READING
A. Discuss.
• Do you ever spend more money shopping than you plan to? If so, why do you think that happens?
Yes, I often spend more money than I plan to because I get distracted by special offers, discounts, and eye-catching items displayed near the cash desk.
• Do you think that businesses influence how much you spend while shopping? How?
Yes, businesses definitely influence our spending by playing relaxing background music, using pleasant scents, and placing the most expensive or attractive products at eye level.
B. Read the text quickly without paying attention to the missing sentences. What is the purpose of the text?
c (to encourage people to be more careful when they go shopping)
C. Read the text again. Complete the gaps 1-6 with the sentences a-g. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
1 b (Companies have been using different techniques to increase their sales for years.)
2 e (The way that products are displayed also plays a very important role.)
3 a (This is not done by accident.)
4 f (For instance, a lot of shops use carpets to slow you down.)
5 g (That is why they do what they can to make sure you hang around.)
6 d (Department stores and malls have been playing with your mind.)
Extra sentence: c
D. Look at the highlighted words in the text, and try to guess what they mean. Then match them with the definitions 1-5.
- advertise: promote
- walked in a relaxed way or slowly: wandered
- moving stairs: escalators
- did and completed sth: carried out
- difficult to understand: complicated
E. Discuss.
• Have you ever noticed any of these tricks in the places where you go shopping?
Yes, I have noticed that supermarkets often lack windows and clocks, which makes it very easy to lose track of time while browsing. I have also seen brightly coloured products placed right at the entrance to grab shoppers’ attention immediately.
• Can you think of any other tricks which businesses use to make you shop more?
Shops often place essential everyday items, such as bread and milk, at the very back of the store so customers have to walk past hundreds of other products first. They also use special price tags ending in .99 to make items look cheaper than they actually are.
GRAMMAR
Complete with the Past Simple, the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect Progressive of the verbs in brackets.
A: Sorry I’m late!
B: I have been waiting here since three o’clock.
A: I’m sorry, OK?
B: Where have you been?
A: Trying to get here! The traffic was terrible.
A: How long have you been working at this restaurant?
B: Just six months. I started work in June.
A: So, is this the first restaurant you have worked at?
B: Yes, it is.
A: Julia and I saw Tony last night.
B: Really? I haven’t seen him for years. Is he still living in Oxford?
A: I didn’t ask him.
A: Hey, Claire, stop for a minute. We have been going round the same sections since we got here. Haven’t you got a shopping list?
B: I forgot to make one but that’s not the problem. I just can’t find what I want. This new supermarket seems complicated. I think they have put the items in a weird order.
VOCABULARY
Read the sentences and match the phrasal verbs in bold with their definitions.
Phrasal verbs with ‘get’
- I meant to go to the shopping centre to buy Debbie a gift yesterday, but I didn’t get round to doing it. — e (find the time to do sth)
- I really get along/on with my cousin and I love going out with her. — b (have a friendly relationship with sb)
- Ms Griffin doesn’t earn a lot but she manages to get by. — c (manage to live with little money)
- Lucy was very unhappy about losing the tennis match, but she’ll get over it. — d (return to your usual health or happiness)
- Don’t lie to your sister about losing her jumper. You’ll never get away with it. — a (do sth wrong without being punished)
Phrasal verbs with ‘put’
- We put the fire out before we left camp. — e (stop sth from burning)
- Paul’s saving up for a new smartphone, so he puts some money aside every month. — d (save sth to be used at a later time)
- Working on a farm when I was younger put me off meat for years. — b (make sb lose interest in sth)
- Unfortunately, I had to put off buying the tablet until the sales. — a (delay doing sth)
- I don’t know how you put up with rude customers. I wouldn’t be able to. — c (accept sb/sth annoying without complaining)
- You don’t have to book a hotel. I’ll put you up for a few nights. — f (let sb stay at your house)
LISTEN
A. Listen to part of a radio programme. What is the purpose of the programme? Choose a, b or c.
b. to inform listeners about good bargains
B. Listen again and for questions 1-5, choose the correct answer a, b or c.
-
What can you buy half-price at Sportstime?
b. footwear -
When does the sale at Sportstime end?
b. on Friday -
How can you get furniture home from Big Roy’s?
a. Big Roy’s delivers it if you pay extra. -
What happens if you change your mind about what you buy at Big Roy’s?
c. You can’t do anything about it. -
What is true about Eye Style?
b. Last year’s designs are half-price.
