been wasted. It is worth taking a little trouble to learn to be a clever and contented shopper. 1. If you are given money for your birthday do you: (a) Go out as soon as you can to browse around the shops and find something to buy? (b) Put it towards something you are saving up for? (c) Enjoy thinking about what you could do with it before deciding?
2. If you had to do the weekend shopping for the family would you: (a) Make a list of everything wanted and keep to it? (b) Make a list, but probably change your mind when you got to the shops? (c) Buy things as you went along and hope the money would work out?
3. When you can choose where to shop, do you prefer: (a) The supermarket? (b) The street market? (c) The local general shop? (d) The High Street or main shopping centre?
4. If you are going to buy something that must last a long time – say a tape recorder or a sewing machine, do you: (a) Go to a local shop and choose from what they have in stock? (b) Spend some time finding out about tape recorders or sewing machines so that you know what to look for and what questions to ask before you buy? (c) Choose a shop which specializes in what you want and ask the advice of an experienced sales assistant?
5. If you are going to buy a suit or dress do you: (a) Fall in love with something in a shop window and buy it without trying it on? (b) Choose several garments and try them all on before deciding? (c) Check up on what you already have, decide what you need most and what colour would fit in best and go to as many shops as possible to find what you are looking for?
6. If you want something practical to wear for everyday – say a shirt or a blouse, do you: (a) Buy what looks right without checking whether it will wash well, is drip dry, or will need ironing or dry cleaning? (b) Look for a label on the garment giving this information and if there isn't one, check with the sales assistant? (c) Decide in advance that you need a blouse or shirt that drip dries and only look at that kind when shopping?
7. When buying a gadget or piece of equipment do you: (a) Find an advertisement that describes exactly what you want and ask for that particular product when you go shopping? (b) Choose a good shop, discuss with the sales assistant what you want and what it will be used for and take his advice into consideration before buying? (c) Read carefully any guarantees and keep the receipt?
8. If you buy something that proves unsatisfactory – a gadget that does not work or a garment that falls to pieces, do you: (a) Think it's just too bad and do nothing more about it? (b) Go back to the shop, complain about being cheated and demand your money back? (c) Either write to, or ask to see, the manager and state what has happened as politely as possible?
Quiz - Answers Are you safe with money? If your answer is (a), you are probably impulsive and imaginative with a gift for enjoying yourself. The enjoyment is probably worth a lot, but you may lose in other ways. You probably buy something that you will lose interest in very quickly, that isn't really what you want or very good value for money. If you are like this, try this experiment: On the days you haven't any money to spend, take time to look around at what is available, and read articles about things you are likely to want to buy in the future. Then you will have some idea of what is good value before you rush out and buy. Score 1. This advice also holds good if your answer was (b) or (c), so that when it comes to the point of actually buying something, you know what is available. You are more likely to get good value and choose wisely, because you give yourself more time. Score 2 each. 2.Weekend shopping If (a), then you are strong minded, unlikely to be suddenly tempted by special offers and displays and can probably make a budget work. But you may miss a real bargain or a lot of fun if you are too rigid. Score 3. Answer (b)? Watch what it is that makes you change your mind. Are you pleased you did when you get home, or rather cross about it? Did you get a real bargain or a pig in a poke? Remember the supermarket is specially designed to tempt you and make you buy all sorts of things you don't really want. There may even be background music to put you in a melting mood. You are probably just the sort of customer they hope to get! Score 2. Answer (c)? You could either be a very skilful and experienced shopper, or a very careless one. An experienced housewife, for example, would know the local shops and go out to see what they have in stock that she could use. Food in season is fresh and often cheap – and she would recognize it and know how to prepare it. She would also know the prices of things very well and would immediately recognize good value. Experience of knowing how much to spend on each item would make it possible for her to budget as she went along: a little extravagance on one item could be saved on another. If you reckon you could be this kind of clever shopper. Score 4. On the other hand, if you haven't a clue about prices, or what is in season or where to shop for good value, and are just being careless and lazy in not making a list, score 1.
How super is a supermarket? Whichever answer you gave to this question could be the best one for you and could help you to find out something about yourself and where and how you are most likely to shop wisely. Score 3 for any answer.
