CURS LIMBA ENGLEZA - GOING SHOPPING. MONEY

SECTION I

GOING SHOPPING

A.               LEAD IN

1.                How frequently do you go shopping? What do you buy most often?

2.                Do you prefer super/hypermarkets or small shops? Explain your answer.

3.                Which is the most extravagant thing you have ever bought?

4.                Which is the most expensive thing you have ever bought?

5.                How important is it for you to buy branded products? Which are your reasons for (not) buying no name products?

6.                Can you define FMCG, durables, white goods, brown goods?

7.                How much does advertising influence your buying choice?

B.                READING OBJECTIVE

A FAMOUS BRAND

Marks &Spencer, the British food and clothes company is the most famous British shop in the world. At the moment there a few hundreds M&S shops in Britain and other shops in France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and more recently, in many East European countries. In North America, the company owns Brook Brothers and there are about fifty stores in Canada. More and more, people from Hong Kong to Lisbon are buying their clothes and food from M&S.

The company employs about 50,000 people worldwide. Sales have increased by 80% over the last ten years mainly due to expansion overseas. Many of the shops abroad are franchises. Owners of franchises buy all their stock from Marks & Spencer and pay the company a percentage of their turnover.

The clothes vary from country to country. In Thailand, for example, M&S sell more short-sleeved shirts because of the climate. In Japan, they sell smaller sizes because of the average size of the population. In Austria they stock very large clothes. Food departments sell typically British food: tea, cake, biscuits, etc., and the shops in Paris are very popular at lunchtime for the sale of sandwiches.

Why is Marks and Spencer so successful? The standards of quality are very high. All suppliers have regular inspections. All customers can return any item which they think is unsatisfactory. Stocks are limited. Shelf lives are short. This means that items only stay in the shop for six to seven weeks. Eighty per cent of the suppliers are British; in fact, M&S buys twenty per cent of the total cloth produced in Britain. Prices are high but so is the quality. In Britain one man in five buys his suit at M&S, and one woman in three buys her underwear there. What is the future? At the moment the company is expanding in Central and Eastern Europe where it has opened shops in almost all the capital cities, Bucharest included. Asia is another new market for Marks & Spencer. It is possible that in about ten years one Chinese in five will wear Marks & Spencer suits. That’s a lot of suits!

Reading comprehension

1.     How does Marks&Spencer customize their offer from country to country?

2.     Why is the brand so famous all over the world?

3.     What are the company’s plans for the future?

C.                VOCABULARY

1. In the following table write down the new words in the text above as well as their meaning (and translation into Romanian, if necessary). Then use these words in sentences of your own.

2. a) Write synonyms (a word or an expression) for the following words from the text above: company - __ ____ ____ ____ ____ __, worldwide - __ ____ ____ ____ __ , famous - __ ____ ____ __, own - __ ____ ____ ____ ___, increase - __ ____ ____ ___, overseas - __ ____ ____ ____ .

b) Now write an antonym for the following words: increase - __ ____ ____ ___, success - __ ____ ____ ___, expand - __ ____ ____ _____, regular - __ ____ ____ ____. 

3. Together with three or four other class mates write down all the items of clothing (and their component parts) that you can remember. Then ask your teacher about more difficult words such as: maneca, manseta, nasture, butoniera, catarama, vesta, bretele, guler, sireturi, toc (inalt, jos, cui), talpa, manusi, etc.

4. Here are some words used to describe materials. What clothes can you make of them?

Silk __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

Cotton __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Lace __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __

Velvet __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

Denim __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Leather __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Wool __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

Cloth __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

5. Fill in the blanks with one of the verbs match, suit, fit:

That green dress __ ____ ____ _____ the girl with the blonde hair.

The green of her dress __ ____ ____ ____ __ the green of her eyes.

The green dress __ ____ ____ _____ her properly now as she’s lost some weight.

