Prime Time 8. Coursebook plus Semester Self-checks, Schulbuch

Fact 1: Anyone who shops with a child in tow has to keep an eye out for products kids grab and toss into the cart. Packages with cartoons on them are often placed on low shelves where even toddlers can reach for them. At the cash register candy is strategically placed to encourage impulse buys. Fact 2: In the groceries department you can get veggies cut up and ready for cooking. At the meat counter, chicken breasts are cut into chunks ready for immediate grilling. Pre-cut foods can make life incredibly easy but you’re also paying a tremendous premium – sometimes up to twice as much. Fact 3: Foods with enticing photos on the packaging that aren’t on your shopping list are prominently placed to encourage you to reach for them. Even in the pasta aisle, you’ll find the most popular noodles at eye level. Look up to the highest or lowest shelves to find healthier whole-wheat options. Fact 4: Who can resist an offer like “buy five, get one free”? Very few people can. But if you buy more than you need, it’s not necessarily a bargain. It could even lead to over-indulging. Mindless shopping leads to mindless eating. Once the stuff is in the house, you’ll eat it whether you really want it or not. Fact 5: The layout of your grocery store is carefully calculated to help you part with more money. At the front doors you’re faced immediately with hard-to-resist items like just-baked loaves of bread. Try walking past them en route to a carton of milk without tossing something extra into your cart. (Sally Wadyka, MSN Health & Fitness ; adapted and abridged) b) Skim through the article again and copy more words you would add to a word bank to study. c) Think of other tricks supermarkets and shops usually employ to make their customers spend more money. How can customers protect themselves? Alternative shopping a) Have a look at the pictures below and explain: • What can you see on them? • Where might they have been taken? • How do or don’t they reflect your attitude towards shopping? b) Using the word bank on the right, you should: • describe alternative shopping opportunities like flea markets, car boot sales or charity shops • find arguments in favour of shopping at such locations • find arguments against shopping there c) Using your ideas from task b), design a short podcast about alternative shopping. 4 Word bank at a fraction of the price • basic necessities • bleak financial times • charity shop • emphasis on recycling and reuse • environmental reasons • lifeline • low consumer confidence • low retail sales figures • lower prices • shopping experience • to donate sth. • to face hard times • to spend • to think carefully about where to spend • top factor • unique items W 81 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv