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2. Describe a) the supermarket closest to your block of flats;
b) your favourite supermarket.
3. Say how you buy goods in an ordinary shop and in a supermarket.
4. Say what one can buy in the shops mentioned in the text (baker's, butcher's, etc.)
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Shopping for One
(A story by Anne Cassidy. Abridged)
Supermarkets are much the same the world over — especially the queues at check-out points. What
extraordinary things other people are buying! There are odd snatches of overheard conversation too. But
what if one is living alone, 'Shopping for one'?
'So what did you say?' Jean heard the blonde woman in front of her talking to her friend.
'Well,' the darker woman began, 'I said I'm not having that woman there. I don't see why I should. I mean
I'm not being old-fashioned but I don't see why I should have to put up with her at family occasions.¹ After
all...'
Jean noticed the other woman giving an accompaniment of nods and headshaking at the appropriate
parts.² They fell into silence and the queue moved forward a couple of steps.
Jean felt her patience beginning to itch.³ Looking into her wire basket she counted ten items. That meant
she couldn't go through the quick till
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but simply had to wait behind elephantine shopping loads; giant
bottles of coke crammed in beside twenty-pound bags of potatoes and 'special offer' drums of bleach.
Somewhere at the bottom, Jean thought, there was always a plastic carton of eggs or a see-through tray of
tomatoes which fell casualty to the rest.
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There was nothing else for it — she'd just have to wait.