6. Here are some adjectives for describing people’s clothing. Appearance: well-dressed, badly-dressed, fashionable, old-fashioned; Style: long / short-sleeved, V-neck, round-neck; How things fit: baggy, loose, tight; general: elegant, smart, trendy, scruffy.

Now try to describe in as much detail as you can  a) yourself; b) a famous person you can see in a picture (in a magazine).

7. When you go shopping you don’t only buy clothes. You may also need to buy food or other products. If you go to the supermarket what are you going to find in each of the following departments:

Grocery __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

Market/ greengrocery __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Dairy __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

Bakery __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

Confectionery __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __

Beverages __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

Butcher’s __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

Clothing __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

Cosmetics __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

8. What can you buy in :

a bottle __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

a box __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __

a can __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __

a carton __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

a jar __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

a tin __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __

a tube __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

a packet __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

a crate __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

9.Now try to complete the following shopping list:

A __ ____ _____ of vanilla biscuits

3 __ ____ _____ of beans

a __ ____ _____ of honey

4 __ ____ _____ of coke

2 __ ____ _____ of low-fat milk

2 __ ____ _____ of cigarettes

a few __ ____ ____ of matches.

D.               GRAMMAR

1. Fill in the blanks with the Past Tense or Present Perfect of the verb in brackets:

THE BODY SHOP

The first branch of The Body Shop __ ____ _____ (open) in 1976 in Brighton, England. Since then, it __ ____ ____ (grow) into a worldwide organization with more than 1000 stores and it __ ____ ____ (remain) committed to activities that help communities on both a local and global scale.

Employees of the Body Shop are encouraged to take a half day’s paid leave each month to participate in activities beneficial for their local communities.  The company even __ ____ ____ (win) the UK Award for Employee Volunteering a few times.

Until now, the company __ ____ ____ (run) many different campaigns, ranging from “Stop the Burning”, to protest about the destruction of Brazilian rainforests, to human rights campaigns, run in association with Amnesty International. In 1990, 2.6 million people __ ____ ____ __ the Body Shop petitions against animal testing. And one year later in the Refill Recycle campaign, customers __ ____ _____ (bring) over 560,000 bottles back to the company’s shops in the UK for refilling.

The company also __ ____ _____(support)  the launch of a newspaper, sold by homeless people who __ ____ ____ (keep) a proportion of the newspaper’s price. On the first day it __ ____ ____ (sell) 10,000 copies and in time it __ ____ ____ (progress) from a monthly to a weekly newspaper, with a circulation of 135,000 copies per week.

The company’s expansion in Central and Eastern Europe was welcomed by the new customers, but it didn’t only mean the opening of shops. In 1990 The Body Shop __ ____ ____ (start) a Romanian Relief Drive Programme to help abandoned children. In that period the project __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ (renovate and refurbish) more orphanages and __ ____ _____ (begin) care programmes to improve the quality of the children’s lives. Since the start the company __ ____ ____ __ (take care) to involve local people in their efforts and the British teams of volunteers __ ____ _____ (work) together with Romanian staff. Now  more than fifteen years __ ____ _____ (pass) since Body Shop __ ____ ____ (become) a familiar presence in Romania and the company will continue its activity here.

NOUNS (2)

2. In the previous unit you have learnt about the plural of nouns. Now we are going to study some other nouns which only have a singular or a plural form. Read the following enumeration and try to generalize which nouns fall into these categories:

a) economics, mathematics, politics, informatics (+ verb in the singular)

b) chocolate, gold, sand, sugar, oil, meat (+ verb in the singular)

c) trousers, jeans, shorts, overalls (+ verb in the plural)

d) scissors, compasses, glasses, binoculars, spectacles (+ verb in the plural)

e) information, luggage, advice, furniture, news, money, business, knowledge, merchandise(+ verb in the singular)

3. The nouns in (b) and some of the nouns in  (e) above can be individualized. Translate the following syntagms:

4.     Nouns such as: family, crew, police, audience, government, herd, class are called collective nouns because they refer to a group of people/ animals/ objects. They are followed by a verb in the singular if we refer to them as compact entities, as a whole and by a plural verb if we refer to their members.

