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II. Let’s talk about shopping

Going shopping is a part of our everyday life. For some people it’s a pleasant pastime while for others it’s an everyday routine. At the same time whether people like shopping or not they have to do this because it’s a necessity.

Nowadays in big cities and in many small towns there are all kinds of shops and stores as well as supermarkets.

Supermarkets are primary foodstores which sell all kinds of food: fresh, frozen and canned; meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, dairy products and bread. Practically everything a family needs can be found in a supermar¬ket. There the customer serves himself and pays at the cash-desk on leaving the shop. Currently people prefer to do a lot of heavy shopping to take home with them in the car. Nowadays supermarkets are bright, clean and spacious, they provide a wide range of goods and services. There are big TV-screens and music. Modem supermarkets accept credit cards which makes exchange more convenient.

A lot of shopping is still done at small comer shops. They can often sell more specialized goods which a supermarket doesn’t stock. For ex¬ample, one prefers freshly baked bread and cakes from the baker’s. Some people would go to the florist’s for bunches of flowers rather than buy pre-selected flowers in the supermarket.

If people want to purchase clothes, they usually go to a department store. These shops carry ready-made women’s, men’s and children’s clothes, glassware, perfumery, jewellery, millinery, footwear, sportswear goods, stationery, china, household electric appliances and furniture. A lot of things for sale are in the shop windows so the customers may choose what they want. The two most famous department stores in Lon¬don are Selfridges and Harrods. There are also such department stores as the John Lewis Stores, Marks and Spencer. In London a lot of the best department stores are in Oxford Street which is famous for its shopping.

In Minsk there are some department stores but I prefer the ‘Belarus department store’. This is a huge 3-stored building where it’s possible to find all necessary things. In this shop they have a cafeteria where you can have a snack. There are currency exchange banks, a chemist’s booth. High quality goods both domestic and of foreign manufactures are repre-sented in the shop. The shop-assistants are attentive to the customers and they are always helpful when you need some advice.

Nowadays many people prefer doing shopping at the market where the prices are more reasonable. At the same time there are people who can afford themselves to do the shopping in boutiques where expensive clothes by well-known designers are sold.

Frankly speaking, I’m not keen on shopping at all and when my par¬ents ask me to buy something I’m often reluctant to do it. Most of all I like book and music shops. I can stay there for hours leafing through piles of CDs or records. But I do think shopping can be a pleasant pas-time when you can afford to buy the things you like.