SPEAK
A. Discuss. Talk about the ideas given, using the words/phrases in the box. Do you prefer shopping at a shopping centre or an open-air market?
I prefer shopping at a shopping centre because it is very convenient for shoppers and practical in any weather. Shopping malls offer a wide variety of fashionable products, and the staff are usually very helpful. On the other hand, open-air markets have stalls where you can buy unique handmade goods directly from a street vendor at lower prices, but they lack variety when it rains.
SPEAKING
B. Talk in pairs. Imagine you have decided to buy a T-shirt for a friend. Look at the two advertisements and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each place to shop. Think about the ideas given. Then decide where you’re going to shop, giving reasons. Use the phrases in the box.
A: In my opinion, we should go to T-S Mania because they have a great variety of funny and cool designs, and we can even create our own custom design for our friend. Also, they have a special offer where we can get three T-shirts for the price of two at only €15 each.
B: Well, I’m not sure about that because T-S Mania does not allow refunds or exchanges, so if the size isn’t right, our friend won’t be able to change it. I think Magic department store would be the most suitable place because it offers a 30% discount coupon and they usually accept exchanges.
A: That is true, but Magic department store doesn’t seem to offer unique personalised designs like T-S Mania does. We already know our friend’s exact size, so exchanging it shouldn’t be an issue.
B: You have a good point. Perhaps we should go to T-S Mania so that we can design a truly unique gift that our friend will love.
WRITING
A. Discuss.
• How do you find out about places to shop?
• What types of shops would you expect to find in a shopping centre? Why?
• I usually find out about places to shop through social media advertisements, recommendations from friends, and online reviews or local city guides.
• In a shopping centre, I would expect to find clothing and shoe shops, electronics stores, cosmetics shops, a large supermarket, and a food court because these meet all the daily shopping and entertainment needs of customers in one convenient place.
B. Read the task and answer the questions. Choose a or b.
-
Who are you writing the report for?
b. a superior -
Why are you writing it?
a. to recommend whether the new shopping centre should be featured in the magazine -
What style should it be written in?
a. formal
C. Now read the report. Has the writer included all three points mentioned in the task?
Yes, the writer has included all three points: location (paragraph 2), facilities (paragraph 3), and other useful information such as opening hours and transport connections (paragraph 4).
D. Read the report again and choose the appropriate heading for each paragraph.
- Introduction
- Location
- Facilities
- Opening hours
- Conclusion
E. Read the task and discuss the questions that follow in pairs.
-
I want to focus on three main facilities: the local department store for clothing, the nearby supermarket and student cafés for food and drink, and the stationery and print shop for other useful services.
-
The headings I would use are Clothing, Food and drink, and Other services.
-
For Clothing, I want to include information about affordable shops and available student discounts. For Food and drink, I want to describe places where students can buy quick, healthy snacks and inexpensive lunches near the school. For Other services, I want to mention where to find stationery supplies, photocopying, and textbook printing.
F. Read the plan, and write your report using your ideas from activity E.
To: Mr Harrison, Head Teacher
From: Alex Shevchenko
Subject: Shopping facilities and services in the area
Introduction
The aim of this report is to describe the main shopping facilities and services available near the school to help new students find what they need quickly and easily.
Clothing
There are several popular clothes shops located in the City Centre Mall, which is only a ten-minute walk from the school. These stores offer a wide variety of casual and sportswear at reasonable prices. Furthermore, most of them provide a 10% discount to students upon presenting a valid school card.
Food and drink
Students have excellent options for meals and snacks near the campus. A large supermarket is situated just across the street, offering fresh bakery goods, salads, and fruit at budget-friendly prices. In addition, there are two cosy cafés nearby that serve healthy sandwiches and drinks, making them ideal places to relax after classes.
Other services
For school supplies, there is a large stationery shop next to the public library that sells notebooks, pens, and art materials. Right beside it, students can find a copy centre that provides fast and inexpensive printing and photocopying services, which is very convenient for homework and school projects.
Conclusion
To sum up, the local area offers a great selection of facilities that meet all daily student needs. In my opinion, publishing this information on the school website will be very helpful for new students.