Ex. My family consists of four members. / My family are at the seaside.

An audience is a group of people watching a show. / The audience were delighted.

Now try to choose the correct verb form:

a)       The crowd (is, are) cheering the speaker.

b)      The gang of robbers (was, were) arrested last night.

c)       The play will begin after the audience (settle, settles) itself/ themselves.

d)      This class (is, are) the best in the school.

e)      His family (is, are) very angry with him.

f)        My favourite football team (play, plays) tonight.

g)       The cattle (is, are) entering the farm yard.

h)      Our group (consist, consists) of 25 students.

5. Translate into English:

6. Complete the sentences with is, are, was, or were.

a)     The news __ ____ __ not very good last night.

b)     Physics __ _____ more difficult that I thought.

c)     Darts__ _____ a popular game in pubs.

d)     The scissors __ _____ not very sharp.

e)     Three thousand pounds __ _____ stolen in the robbery.

f)      What time __ _____ the news on T.V.?

g)     Her clothes __ _____ terribly wet when she came.

h)     Politics __ _____ their favorite topic of discussion.

i)       The stairs __ ____ __right in front of you. Can’t you see them?

j)      Do you think measles __ ____ __ dangerous?

7. Underline the correct alternative.

a)     He’s given me (an advice / a piece of advice).

b)     We’ve had (such good weather / such a good weather).

c)     He wants to read something. Buy him (a paper / some paper).

d)     How many (pieces of furniture / furniture) will they bring?

e)     The information (doesn’t seem / don’t seem) to be correct.

f)      Have you got (many / much) luggage?

g)     He hasn’t made (much / many) progress.

h)     Why (is / are) the police here?

i)       There (is  / are) a lot of people in the square.

j)      I bought a (pair of trousers / trousers) last week.

k)     Your English (have / has) improved.

l)       (Her hair is / Her hairs are) beautiful! She needn’t go to a hairdresser’s.

E.                LANGUAGE IN USE

Asking for / giving suggestions, opinions.

1. When you go shopping you might want to ask for suggestions / opinions or offer suggestions / opinions to the person(s) accompanying you.  Here are some useful opening expressions graded according to how formal they are:

INFORMAL         If you ask me …

You know what I think, I think that …

I’d say that …

The point is …

Wouldn’t you say that …

Don’t you agree that …

As I see it …

I’d just like to say that I think that …

FORMAL           I’d like to point out that …

Decide when the different expressions would be appropriate. Do you agree with the order they have been put in? Can you suggest more expressions?

There are many ways of trying to get people to do things for their own good. The expressions you use depend on:

a)                        how difficult or unpleasant the course of action you suggest is.

b)                        Who you are and who you are talking to – the roles you are playing and your relationship.

2. In this list below the expressions are in order of tentativeness:

TENTATIVE         I was wondering if  you’d ever thought of …

Might it be an idea to …

Have you ever thought of …

Don’t you think it might be an idea to …

You could always …

If I were you I’d …

Why don’t you

DIRECT  You’d better …

Decide when you would use the different expressions. How would you continue after each one?

3. Now imagine you are shopping with a good friend. a) tell him / her that the T-shirt he / she is trying on doesn’t look too great on him / her and suggest something else . b) she wants to buy a very short dress but she would look much better in a long one. c) he wants to buy a new stereo but you definitely believe that a new computer is what he really needs now.

Suggest to your teacher to change the date of a test ( you already have another test that day); suggest your boss to reschedule a meeting for a later hour, you are supposed to be at the faculty when the meeting is.

4. Talking to the shop assistant. Put the following lines in order to form a few coherent conversations between a customer and a shop assistant.

