unit6.ppt

Unit  6        Shopping

Part  A                           

Communicative Function      Getting Information

    In everyday life we have to deal with many kinds of situations that require us to obtain information from others. Different ways can be used to ask for information from different people.

Listen to the conversations and write down answers to the following questions.

1.  He wants to know where he can buy a good painting.

2.  He found out how much the dress cost as well as where he could buy it.

3.  She suggests that the man buy a tie for his cousin.

Script

1.    M:   Hi, Ann.

       W:   Hi, Jack.

M:   Uh, listen, Ann, I was wondering if you could help me.

W:   Yes?

M:   Do you happen to know where I might buy a good painting?

W:   Let me think for a minute. Oh, yes, there’s a new gallery, down on Green Street, that deals with art of all kinds.

M:   Oh, I know where you mean.

Q:    What information does the man want to get?

2.  M:    Hi, Mary. You look great! That’s a beautiful dress you are wearing.

W:   Thank you, Michael.

M:   Where did you buy it? I’d like to get one for my wife.

W:   I bought it at the No.1 Department Store.

       M:   Could I ask the price?

       W:   Sure. It cost 168 yuan.

       Q:    What information did the man get from the woman?

3.    W:   Can I help you?

       M:   I need to buy a birthday present for my cousin, but I really don't know what to get.

       W:   Well, we have a special on ties. That's always a good gift.

       M:   Sounds like a good idea.

       Q:    What does the woman suggest that the man should buy?

Useful Expressions for Getting Information

l  Could you tell me...?

l  I wonder if you could tell me...

l  I’d like to know something about…

l  I was wondering if you could help me. I'd like to know...

l  Excuse me, do you happen to know...?

l  I hope you don't mind my asking, but I'd like to know...

l  Would you mind telling me more about...?

l  What I want to know is…

l  I don’t quite understand why…

Notes 

1.  In most cases if people need some information from others, they can ask directly. Most people are very polite when they ask a stranger about something. They ask by saying “Excuse me, could you…?” “I wonder if you could tell me…” “Could you tell me…?” Between friends, it is quite all right to say simply “Tell me…” or use the question words “what, where, when, how, etc.” to get the information they need. However, people should avoid trying to get information that is considered private.

2. gallery  place for showing or selling works of art

Listening Strategy

Recognizing Prices

       There are different ways to say prices in English. For example, $9.40 can be said nine dollars and forty cents, or nine dollars forty, or simply nine forty. In this part you will hear all three ways of saying prices.

Listen to the conversations and write down the prices in the blanks.

1.         $20.50

2.         $50.95

3.         $175.40

4.         $50.80

5.         $594

Script

1.    --How much is this blue tablecloth?

       --Twenty dollars and fifty cents.                    

2.    --Can I help you?

       --Yes, I'd like this red vase. How much does it cost?

       --Fifty ninety-five.                                        

3.    --How much does this cell phone cost?

       --One hundred and seventy five dollars and forty cents.                       

4.    --May I help you, sir?

       --Yes, I'd like to buy a coat for my father.

       --What do you think of this gray one? It's soft and comfortable.

       --How much is it?

       --Fifty dollars eighty cents.

       --OK. I'll take it.                   

5.  –May I help you, madam?

--I like this sofa very much, but I was wondering if you could give me some discount.

--If you really like it, I can give you 10% off. That will be 594 dollars.

--All right. I’ll take it.                                             

Notes:

discount   n. v.  to sell or offer for sale at a reduced price 削价出售，打折

They give a 10% discount for cash payment. (现金付款，他们给予九折优惠。)

The store discounted all clothing for the sale. (该店服装全部减价出售。)

All the items in the store were sold out at a discount. （商店里所有的货品都打折销售。）

at 15% discount  打八五折

discount of 30%  七折

Part  B     

Pre-listening  Task

Questions for Discussion   

You are going to talk about shopping. Read the following questions and discuss them with your partner.

