Exercise 3. Write a short essay on one of the following topics

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).

SHOPPING FOR CONSUMER GOODS

INTRODUCTORY READING AND TALK

Shopping is a very important part of life, butshoppers arc faced with a confusing and rapidly changing situation. The confusion arises from the claims made byadvertising, a widerchoice of goodsthan ever before, and newplaces to shop.Theprices of clothes, shoes, and make-uphave gone sky-high, so it's vital that you do not waste your money and that youshop carefullyfor value.

Be sure of what you want — never shop vaguely, because when you get home yourpurchase may notmatch anything else you've got.

Shop around for the best price and quality. Start witha depart­ment store, where theystock a wide range of goods and souvenirs.There you can find many departments:haberdashery, hosiery, drap­ery, millinery, ladieswear, menswear, andfootwear. If you are look­ing for a skirt and a topto go with it, you'll need"Separates". You'll find shorts or T-shirts in"Leisurewear", jumpers in"Knitwear",and a nightdress in"Nightwear".In"Accessories" they sell belts, gloves, and purses.Try on all the trousers or dresses they havein the line although it may be quite boring to wait if thechanging roomisoccupied. Check out the racks with the sign "sale". Although it usu­ally seems to be the small sizes that areoffered in sales, you can sometimes find somesuper buys.

Feeling cheered up by your new purchase, don't foiget tokeep the receipt, in case anitem turns out to befaulty. You'll need the re­ceipt if you want toexchange the item orhave your money refunded.If you are abargain-hunter, tryclothes markets. They often don't have the highoverheads of town shops and can therefore keep prices lower, though they canstock substandard goods. Flea markets are not the best place to buy anything. The prices are low, but the qual­ity is, too.

Don't put off the purchaseof festive gifts until there are only two days left before a holiday.Department stores are swarming with last-minute shoppers, so you may havetoqueue for half an hour at thecheckout till. From everywhere you can hear people swapping rumours, 'They havesold out all the scarves', 'They haverun out ofthat cream'. You inevitably get involved in exchanging remarks with other people in thequeue or withsalesgirls. Sometimes the talk gets so interesting that thecashier's question whether you want topay in cash or by credit card takes you by surprise. Anyway, you pay and feel happy that you havemade a bargain, which puts you in a good mood.

Dear friends, make shopping entertaining. Shop together with your friends. Enjoyattractively designed displays and well-dressed shoppers browsing throughtrendy items. Then you will definitely like it.

1. Look at the picture below and name all departments. Say what one can buy there.

2. Where can you buy the following items?

jewellery a pair of shoes

stockings buttons, zips

fabrics a suit

a swimsuit pyjamas

a hat a cardigan

3. What can you buy in the following shops?

an antique shop an art shop

a bookshop a boutique

a florist's/flower shop a furniture shop

a gift shop a hi-fi store

an ironmonger's a jeweller's

an optician's a pet shop

a photographic shop a radio shop

a record shop a sports shop

a stationer's a toy shop

4. Describe the best-known department store in your city. What does it sell? Do you like it? How do you get there? What attracts you and what annoys you in a big department store? Take the following points into account:

convenience choice service quality price

5. What would you personally never buy in a department store — and why?

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