U10 - The material world

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

'It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.'
Bertrand Russell

Exercise 1

In pairs, play 'vocabulary tennis' choosing one of the shops from the box. 

Things used for writing such as paper and pens are called ...

1. stationery
2. stationary

Exercise 2

Listen to the four dialogues and decide where the people are and what they want to buy.

Where do they want to go walking?

1. countryside
2. shopping for hours

What ideas for presents do they have?

1. CD or DVD
2. CD, DVD and watch
3. CD, adventure films and clothes

What colour do the jackets come in?

1. blue, black and dark brown
2. blue, yellow and grey
3. blue, black and grey
4. grey, black and red

How long do normal letters take to arrive in Australia?

1. in a few days
2. in a month
3. in 5 days
4. in a week

A plastic card that you use to pay for things.

1. receipt
2. debit card

The person who takes the money in a shop.

1. shop assistent
2. money taker
3. cashier

Money in the form of notes and coins.

1. cash
2. money
3. refund

The place where you pay in a supermarket or a big shop.

1. queue
2. cashier
3. checkout

A line of people waiting, for example to pay in a shop.

1. line
2. queue
3. row

Have enough money to buy something.

1. afford
2. provide
3. supply
4. obtain

A reduction in the price of something.

1. reduce
2. drawback
3. discount
4. abatement

Something that you buy which is much cheaper than usual.

1. contract
2. pickup
3. agreement
4. bargain

A piece of paper that the cashier gives you to show that you've paid for something.

1. voucher
2. coupon
3. check
4. receipt

The money that a shop gives you when you take a product back.

1. repayment
2. refund
3. return
4. restitution

A large container with wheels that you use to put products in when shopping, especially in a supermarket.

1. shackle
2. ring
3. trolley
4. trolley bag

A place where you can try clothes on before you buy them.

1. clothing room
2. changing room
3. clothes room
4. dress room

Exercise 5

Complete the text with words from exercise 3

Key exercise 5

a. trolley                     f. cashier

b. discount               g. debit card

c. bargain                  h. refund

d. queue                     i. cash

e. checkout               j. receipt

Reading exercise 1

Read or listen to the text and think of a good title

1. Smells from the supermarket bakery ....

1. persuade people to go inside the supermarket
2. are more effective with people who are already hungry.
3. make us buy more bread than we need.

2. Supermarkets prefer us not to use baskets because ...

1. they don't usually have many.
2. they're too small.
3. people use them to hide things.

3. The text talks about supermarkets which use red stickers ...

1. only for bargains.
2. to mark products that are mainly for men.
3. so people think they're saving money.

4. According to the text, you would usually find a cheap breakfast cereal for adults ....

1. on a shelf at eye-level so that everyone can see it easily.
2. on a low shelf so that children can see them more easily.
3. on a low shelf so that you don't notice them immediately.

5. According to the text, it's better for supermarkets if ...

1. customers shop without hurrying.
2. the people who work at the checkouts are fast and efficient to avoid queues.
3. you shop at the start of the week.

Exercise 5

What do the underlined words in the text mean? Explain in English.

Key exercise 5

• pop into = go inside very quickly
• items = the things you intend to buy
• tendency = something we usually do or choose to do naturally
• deliberately = on purpose, done with a reason
• stickers = labels that supermarkets stick to food
• eye-level = the height where people's eyes are