__ __ Can I try it on ?

__ __ Mm, that’s nice.

__ __ Medium.

__ __ Can I help you ?

__ __ Is it the right size ?

__ __ How much is it ?

__ __ Have you got something bigger ?

__ __ By credit card.

__ __ This one’s a bit darker.

__ __ What size are you ?

__ __ No, thanks. I’m just looking.

__ __ Yes, the changing rooms are over there.

__ __ Blue.

__ __ Yes, it feels fine.

__ __ It’s a bit too big / small/ long/ short.

__ __ $19.99.

__ __Yes, I’m looking for a jumper.

__ __ No, I don’t like the colour. What about this one ?

__ __ That’s the last we’ve got, I’m afraid.

__ __ I’ll have it please.

__ __ I’ll leave it, thanks.

__ __ What colour are you looking for ?

__ __ Thank you. How would you like to pay ?

SECTION II

MONEY

A.               LEAD IN

1.                If you could save, invest or spend 1,ooo euros in just one day what would you do with it?

2.                Does it matter if a wife earns more than her husband?

3.                Were you given or did you earn your pocket money as a child? What about now?

4.                What was the first thing you saved up for and bought yourself?

5.                What can’t money buy?

6.                What do you understand by plastic money?

7.                How many ways of paying for a product do you know?

B.                READING OBJECTIVE

MONEY CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS

The following questions and answer make up an imaginary interview that sum up the real answers to the same questions, given by more hundreds of people, as part of an opinion survey about how important money is in our life.

Q: Were you given or did you earn pocket money as a child?

A: I was given two shillings a week by my father, but on condition that I behaved myself. If I didn’t behave well, I didn’t receive it. Parents were much stricter in those days.

Q: What was the first thing you saved up for and bought yourself.

A: A set of toy soldiers. Not the plastic ones you get nowadays, but little metal ones, beautifully hand painted. It took me nearly a year to save up for them. If I’d known that they would be valuable antiques today, I would have kept them. They would probably be worth a fortune now.

Q: It’s impossible to have too much money – do you agree?

A: Yes. If you have dreams, money makes them possible. Personally, I can’t imagine having too much money. I’m always broke. Anyway, if I ever felt I had too much money, I’d give it away to charity.

Q: Would you prefer fame or fortune?

A: Being practical, I’d say fortune, but if I were single, with no kids and no responsibilities, I’d go for fame.

Q: If you could buy yourself a skill, a talent or change in your appearance, what would you choose?

A: Well there are lots of things I’d like to  be better at, but if I had to choose one, I ‘d like to be a brilliant football player.

Q: What can’t money buy?

A: Happiness. I tend to think that once I have enough money to buy some new clothes or get a better car, then I’ll be happy. But it never works out like that.

Reading Comprehension

Look over the text again and decide if your own answers would coincide more or less with the opinions expressed above.

C.                VOCABULARY

1. In the following table write down the new words in the text above as well as their meaning (and translation into Romanian, if necessary). Then use these words in sentences of your own.

1.                  Build sentences using the following expressions:

Pocket money __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

Plastic money __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

Money laundering __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Grey money __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

2.                  What verbs can you use in front to the noun MONEY?

You can __ ____ _____ / __ ____ ____ __ / __ ____ ____ __ / __ ____ ____ ___ / __ ____ ____ __ / __ ____ ____ ____ / __ ____ ____ _____ / __ ____ ____ _____ .

3.                  Translate into Romanian:

a) Sometimes in a shop the shop-assistant asks you: “How do you want to pay? You can answer: “Cash/ by cheque/ by credit card.

b) In a bank you usually have a current account  which the company pays in your salary and from which you can withdraw money to pay your every day bills. You can withdraw money from an automatic teller machine (or ATM), which can also issue a bank statement for your account. You may also have a savings account where you deposit any extra money and for which you receive an interest. The bank may also lend you money for which you pay interest. A bank loan for a house is called a mortgage loan.

c) The government collects money from the citizens through taxes. Income tax is the tax collected on wages and salaries. Companies pay corporation tax on their profits. If you pay too much tax, you are entitled to a tax rebate.