Do you like changes? If you answered (a), you may be lucky, but the chances are that you will discover when you know more about it that there are models which would have suited your purpose better – and they may even be cheaper, too. Try looking around more. Score 1. Answer (b)? This is a wiser way of going about it. Finding out all you can about the purchase before you buy – from magazine articles, advertisements (though remember they are biased), literature published by an independent body like the Consumers' Association, which publishes WHICH? and, perhaps most effective of all, talking to people who have been using the product you hope to buy and can give you first-hand experience – this pre-shopping preparation well all go a long way towards ensuring that you get what you want and the best your money can buy. Score 3. Answer (c)? Provided your sales assistant really knows his subject, this could be a good way of finding the best buy for you. Only you, of course, know what you really want and how you will use it, and an assistant can't answer questions you don't ask him – so it is a good idea to explore the market for yourself if possible. But, if you asked his advice, the shopkeeper does have some responsibility in law for what you buy being suitable for your purpose. Score 2.
Buying clothes If you answered (a), you certainly do take chances and would have to be very lucky indeed for this to work. If you are a stock size and know what suits you, perhaps you would be satisfied, but it's hardly worth risking. Some shops will exchange garments that do not fit you after you have tried them on at home. Score1. Do you know what you want? If you set out to buy as in (a), you will probably find out too late that the blouse needs to be dry cleaned (expensive and inconvenient for a blouse) or that it will take hours to iron (so it will never be ready for you to put on when you want to go out in a hurry). Score 1. Answer (b) ? Many garments are labeled these days and give quite precise information about washing, ironing or dry cleaning. If there is no label, beware, and get the assurance of a responsible assistant that the garment will wash without shrinking or the colours running. If this assurance is given, the shop should take responsibility if anything goes wrong. Score 2. Answer (c)? If you know that what you really want is a blouse or a shirt that will never need ironing and that you can wash and dry quickly and easily, then it is best to look for these qualities and not to be tempted by something which may look attractive but will not serve the purpose. Then you are a wise shopper. Score 3. Do you know your rights? Answer (a)? If you buy a particular product by name, it may be exactly what you want, but it is your responsibility. Remember that advertisements are biased and although they may not say anything that is quite untrue, they do not have to advertise the disadvantages or weaknesses of the product they are out to sell. An advertisement by itself is a doubtful recommendation. Better get a second opinion. Score 1. Answer (b)? It is the shopkeeper’s job, recognized by law, to sell you something that is suitable for your purpose – provided he knows your purpose is. So if you discuss with him what you want and take his advice, he will be responsible if it proves unsuitable. Score 3. Answer (c)? Guarantees should certainly be read and receipts kept as evidence of purchase. The word ‘guaranteed’ can be used to lull customers into a false sense of security. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything – in fact, by signing a guarantee, you could be signing away the rights you have in law. There are good guarantees – and bad ones. If you sign a guarantee and send it to the manufactures you have accepted the terms laid down – so be satisfied before you do so that they are to your advantage. There are facts to help you with this on page 44. Score 3.
Making a complaint Answer (a) means you take the easy way out and accept your loss. But a little effort would probably put matters right. Score 1. Answer (b)? You are probably the aggressive type. Quick to feel wronged and to blame somebody for doing you down. The chances are that they will react and there will be a row. A lot of energy is wasted. You may get the goods replaced: only is they are defective may you get your money back. In law, you are reckoned to have accepted them once you have taken them home. Score 2. Answer (c)? Try this method before all others. A reputable shopkeeper is anxious to please his customers and knows their rights. If you have just cause for complaint, the chances are that he will replace the article immediately. And he is much more likely to want to do so if you give him the credit for not wanting to do you down! Score 3. What is your score? Between 16 and 24. You are already on the way to being a clever shopper. Be careful that your caution does not make you too careful for pleasure and unable to recognize and enjoy a real bargain when it comes your way. Between 8 and 16. You are an average shopper; you need to take a little more care if you want to get more for your money. Only 8? Your moods are likely to run away with you and you may easily get caught out or waste money unless you take more care.
