Reading comprehension & vocabulary: Shopping

Read the following text:

SHOPPING IN LONDON

John tells us about his favourite places for shopping in London

When I visit London one of my favourite things to do is shopping! I really enjoy searching for a bargain in the sales, and buying something new to wear on a Saturday night. I also like doing window-shopping. It’s nice and it doesn't cost a penny! Sometimes I spend hours just walking around a market and having a chat with my friends.

There are lots of different places to go shopping in London. One of the most famous places is Oxford Street, but be careful, it gets too busy sometimes. If you want a more relaxing shopping experience, go to Covent Garden. There you can have a cappuccino, and watch some street theatre at the same time.

Some people like shopping in department stores. The most famous one in London is 'Harrods' in Knightsbridge, but for me, it's not modern enough, and it’s too expensive. The best of all the big department stores is 'Selfridges' in Oxford Street. It's a shoppers' paradise, nice clothes, and the prices? Well, at least I can look, can't I?

If you go to London, you can’t miss Camden street markets. It's busy, exciting, trendy, and there are lots of bargains! You can buy cheap jeans and cool second-hand clothes in the morning and then get a tattoo and a body piercing later on! And when you get tired of shopping, you can get some Chinese food for £2 or £3, sit by the canal and drink a coke. What could be better?

ACTIVITIES

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER: (easy)

According to the text...

1) Window-shopping is free/very expensive
2) One of the most famous places to go shopping in London is Hyde Park/Oxford Street
3) Harrods is too expensive/not very expensive
4) In Candem Town you can buy new clothes/used clothes

FIND EXPRESSIONS OR WORDS IN THE TEXT THAT MEAN: (intermediate)

1) Something very cheap ……………………

2) It is free ……………………

3) Talk …………………..

4) Quiet ………………..

5) Used, not new …………………….

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER: (intermediate)

When you go window-shopping, you...

a) look at the windows of the shops but don’t buy anything.

b) go to buy windows

c) spend a lot of money

What is the problem with shopping in Oxford street?

a) It’s too expensive

b) It’s crowded with people and you might get stressed.

c) It’s not modern enough

What is the most famous department store in London?

a) Selfridges

b) Covent Garden

c) Harrods

Which of the following places has the cheapest prices?

a) Candem

b) Selfridges

c) Oxford Street

USEFUL VOCABULARY ABOUT SHOPPING

Look up this words in the dictionary to find out what they mean. You can use this free online dictionary

Department store

Bargain

Window-shopping (to go)

Shopaholic

Receipt

Discount

Sales

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE WORDS BELOW: (easy-intermediate)

1) Reasonable, cheap, expensive

2) cash, cheque, credit card

3) discount, tip

(1) The price:

If something costs a lot of money then it is ____________. But if it’s on sale then it is usually ____________. A ____________ price is the price that you would normally pay for something.

(2) Payment:

When you pay for something, if you have enough money in your pocket you can pay with ___________. If you don’t, you can use a _____________ or write a _____________.

(3) The Bill:

When you go to a restaurant, it is nice to get a ____________. It’s also nice to get good service. But if the service isn’t good, then you don’t have to leave a ___________.

SOME EXTRA PRACTICE (Intermediate-advanced level)

Si quieres practicar un poco más, haz clic en los siguientes enlaces: shopping london bbc. Ahí encontrarás un listening en el que alguien va a comprarse unos deportivos. En Buying a pair of jeans una chica va de compras en busca de unos vaqueros. Tienes que escuchar las conversaciones y colocar las frases en orden (haz clic en la frase y arrástrala hasta el lugar correcto).

Inténtalo si te apetece, pero no te preocupes si no entiendes bien lo que dicen. Son muy corto, ¡pero algo difíciles!