Page 246 - BACKUP ENGLISH | PREPARATORY CLASS

THEME 20 SHOPPING

Culture Corner

a) Read the text below and put the captions in the blanks.

Consumer Psychology - Facts vs Myths - Retailer Tricks - History

Shopping is a need and takes an important part of our lives. In the modern world, it is more like a sport or hobby than a necessity.
It wouldn’t be wrong to claim that we shop almost every day. But how much do we know about it? Here are some interesting
facts about shopping:
1. _____________________________________
The Chinese invented banknotes, and they put a warning note on the currency. It said that they would
punish all counterfeiters severely. While a 5,000-year-old receipt on a clay tablet is one of the oldest written
texts, the first shopping cart was a chair with a basket on its seat and wheels on the legs. Lastly, Trajan’s
Market, constructed by Emperor Trajan in 112 AD and housed various shops and services, is the oldest
shopping mall in the world.
2. _____________________________________
Scientists say that only 5 per cent of our shopping is conscious, and the subconscious is responsible for
the remaining 95 per cent. For instance, retailers put the items they want to sell more at your eye level. By
putting matching things together, they encourage you to buy more than you need. Besides, by removing
clocks and windows to prevent views of the outside world, they design shopping malls intentionally to make
people forget the time.
3. _____________________________________
We already know that people buy more than they intend or need if they are hungry. According to a recent
study, people who newly shopped or stood near shopping halls were less likely to help other people.
Therefore, psychologists state that shopping weakens human values like empathy and helpfulness.
Furthermore, according to findings, unhealthy or addictive shopping is a result and an attempt to meet
emotional needs.

4. _____________________________________
Although people think Cyber Monday is the biggest day for online shopping, the title actually belongs to a
Chinese holiday, Singles Day, that encourages singles to buy themselves gifts. It smashed all the records
with over $38 million in sales last year. Another fact is that even though people think that online shopping
is much more eco-friendly, a recent study suggests that it is not better and may even be worse because
of transport-related carbon emissions.

b) Search the Net for other interesting facts about shopping and write an informative paragraph.

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TONGUE TWISTER
Read the tongue twisters and practise saying them fast.

Tom’s tall, but Tim is taller, and Ted The smaller the spoon, the sweeter the

is the tallest of them all, towering over sugar tastes, but the smallest spoon
the others in the small town hall. still scoops the sweetest pastes.

244 English for Preparatory Class