II VOCABULARY EXERCISES
General Ex.5 Choose the right word. 1. The goods are laid out on the …( shop windows, counters) . 2. You can buy these goods. They are …( for sale, in stock ). 3. When something costs a lot of money we say it`s…( expensive, priceless ) 4. When the article is good and very cheap we say it`s a …( bargain, reduction) 5. When you have bought something you get a …( bill, receipt ) 6. We can pay at the …( cash desk, checkout ) 7. They weigh things on …( scales, cash desk ) 8. When an article is good we say that it`s of … (good quality, super quality) 9. When an article is not in the shop we say it`s not …( in stock, supplied)
Departments Helpful Words and Phrases. Ex.1 Fill in the blanks with "fit", "match", suit", "become". 1. I don't feel comfortable in these shoes. Do you think they …me? 2. Could you show me a pair of gloves …my bag? 3. Buy a blue scarf; this colour …more than any other and … your coat. 4. The carpets should …the curtains. 5. She was wearing a brown dress with hat and gloves … 6. Oh, yes, the size is all right; it … you very well but it does not … you to wear such a short skirt. 7. You should also have shoes that … well when you intend to go for a long walk. 8. Does the climate … you (your health)? 9. It does not … you to have your hair cut short.
Some Food Shops (Stores) Ex.1 Name 8-10 products you might buy at: baker’s/bakery butcher’s confectioner’s/confectionary dairy greengrocer’s fishmonger’s fruiterer’s sweet-shop off-licenсe shop tobacconist’s
Quantities and Package Some Useful Expressions
Ex.1 Find Russian equivalents to the following: A length of cloth, thick-soled boots, comfortable garments, medium-sized clothes, sound-proof cabin, burglar-proof safe, grease-proof paper, to be stock size, a reel of needle, black dotted blue silk, multicolour chequered trouser suit, tight shoes, face cream, rose scent perfume , a tie to match one’s suit, a crease-proof raincoat , black and white skirt, durable articles, the same price, a size bigger, winter wear clothes, summer stock, autumn supplies, handbag department, to look smart, stationary, electrical appliances, double-breasted suit, a fast dye, a crease-resistant raincoat, to try a hat on, drip-dry shirt, to show the dirt quickly, office furnishings, hi-fi equipment, fade-proof cloth, clothes made to measure, toilet articles, perishable foods, colourful design, a lounge, to try a beret on, an eye-shade, glassware, hardware, to take the measurements, tape-measure, everyday shoes, to specialize in modern art books, jacket pocket, delivery counter, to buy from a store.
Idiomatic Expressions
Ex.2 Match the variants of the verb to sell with their definitions. 1. sell off a. обманывать; предавать
Ex.4 Rephrase the following sentences using idiomatic expressions.
Ex.1 Fill in the missing words. Ex.2 Translate into English. SHOPPING I. TOPICAL VOCABULARY General
2. Some Shops and Goods They Sell
Departments
Helpful Words and Phrases
Some Food Shops (Stores)
Quantities and Package
Some Useful Expressions
Idiomatic Expressions
SHOPPING Text 1 The Big Stores of London
Most of the big department stores are to be found in or near the West End. They sell cheap dresses there. One of the features of London is the number of big stores, most of which are to be found in or near the West End. These stores are a mixture of tradition and modernity. They developed in the nineteenth century; they maintain the dignity of that century, yet they are always ready to follow new trends. The big stores of London are vast buildings, many storeys high, equipped with speedy lifts and escalators, with well-planned lighting, ventilation and heating. Departments are carefully named; “Budget Dresses” are really cheap dresses – but no customer likes to be thought of as a “cheap” shopper. The same applies to “Ready-to-wear”; it used to be used for the garments that were not made-to-measure, though now off-the-peg clothes are the rule rather than the exception. “Mother-to-be” or “Lady-in-Wait-ing” will often be found instead of the conventional “Maternity Wear”. Then there are newer words for the new trends in fashion – “Mix-and-Match”, “Unisex”, which are used alongside with the more old-fashioned names: “Haberdashery”, “Millinery”, “Gowns”, and sometimes still the words derived from the French – “Mantles” for coats, “Layette” for baby-wear. Another feature of London’s shopping life is the chain-stores, in which the goods are displayed on open counters. A wide variety of goods is offered – chiefly foodstuffs, household goods, clothing and stationery. These chain-stores have branches in most British towns of importance. One very well-known firm of chemists has shops in many parts of London (and elsewhere); here you may buy not only medicines but also cosmetics and toilet supplies. Dairy firms have shops in various parts of London, too, and in these you may buy not only dairy produce but also groceries, soap and household articles. Most of the food stores, called supermarkets, operate on the self-service system: you go in, pick up a basket, walk round the shop and choose what you want. At the exit there is a check-out point; a cash-desk where you pay for all your goods together.
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