EPISODE 161
LEVEL A2

READING COMPREHENSION

 

Amazon enters UK grocery shopping market

The online shopping giant Amazon has entered the grocery delivery business in the UK. Its new service is called Amazon Pantry. Amazon’s new product will provide customers with a next-day delivery service of groceries. It will mean there will be a lot of competition for the UK’s traditional supermarkets. Amazon Pantry customers will be able to select from more than 4,000 goods ranging from food and drinks to health and beauty products. Customers will not be able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables yet. A new service for this called Amazon Fresh is in the planning stage and will be available later. UK shoppers may not be all rushing to use Amazon’s new grocery delivery service. There is a charge. All customers must already be members of Amazon’s express delivery service Amazon Prime, which costs $120 a year. They will also have to pay a delivery charge of $4.50 for the first 20kg of shopping. Amazon Pantry spokeswoman Helene Parthenay said she thought people would like the convenience of the service. She said it would, „take the heavy lifting out of replenishing the basics and store cupboard essentials that people need every day.” She added: „We are always looking to innovate on behalf of our customers and find ways to save them time and money.”

 

Exercise 1

Find in the first paragraph of the text words which mean:

1. rynek
2. usługa
3. klient
4. konkurencja
5. wyb(ie)rać
6. artykuły, towary
7. dostępny

 

Exercise 2

Match these words from the text with their Polish equivalents:

1. to provide – członek
2. delivery – dogodność
3. ranging – dostarczać
4. member – dostawa
5. charge – obejmujący zakresem
6. convenience – opłata

 

Exercise 3

Complete these extracts of the text with prepositions (for / from / of / on / to / with):

Amazon’s new product will provide customers ______ a next-day delivery service ______ groceries. It will mean there will be a lot of competition ______ the UK’s traditional supermarkets. Amazon Pantry customers will be able to select ______ more than 4,000 goods ranging ______ food and drinks ______ health and beauty products. They will also have to pay a delivery charge ______ $4.50 ______ the first 20kg of shopping. She added: „We are always looking to innovate ______ behalf ______our customers and find ways to save them time and money.”

 

 

I know English idioms!

In this lesson’s text we read about a new Amazon service – delivery of food products. English is very rich in terms of food-related idioms.

Let’s learn this one:

  • to bear fruit (= to give results, rodzić owoce)

The woman’s hard work at her business finally began to bear fruit when she started to make money.

 

 

Phrasals, phrasals…

A sentence from this lesson’s text reads: “it would take the heavy lifting out of replenishing the basics and store cupboard essentials that people need every day”. It uses the phrasal verb “take out” which both in this context and generally means “odjąć, wyjąć, odebrać”. Observe its use in other sentences:

  • They had to take out two of his teeth.
  • I took out some money for the weekend.
  • I’m going to take out a life insurance policy.

 

Grammar corner

“Amazon Pantry customers will be able to select from more than 4,000 goods (…) Customers will not be able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables yet.” read two sentences from out text. The underlined words form a grammar structure that can be translated as “być w stanie, być zdolnym (coś zrobić)”.

Try and say these sentences in English using the structure “be able to”:

1. Jestem w stanie sprawdzić to dla ciebie.
2. Nie są w stanie spotkać się z nami dzisiaj.
3. Czy jesteś w stanie kupić ten dom za gotówkę?

 

GLOSSARY
grocery shopping – zakupy spożywcze
market – rynek
giant – gigant
to enter – wejść
delivery – dostawa, dostawczy
service – usługa
pantry – spiżarnia
to provide – dostarczać, zapewniać
competition – konkurencja
to select – wybrać
goods – artykuły
ranging – obejmujący zakresem
health and beauty products – produkty dla zdrowia i urody
planning stage – faza planowania
available – dostępny
shopper – kupujący
to rush (to do sth) – śpieszyć się, pędzić
charge – opłata
member – członek
spokeswoman – rzeczniczka
convenience – dogodność
heavy – ciężki
lifting – podnoszenie
to replenish – uzupełnić (zapasy)
the basics – tu: podstawowe produkty
to store – przechowywać
cupboard – kredens
essentials – niezbędne rzeczy
to add – dodać
to innovate – wprowadzać innowacje
to find ways – wynajdywać sposoby
to save – (za)oszczędzić

 

download lesson (pdf)

>>Answers

ANSWER KEY
Ex.1
1. market
2. service
3. customer
4. competition
5. to select
6. goods
7. available

Ex. 2
1. to provide – dostarczać
2. delivery – dostawa
3. ranging – obejmujący zakresem
4. member – członek
5. charge – opłata
6. convenience – dogodność

Ex. 3
Check your answers in the original text

Ex. Grammar corner
1. I am able to check that for you.
2. They are not able to meet us today.
3. Are you able to buy this house for cash?

hide