Episode 104

EPISODE 104
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

SHOPS AND SHOPPING 

What are your shopping habits? Are you a shopaholic (= someone who enjoys shopping very much and does it a lot) or do you hate shopping?

They say that all women love shopping and spending time in shopping centres. They spend a lot of money on clothes and cosmetics, nowadays they are also shopping online (= buying things on the internet).

But who likes shopping for food? And where do we usually buy food products?

In the past people had no choice and they had to buy all products in separate shops. Nowadays it is different. Some people prefer corner shops (= a small shop that sells food and other products which are often needed) and street markets (= a place in the open air where you can buy food and other products). They buy meat at the butcher’s (= a shop where you can buy meat) and bread at the baker’s (= a shop where you can buy bread). There are, however, a lot of people who can’t imagine their lives without supermarkets and hypermarkets (= a very large supermarket, usually outside a town). There they can buy everything they want. They say that shopping in supermarkets is faster and more comfortable than buying each product in a separate shop.

And what kind of shopper are you (= someone who goes shopping)?

 

More contexts for the new words:

• Do you want anything from the newsagent’s apart from a paper? (= a shop which sells newspapers and magazines)
• I’ve got a four o’ clock appointment at the hairdresser’s. (= a place where you can get your hair cut)

 

EXERCISE 1

Give words for the definitions:

1. a shop where you can buy newspapers = n……………………….
2. a shop where you can buy bread = b…………………
3. a very big supermarket = h…………………………
4. a shop where you can buy meat = b…………………
5. a small shop near your house where you can buy food = a c……………. shop
6. a place where you can change your hairstyle = h………………………..

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Complete the questions with the key words from the text. Then answer them.

1. What kind of products do you enjoy s……………….. money on?
2. Have you ever bought something o………………..? Do you think buying things on the internet is safe?
3. Are you a s……………………..? Do you love or hate shopping?

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

This time we will focus on talking about what was and wasn’t necessary in the past.
We use had to talk about something that was necessary and didn’t have to talk about something that wasn’t necessary.

I had to go to work yesterday so I got up at 6 a.m.
I didn’t have to go to work yesterday because it was a public holiday.

When we want to ask if something was necessary in the past we use did.
Did you have to go to work yesterday?

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

If you go to London with Ashley, you will SHOP TILL YOU DROP, so take comfortable shoes.

If you shop till you drop, you go shopping for a very long time, until you are exhausted.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

1. If you SPLASH OUT ON STH, you spend a lot of money on things that are pleasant but often not necessary.

They splashed out $3000 on holiday.

2. If you SHOP AROUND, you go to several different shops before you decide what particular thing to buy.

Jill is shopping around for a new coat.

 

 

EXERCISE 3

Complete sentences with correct words:

1. You can usually save money by shopping a………………..
2. He has just s……………….. out on a new car.
3. She shopped till she d…………… yesterday.

 

NEWS

 

MONEY MAKES US WORRIED

A new study from the BBC shows that looking after money isn’t easy. Over 109,000 people took part in the BBC’s Big Money Test. It was one of the biggest studies on the psychology of money. One of the biggest results is that money makes many people feel bad. Over 40 per cent of us always worry about spending money; a third of us constantly worry about money; and the same percentage feel guilty when spending money on themselves. The study found that women like to go shopping to make themselves feel better about life, while men more often save their cash. Women are more generous with their money and also more often suffer from money problems.

 

 

GLOSSARY

• constantly – always or regularly
• guilty – feeling bad and sorry because you have done something wrong
• suffer from sth – experience mental or physical pain

 

download lesson (pdf)