1.         Do you enjoy shopping? Why or why not?

2.         What do you usually buy when you go shopping?

3.         Where do you usually go shopping, supermarkets or department stores? Downtown or in campus stores?

4.         When you buy a dress or coat, which do you give first priority to: price, quality, style or brand name?

5.         Do you enjoy bargaining? Are you good at it?

6.         Are you interested in brand-name products? Why or why not?

Demo:

2. What do you usually buy when you go shopping?

      I’m a computer major and I’m a big fan of DIY. So whenever I go shopping, I’d like to shop the computer parts, like CPU, hard disk, memory chip and motherboard. Before I make the final purchase, I would compare the prices and functions of these computer parts. For example, I upgraded my computer recently with a brand-new hard disk that I had bought during my last week’s shopping.

6.  Are you interested in brand-name products? Why or why not?

       I’m interested in certain name brands and products under such brands. A name brand is usually a symbol of quality and value. Nike, Coca Cola and Motorola, to name just a few, are such brand names. When you buy a product, you would want good quality and value for your money. The easiest way to assure you will have them is to choose a name brand.

Language Focus   

Here are some useful sentences and structures that you might find handy in discussing the above questions:

l  I seldom go shopping. It takes too much time.

l  I only shop for daily necessities, such as toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper/tissue, cleansing cream, soap, shampoo, washing powder...

l  I like music/books so sometimes I go to campus bookstores to look for my favorite CDs/ the recent bestsellers.

l  I usually do my grocery shopping at large supermarkets/campus stores/ shop nearby since they often have good buys / it saves time.

l  I enjoy shopping at supermarkets. I love to see shelf on shelf stacked with all kinds of delicious / nice things.

l  Supermarkets are so convenient. You can get almost everything you want in a big supermarket.

l  I hate shopping in a supermarket. It's always so crowded / The quality of goods is questionable / not so good / not guaranteed.

l  I like going shopping in big department stores downtown because I think they offer a better selection.

l  I think price / color / style / quality is the most important.

l  I don’t go in for/can’t afford brand-name products.  They are too expensive for me.

l  I like to wear brand-name clothes, shoes, glasses, etc. They make me feel good and confident.

l  Brand-name products are of good quality, but they’re very expensive.

Listening  Tasks

A Conversation         Where Can We Find Women's Wear?

Word  Bank

escalator           n.   moving stairs  自动扶梯,电梯

fashionable         a.   stylish  时髦的

medium            a.   of middle size  中号(尺码)的

fit                v.    to be the right size or shape (for)  适合

charge             n.   on credit 记账

women’s wear        a section in a department store where women’s clothes are displayed and sold 女子服装部

be crazy about        be very keen on or interested in 醉心于,着迷

price tag             a label on which the price of goods is written

                                   价格标签

on sale               at reduced prices  减价出售

fitting room           a place in a store for customers to try on clothes they intend to buy  试衣室

a good deal                 a bargain  便宜的东西     

Script

Where  Can  We  Find  Women's  Wear?

Mark:            Excuse me, where can we find women's wear?

Receptionist: On the second floor. You can take the escalator on your right.

Mark:           Thank you.

Salesperson:  Good morning. Can I help you?

Ann:             No, thanks. We're just looking.

Mark:           How about this red dress, Ann? It's very fashionable.

Ann:             I don't know. I'm not crazy about red. I think it's a bit too bright for me.

Salesperson: How about this white dress? It's a new arrival for the season.

Ann:             Is it? It looks pretty. But is it very expensive?

Mark:            Let me see the price tag. It says $299.

Ann:             That's too expensive for me. I'd like something below $200.

Salesperson:  What about this blue dress? It's on sale. It's 10% off, so it's only $126.

Ann:             Mmm. I like the color. Do you think it'll look good on me, Mark?

Mark:            I think so. Why don't you try it on?

Salesperson: What size do you take?

Ann:             Medium.

Salesperson: Here's a medium in blue. The fitting room is right behind you.

Ann: (wearing the dress) What do you think of it, Mark?

Mark:            It's very nice. I think blue suits you. And it fits perfectly.

Ann:             Great. I think I'll take it.

Mark:            That's a good deal.

Salesperson: Will that be cash or charge?

Ann:             Cash, please.  

Language and Culture Notes 

1. Background information  In the West people do not usually "bargain" over prices. Instead, they shop around to find the store which offers the item and quality they want at the lowest price.  Prices may differ from store to store and from time to time. A name-brand blouse or shirt may cost several hundred dollars at a fashionable store but sometimes only half the price in a discount store or big chain stores.  

