英语口语教程（Oral Workshop）--中级 Lesson 7

 

Lesson 7

 Going Shopping

 Text A

 Gretel and Mrs Clark went shopping in the centre of London yesterday.

 "I'd like to know which store you like best in London, Mrs Clark , " Gretel said.

 "Now that's a difficult question," Mrs Clark replied. "I just haven't any idea which store I like best. There are so many huge stores in London. I suppose Selfridges must be the biggest. 

There's so much variety there. I can usually find what I'm looking for. Then there's Liberty's. It's such a lovely building. Harrods is very famous, too. It's such a smart store, I love all the big stores in London because you can walk round and nobody bothers you. Nobody tries to sell you anything-unless you want to buy something.

 Sometimes I go window-shopping , or just wander round a store and look at the things on display. The big stores are one of the sights of London. I went to the sales in January. That was one of the sights of London, too! My goodness! The crowds! But it was worth it. I bought some lovely things very cheaply. It was good fun, but very exhausting.

 Text B

 As she walked round the huge department store, Edith reflectde how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas present for her father. She wished that he was as easy to please as her mother, who was always delighted with perfume.

 Besides, shopping at th'ss time of the year was a most disagreeable experience : people trod¹ on your toes , poked² you with their elbows and almost knocked you over in their haste to get to a bargain ahead of you.

 Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter where some attractive ties were on display. 'They are real silk' the assistant assured her, trying to tempt³ her. 'Worth double the price. ' But Edith knew from past experience that her choice of ties. hardly ever pleased her father.

 She moved on reluctantly and then, quite by chance, stopped where a small crowd of men had gathered round a counter. She found some good quality pipes on sale - and the prices were very reasonable. Edith did not hesitate for long: although her father only smoked a pipe occasionally, she knew that this was a present which was bound to please him.

 When she got home, with her small but well-chosen present concealed⁴ in her handbag, her parents were already at table having supper. Her mother was in especially cheerful mood. `Your father has at last decided⁵ to stop smoking,' she informed her daughter.

 Additional Information

 (1) 

JOAN: Yes, madam? Can I help you? MRS S: Oh yes, please, but you're just closing. aren't you? JOAN: Well , yes , we are , madam. The shop shuts in five minutes. 

MRS S: I shan't keep you long then. It was about some saucepans you had in your . window last week 

JOAN: Last week, madam? I really can't remember which ones you mean. What were they like? 

MRS S: Oh, they were lovely! Sort of imitation⁶ wood. dark brown colour. country-style you know, and the lids, if I remember rightly, had a sort of leaf pattern, or was it flowers? 

JOAN: That's strange. I don't recognise any of the ones we had from that description. Are you sure they were in this shop? 

MRS S: Oh, you must know the ones I mean. They were in a sale. A real bargain. Reduced to a quarter of the original price. I couldn't believe my eyeswhen I saw them. 

JOAN: I'm afraid the sales are over now, madam, and I know we sold out of all the saucepans. MRS S: I don't think you did, you know. At least, my neighbour, Mrs Cliffe, told me she saw some here only yesterday. JOZN: Well, it's all new stock in the window now. MRS S: May I just have a iook, to see if there's asything else? JOAN: Er, well, madam, as you know. we were just closing. 

MRS S: Yes , yes , I'm sorry I won't keep you. It must get on your nerves when l customers come in right on closing-time. But they were such beautifu saucepans! I'd have bought them then if only I'd made up my mind on the stop.

JOAN: Perhaps, madam. if you came back tomorrow, I could show you all we have in our range of kitchen ware⁷.And there are still one or two things at sale 

MRS S: Oh look! That one there! That's the sort of thing I was looking for! price.Butit's not quite the right colour. JOAN: That might be the artificial lighting⁸. madam. Of course, if you came back in daylight , you might find it's exactly what you're looking for. 

MRS S: There it is! That's the pattern! The set behind you! Thank goodness they haven't been sold! And thank you so much for being so patient with me. Yes, those are the ones!

 (2) Shops

 Most shops in Britain open at 9. 00 a. m. and close at 5. 00 or 5. 30 in the evening. Small shops usually close for an hour at lunchtime. On one or two days a week-usually Thursday and/or Friday-some large food shops stay open until about 8. 00 p. m. for late night shopping.

 Many shops are closed in the afternoon on one day a week. The day is usually Wednesday or Thursday and it is a different day in different towns. Nearly all shops are closed on Sundays. Newspaper shops are open in the morning, and sell sweets and cigarettes as well. But there are legal restrictions⁹ on selling many things on Sundays.

 In general, overseas visitors don't have much difficulty knowing where to buy things. Most shops sell the things that you would expect them to. One problem is stamps. In Britain you can only buy these at post-offices. 

Many large food shops (supermarkets ) are self-service. When you go into one of these shops you take a basket and you put the things you wish to buy into this. You queue up at the cash-desk and pay for everything just before you leave.

 If anyone tries to take things from a shop without paying they are almest certain to be caught. Most shops have store detectives who have the job of catching¹⁰ shoplifters. Shoplifting is considered a serious crime by the police and the courts.

 When you are waiting to be served in a shop it is important to wait your turn. It is important not to try to be served before people who arrived before you. Many people from overseas are astonished at the British habit of queueing.

1 trod   

v.踩，踏( tread的过去式 )；踩成；踏出；步行于

参考例句：

• Ouch! You trod on my toe! 哎哟！你踩着我的脚指头了！
• Every day he trod the same path through the woods. 他每天沿同一条路走过森林。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 poked   

v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
• His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

4 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 imitation   

n.模仿；仿制，仿制品；赝品

参考例句：

• It's not real leather;it's only an imitation.那不是真皮，只不过是仿制品。
• Young children learn how to speak by imitation.儿童通过模仿学说话。

7 ware   

n.(常用复数)商品，货物

参考例句：

• The shop sells a great variety of porcelain ware.这家店铺出售品种繁多的瓷器。
• Good ware will never want a chapman.好货不须叫卖。

8 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。