Match the verbs with the nouns to form expressions about shopping.
Now listen to a recording of an interview in a survey of shopping habits. Miriam is talking about who does the shopping in her family. Complete the notes with the expressions from Exercise 1.
1. Four people in the family - only two .
2. The mother buys the food. Makes a first. Goes to weekly.
3. Miriam most. Sometimes buys clothes she doesn't like. Takes them back and asks for .
The following notes are from a talk about shopping habits in different countries. Listen to the recording and fill in the gaps.
Who does the shopping?
- In the UK % of food is bought by women.
- In some countries % of men do grocery shopping.
- Habits changing - the US % of men shop for food.
Where do people shop?
- In cities:
- In country: and
Read this blog about the daily commute (a journey made regularly between one's home and one's place of work) and find the following.
commuter101: Is anybody else fed up with roadworks? Is it just here in London where they are appearing all at once, or is it the same everywhere? It's added an hour to my journey. EACH-WAY.
Heather98: Pretty much the same here, commuter 101. I have to do a round trip of 20 miles between Cheltenham and Birmingham every day and pass (very slowly!) 3 areas with roadworks, on different parts of the M5, It's doubling the time it takes me to get to and from work.
Musicfan2: Take a train, guys. Last time I checked trains were going regularly between Cheltenham and Birmingham. And in London, you've got the tube.
Charlotte1: It's driving me crazy too. There are roadworks near the service station by Junction9 on the M6, It's like the traffic is at a standstill there. I try to avoid it but it's not always possible.
Heather98 @Musicfan2: not an option, I'm afraid. I am a sales rep and need my car during the day.
chico: I agree with Music fan. Instead of complaining about roadworks, the cost of petrol, the price of cars, etc. we need to think about other options. And I don't mean car sharing or building more motorways. I say we try to save our environment by campaigning for better bus and train networks and for different types of public transport such as trams. Use your time and anger to try and make a difference!
commuter101: What time? I'm stuck in a traffic jam!!
1. A phrase, used in informal language, means to be tired of something:
2. An informal phrase that means almost:
3. A phrase that means a trip to a place and back again:
4. Names of two motorways in Britain: ,
5. A phrase that refers to places in Britain that sell things such as petrol and oil, but usually also provide toilets and sell food, drink, and other goods:
6. A point on a motorway where traffic may leave or join it:
7. A word that means a complete stop of movement:
8. A word that is short for representative:
9. A word that refers to activities that people carry out over a period of time in order to achieve something such as social, political, or commercial change:
Read the texts and the statements that follow them. Do the tasks.
Britain never used to have armed police, but when major events are being held, such as the recent London Olympics, there is a visible presence of armed police in train stations. Do people who use public transport feel reassure when they see armed police? Possibly. But most of them, especially visitors to the UK, may feel that there is something to worry about, especially as they would expect British police not to be armed. And if we think about it, the police, armed or not, cannot protect us from bombers. But what the police can, and sometimes does do, is make mistakes, and these are always worse when there are firearms involved. So in the end, arming police may do more harm than good.
Instead of complaining about roadworks, the cost of petrol, the price of cars, etc. we need to think about other options. And I don't mean car sharing or building more motorways. I say we try to save our environment by campaigning for better bus and train networks and for different types of transport, such as trams.
The rise in fuel prices is a very worrying trend. Here are just some examples of the consequences. Elderly people cannot afford to heat their houses, people lose their jobs because they can no longer afford to commute to work, or because they are made redundant from their jobs in transport-based businesses such as airlines. Self-employed people often rely on their own transport for work, e.g. delivery people, florists, and taxi drivers, so they may be forced to close their business. The prices of some food and raw materials also increase as a direct result of the cost of oil, e.g. the prices of beef and cotton. Against all of that, there is one possible advantage: car manufacturers are employing more people to design fuel-efficient cars, which will benefit the environment. But surely, this is not enough. What we need is international cooperation and political goodwill, to reduce fuel prices and/ or financially support those who are being affected.
Choose YES if the option is expressed in the text (= the writer agrees) and NO if the writer disagrees.
1. Most travelers feel protected when they see armed police in train stations.
2. Even police with guns cannot protect us from bombers.
3. The police might shoot somebody by accident.
4. It is better not to have armed police in Britain.
5. We should complain about car-related problems.
6. The environment is not really in danger.
7. Public transport needs to be improved.
8. We need to be concerned about the increase in the price of fuel.
9. There are more problems caused by increasing fuel prices than the ones mentioned in the passage.
10. The price of beef is closely related to the price of oil.
11. The rise in fuel prices is not a big problem as the environment is benefitting from it.
12. If we cannot lower the price of fuel then we need more money so that people can cope with it.
Look at the third passage. Are the following opinions in the text TRUE or are they NOT GIVEN?
1. Old people may die because they cannot keep warm.
2. There is more unemployment when fuel prices rise.
3. People who deliver goods may use their personal vehicles to do this.
4. The price of corn and corn-based foods are related to the price of oil.
5. There already exist some fuel-efficient cars.
6. Politicians are not working hard enough now to solve fuel price problems.