A2 PAPER 1 / 22 A. Read and answer E-SHOPPING Everyone is talking about computers these days and the new craze is computer shopping. This is not shopping for computers but buying goods through the Internet and paying for them with a credit card. Internet fans say that the Internet provides everything. This idea is true in many ways. You have very quick access to all kinds of information and you can contact anyone instantly: friends, companies, shops. These are obviously some of the great advantages of the Net. As far as shopping is concerned, having quick access to information and being able to contact anyone instantly means you have a large variety of things to choose from and you can order goods straight away. But what are we missing when we shop by ordering things through the Net and what are people going to do with all the time and energy? The answers to these questions give us an idea of the dangers of shopping online. First of all, we don’t have the human contact we get when we go shopping. There isn’t any contact with the goods: holding, smelling, trying on. As a result, there are more problems and usually it is more difficult to solve them. Some of the problems of on line shopping appear when the articles you buy are not your size and you need to change them. And what can we do with the extra time we have because we are not going to a shop? There are of course many possibilities. People could use it to do sports activities or hobbies. However, it is more likely that people will spend that time sitting in front of the screen exploring the ever wider choice of things to buy on the Net. The convenience of computer shopping for many kinds of goods is obvious, but we must be careful. We don’t want a future in front of a screen and far away from other people. 1) E-shopping consists in shopping for computers. TRUE FALSE 2) One of the advantages of the Net is that you can contact everyone very quickly. TRUE FALSE 3) What are some of the advantages of computer shopping? 4) Why are there many problems with the articles you buy on line? 5) What will people most probably do with the extra time they have by shopping online? B. Read about this shopping experience and complete with one word. Be careful. There’s an extra word! TOO BEST ENOUGH THAN BETTER ALSO BECAUSE MUCH BUT WHEN SO On Saturday I went shopping for some clothes. I had a party, and I wanted to wear something nice. I didn’t have to get anything: I’ve got (1) _____ clothes in my wardrobe. But I wanted to wear something new. In addition, it was Belinda’s birthday, (2) _____ I wanted to get her a present. It was raining, and my mother said, “Why don’t you buy the present online?” I didn’t like the idea, so I got on a bus and went to the shopping mall. I didn’t have too (3) _____ money. I liked some T-shirts, (4) _____ they were too expensive. In the end, I bought a green top for me. It was cheaper (5) _____ the T-shirts. I (6) _____ bought Belinda a really nice scarf. I bought some wrapping paper and a card, (7) _____. When I arrived home I was tired, but I was very happy (8) _____I had everything I wanted. I had a shower and got ready for the party. (9) _____ I was ready, I called an Uber and left for Belinda’s house. I gave the present to Belinda and she said, “This is the (10) _____ present I’ve got. Thank you!” I was very happy. 1 A2 PAPER 1 / 22 C. Read about another shopping experience and choose the right form of the verb. More and more people are shopping online these days. Karen Wright, a British housewife (1) DO / DOES most of her shopping on the Internet. Every evening she sits down at the computer and thinks, ‘What (2) SHALL WE HAVE / WILL WE HAVE for dinner tonight?’ Karen and her family (3) DOES / DO most of their shopping on the Internet. They started (4) DO / DOING this many years ago when the big supermarkets went online. She told us about her experience. “My little daughter doesn’t like it. She enjoys (5) GOING / TO GO to the supermarket with me because she (6) WILL CHOOSE / CAN CHOOSE something like a chocolate or some candy.” “Last week I (7) WERE BUYING / WAS BUYING some dog food and a window with a message opened. It said, ‘We (8) DON’T HAVE / DIDN’T HAVE that brand. (9) CAN WE SEND / ARE WE GOING TO SEND you another one?’ They didn’t havethe food we ordered so they sent top quality food and our dog loved it!” “I never bought any clothes online, but I think I (10) DO / WILL DO it soon. It’s incredibly easy and convenient” D. This is part of the interview to Karen Wright. Complete the interview. Be careful! There’s an extra bubble. What is it like How often do you do Interviewer: When did you start Why do you shop online How does your family feel Can you give us some (1) __________________________________________________________shopping on line? Karen: Oh, I started shopping online about two years ago. I don’t go to the supermarket very often now. Interviewer: (2) __________________________________________________________ your shopping? Karen: I do the shopping about twice a month. Interviewer: (3) _______________________________________________________________? Karen: Because it is faster and much more convenient. Sometimes I just have no time to go to the supermarket! Interviewer: (4) ___________________________________________________about shopping on line? Karen: In general, they think it’s great. Interviewer: (5) __________________________________________________________useful tips? Karen: Of course I can. Just be careful to choose serious websites and only enter your credit card number when you are sure it is completely safe. Good luck! E. Composition Write about a shopping experience. Use the questions as a guide. What did you buy? What was the weather like? Where did you buy it? What was the article you bought like? How did you get there? What did you do after that? Who did you go with? What will you do with the article you bought? 2