       The price is often highest before Christmas while lowest just after Christmas or during the August sales. It is also possible to return the goods you have bought as long as you return them soon and have the receipts with you. Normally you have to explain why you want to return the goods but at some shops, you do not even have to do so. "No question asked" is the policy, which is of course a way to stimulate sale. On the day after Christmas shops are usually crowded with long queues of people waiting to return the goods they have received as gifts.

2. a medium  Of middle size. Clothes are classified in sizes as extra large, large, medium, and small or petite. People's sizes in China and some Western countries are very different. An extra large in China will be large in America, a large will be medium, and so on.

3. fitting room  Room in a clothes store where customers can try on the clothes they may want to buy. In big stores, there are rows of fitting rooms and customers are allowed to take three pieces of clothing at one time to try on.

4. Will that be cash or charge?  Will you pay for the dress by cash or with your credit card?  Credit cards are used very extensively in the West. Most people do not want to carry a lot of cash with them when they go shopping. They use credit cards to pay for the things they buy no matter how small the amount is.

Exercise 1:  Listening for general understanding 

Listen to the recording once and write down answers to the following questions.

1.    Where did the conversation take place?

In a department store.

2.    How many people spoke in the conversation? Who were they?

    There were four people speaking in the conversation. They were the receptionist, the salesperson, Ann and Mark.

3.  What did Ann and Mark want to do there?

    To buy a dress for Ann.

Exercise 2: Listening for details

Listen to the recording once again and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.

1. When did Ann and Mark go to the department store?

   a. In the morning.

   b. In the afternoon.

   c. In the evening.

   d. Late in the evening.

2. Which of the following can you infer from the conversation?

       a. They were regular customers of the shop.

       b. Mark had been to the shop before.

       c. Ann had been to the shop before.

       d. Mark and Ann were not very familiar with the shop.

3.    What did Ann seem to give first priority to in buying her dress?

       a. Price and style.

       b. Color and price.

       c. Style and quality.

       d. Quality and material.

4.    How many dresses did Ann try on?

       a. None.

       b. Three.

       c. Two.

       d. One.

5.    What can we learn from the conversation?

       a. Mark thought red suited Ann but blue didn't.

       b. Ann didn't like the white dress though it was on sale.

       c. Both Mark and Ann were satisfied with the blue dress.

       d. Both Mark and Ann preferred the fashionable red dress.

Speaking   Tasks

Pair Work

Listen to the conversations and repeat after the recording. Practise the conversations with your partner, playing the role of A or B. Then   create your own conversations by replacing the underlined parts with your own words. 

Conversation  1

 (At the sporting goods section of a department store)

A:  Here are the backpacks. 1) Goodness，they have all sizes and colors! 2) What do you want?

B:  I’d like one that is 3) big enough for weekend travel home, but that I can use at school too.

A:  OK—medium then, not too big, not too small.4) I have a large travel one already, so I basically want a book bag.

B:  Here are the smaller ones. What color do you like? I’m getting a 5) black one.

A:  I want 6) something more cheerful--red, I think. 7) And I want waterproof, so my books stay dry.

B:  8) That’s a really good idea. We must read the labels carefully to see the quality.

A:  Yes, and don’t forget PRICE. 9) If we’re going traveling, we can’t spend too much.

B:  Color, quality and price: now let’s decide.

Conversation 2

(At a supermarket)

A:    1) Oh, let's just go in the store a minute. ? I’m hungry.

B:    2) Ok, but just a snack. I'm going home to eat supper.

A:    Let's get some milk and maybe bread .

B:    I don't really like milk. 3) How about a soda?

A:    They say 4) Coca Cola makes you fat.  Milk is more healthy.

B:    Oh, if you want to be healthy, buy 5) yoghurt.  And put back 6) those butter cookies you have in your hand.

A:    Alright. I'll get some fruit or some juice. 7) How about this bread?

B:  8) It looks fresh -- but you'll eat at home soon.

A:    But I'm hungry now! I'll get the bread and eat it 9) at the bus stop.

B:  10) Don't forget the juice.

A:  I'll get two: one for you, one for me.

B:  11 ) Thanks.  Now let’s go.