The government also pays money to people in need: unemployment benefit, disability allowances. Children receive a child allowance while pensioners receive a pension.

d) Every country has its own special currency. Every day the rates of exchange are published by the national banks.

e)  A company may sell shares to members of the public who want to invest. Then the investors receive dividends, depending on the profit or loss made by the company.

4.                  Answer the following questions:

Which are the coins and bank notes used a) in the UK; b) in the USA?

Can you name two credit cards which are usable world-wide?

What does the expression hard currency mean?

Can you name a few products for which importers pay excise duties?

Can you name something that is priceless and something that is valueless?

5.                  Match the words on the left with their definition on the right:

Interesta bank account with minus money in it

Mortgage money paid for raising a child

Overdrawn account money given by the government to students

Savings account  money paid to people who have retired

Current account  an account used for keeping money

Pensiona loan to purchase property

Disability allowancemoney chargeable for a loan

Grant   an account for every day use

Child benefitmoney paid to people with a handicap

6.                  Fill in the blanks:

If a product is no good you can take it back to the shop and receive a __ ____ ____ ____

If you have some money in your account you are __ ____ ____ _____

If you have withdrawn more money than you had in your account you are __ ____ ____ ___

If you have received an inheritance you have to pay an __ ____ ____ ____

If last year you paid too much tax you should receive __ ____ ____ ____ this year .

D.               GRAMMAR

NUMBERS. NUMERALS

1. How are numbers formed? Write them in letters and find the rules:

101 __ ____ ____ _____

1005 __ ____ ____ _____

1987 __ ____ ____ _____

2007 __ ____ ____ _____

Un milion__ ____ ____ ____

Un miliard__ ____ ____ ____

All the numbers above are called CARDINAL NUMERALS.

2.                Numerals that express the order are formed by adding the ending –TH to cardinal numerals. They are called ORDINAL NUMERALS. The enumeration below will also indicate the exceptions. Write the short form for each ordinal numeral below:

REMEMBER! 

100 – one hundred,  200 – two hundred (NOT: two hundreds)

3,000 – three thousand ( NOT: three thousands)

5,000,000 – five million (NOT: five millions)

BUT: hundreds of people, millions of stars.

3. Translate the following sentences and remember the different ways of saying 0 in English:

a) Prefixul telefonic pentru Romania este 0040 iar pentru Bucuresti 021.

b) Scorul meciului a fost 0 – 0.

c) Astazi temperatura a scazut la 15grade sub zero.

d) Studentii care copiaza la examen vor primi nota zero.

4. How do you read the following dates in British English and in American English?

02.05.2003 __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

08.12.2007 __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

09.11.1999 __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____

5. Write in letters the following fractions:

2/3 __ ____ ____ ____ _____

3/4 __ ____ ____ ____ _____

1/10 __ ____ ____ ____ ____

6. Translate into English using the following words: score, dozen, couple, odd, even, fortnight.

a) Am fost la munte pentru doua zile.

b) Am cumparat o duzina de oua.

c) Zeci de muncitori au fost concediati anul acesta.

d) Delegatia romana are 40 de membri.

e) Dupa operatie a stat in spital timp de doua saptamani.

f) Astazi copiii au invatat despre numerele pare si impare.

7. Make sentence of your own using the following words:

two dozens __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ .

a score __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ .

a half  __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ .

three quarters  __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __ .

by hundreds  __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___ .

every three days __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ .

two by two __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ .

twice __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ .

