New Destinations B1+ Module 8a

You will hear a radio interview with a blogger about shopping. For questions 1–5, choose the correct answer.

1 Sheila thinks it is a good idea for people

A to shop in the nearest supermarket to their home.

B not to buy everything in one shop.

C to look at all of their local supermarkets before choosing the best one.

D to change the shop they use each week.

2 One thing Sheila does before going shopping is to

A make a shopping list with her husband.

B make sure her husband can go with her.

C type what she wants to buy on her computer and print it off.

D make herself something to eat.

3 Sheila says that supermarket own brands

A are badly labelled.

B are rarely worth buying.

C sometimes offer good value for money.

D have more chemicals in them than other brands.

4 The advantage of online shopping is that

A the products cost less than in the shop.

B you aren’t tempted to buy things you don’t really need.

C supermarkets sometimes give you an extra, free, item.

D you can get free delivery however much you buy.

5 Several times during the interview, the interviewer

A uses his own experiences to contradict Sheila.

B has to change the subject to return to the topic of saving money.

C is surprised by something Sheila says.

D agrees with Sheila.

Read the texts about three unusual shops. Choose the correct variant.

BARTER BOOKS

Barter Books in the north of England may not be famous but one of their discoveries is. The book shop is situated in an old railway station in the town of Alnwick. Many of the original features of the station still exist. There are open fires during the winter and the station buffet still offers tasty snacks and a chance to rest aching feet. In 2001, the owners of the shop bought a box of old books and found a forgotten poster from the Second World War inside. They put it up in the shop and the people who came in were so interested that the shop started selling copies of it. Other companies soon did the same. The poster was red with a picture of a crown at the top. Underneath were five words: Keep calm and carryon.

CYBERCANDY

There are currently six Cybercandy stores, four of which are in London. They are sweet shops but with a difference. They import sweets from all over the world. These are not just famous brands but little known, hard to find sweets and drinks as well. They also have an online store which makes it easy to find exactly what you want. The products are listed by type of sweet, by country of origin and even by colour. Very useful if you only want blue sweets. One category you may not be so keen on is real insect candy but, whatever your likes, you’re sure to find something delicious at Cybercandy.

RAG TRADE BOUTIQUE

The Rag Trade Boutique in Bristol understands its customers well. According to surveys, women regularly wear only about 10 percent of the clothes in their wardrobes. However, they also like to buy more clothes. That’s why, at the Rag Trade Boutique, you can take in any designer clothes you don’t want and, when the shop sells them, you get up to 50 percent of the money, depending on whether you choose cash or the chance to buy something else in this wonderful shop. Only clothes in good condition are accepted and it’s a great place to find bargains. The longer the clothes stay in the shop, the more the prices are reduced but, don’t delay, anything unsold after seven weeks is given away to charity.

1 Their discovery has helped others make money.                    [BARTER BOOKS, CYBERCANDY, RAG TRADE BOUTIQUE]

2 There is more than one way to search for what you are looking for.                    [BARTER BOOKS, CYBERCANDY, RAG TRADE BOUTIQUE]

3 You can pay less for the productsif you wait.                    [BARTER BOOKS, CYBERCANDY, RAG TRADE BOUTIQUE]

4 The building used to serve a different purpose.                    [BARTER BOOKS, CYBERCANDY, RAG TRADE BOUTIQUE]

5 The majority of the shops are in one city.                    [BARTER BOOKS, CYBERCANDY, RAG TRADE BOUTIQUE]

Choose the correct option.

1 You don’t understand what I’m saying. –>

If only you                 [understood, had understood]what I’m saying.

2 You work a lot. –>

I’d rather you               [didn’t work, hadn’t worked] so much.

3 I quit my job last week and now I regret it. –>

I wish I         [didn’t, hadn’t] quit my job.

4 She didn’t join us. –>

If only she            [joined, had joined] us.

5 You really should clean up this mess. –>

It’s high time you             [cleaned, would clean] up this mess.

6 They don’t play outside much. –>

I’d rather they            [played, had played] outside more.

7 You ought to find out the truth. –>

It’s time you           [found, had found] out the truth.

8 My mum isn’t very understanding. –>

I wish my mum          [was, had been] more understanding.