8.  Translate i) into Romanian:

a) The ten fifteen is and express train with first and second class sleeping cars.

b) We’re flying at an altitude of 1,800 metres.

c) The acrobats left the arena by twos.

d) The English eleven won the match with the Romanians.

e) Statistics show a fivefold increase of the company’s turnover.

ii) into English:

f) Trecusera doar doua luni de la prima noastra intalnire cand m-a cerut de sotie.

g) Mii de sindicalisti au participat la miting.

h) Nu am stiut sa raspund la a treia si la a douazeci si cincea intrebare din test.

i) Un computer performant costa peste 3,000 lei.

j) Cursul se termina la 16.50 asa ca ne putem intalni la 17.15.

k) Adunarea, scaderea inmultirea si impartirea sunt cele patru operatii matematice principale.

9. Write the operations in letters:

2+2=4  __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __ 10 – 7=3 __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___

55:11=5  __ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____8 x 9= 72 __ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __

REMEMBER!

Length

1 inch (in) = 25.4 mm

12 inches = 1 foot (ft) = 30.48 cm

3 feet = 1 yard (yd) = 0.914 m

220 yards = 1 furlong = 201.17 m

8 furlongs = 1 mile = 1.609 km

Area

1 sq inch = 6.452  sq cm

144 sq inches = 1 sq foot = 929.03sq cm

9 sq feet = 1 sq yard = 0.836 sq m

4840 sq yards = 1 acre = 0.405 ha

640 acres = 1 sq mile = 259 ha = 2.59 sq km

Weight

1 ounce (oz0 = 28.35g

16 ounces = 1 pound (lb) = 0.454 kg

14 pounds = I stone (st) = 6. 356kg

8 stone = 1 hundredweight (cwt) = 50>8kg

20 hundredweight = 1 ton = 1016.04 kg

British capacity

20 fluid ounces (fl oz) = 1 pint (pt) = 0.568 l

2 pints = 1 quart (qt) = 1.136 l

8 pints = 1 gallon (gal) = 4.546 l

American capacity

16 US fluid ounces = 1 US pint = 0.473 l

2 US pints = 1 US quart = 0.946 l

4 US quarts = 1 US gallon = 3.785 l

Money

In Britain 100 pence = 1 pound

In informal British English: 1 pound = a quid, 5 pound = five quid or fiver, 10 pound = ten quid or tenner

In the US 100 cents = 1 dollar (informally, buck), 1 cent = a penny, 5 cent = a nickel, 10cent = a dime, 25 cent = a quarter

E.                LANGUAGE IN USE

Paying and bargaining. If a product you want to buy has no price label you may ask : How much is it ? or How much does it cost ? The shop assistant can ask you : What method of payment do you  you prefer : cash, by cheque or by credit card ?

If you go shopping in an ellegant boutique in the centre of a large city it is quite probable that bargaining is not accepted. But if you go to small shops, to bazaars in Greece, Turkey or the Middle East the shopkeepers will be happy to haggle and most of the speak English.

If you don’ agree to their price you can say something like : I’ll buy this for … (sum) . or : How much is that if I buy two ? , I’ll buy a T-shirt as well if you give me the jeans for 10 euros.

Now imagine you are a customer and your deskmate or your teacher is the shopkeeper. Try to buy : a) a shirt (initial price 25 euros) for 15 euros ; b) a gold bracelet ( initial price 100 euros) for 80 euros .

Stating preferences. When you go shopping ( and not only) you may need to express your preferences.

Comparing things often involves making a choice. If we are comparing different cars, items of clothing, etc for example, we often state our preferences at the same time. Here are some useful ways of stating what you prefer:

As far as I’m concerned, the best …

C.                From my point of view, the best …

I’d go for this one because …

I’d much prefer that one because …

This one is preferable because …

I’d rather have that one because …

Decide how you would use these expressions to talk about a) a dress / a pair of trousers / a suit / a computer you want to buy; b) different things to eat and drink. (Perhaps look at a restaurant menu and decide what dishes to select.)

WRITING / DISCUSSION

Comment upon one of the following:

a)                Money doesn’t bring happiness.

b)                Shopping therapy – an effective cure or just a joke?