SHOPPING CENTERS.
The predecessor of the shopping center, the supermarket took the place of the nearby grocery store where people used to buy their groceries, had a friendly chat with the grocer who was familiar with their life stories, bought on credit sometimes, and had their goods delivered if they wished. All this was lost with the appearance of the supermarket.
What did a supermarket have to offer? The greatest advantage in this day of high-cost living: lower prices. Why can a supermarket sell at lower prices than the corner grocer? This is a quite easy to figure out: they buy enormous quantities at a time and, in turn, get a lower price. They also save labor costs since their goods are sold on a self-service basis. Although they sell at a very low profit, they sell such large quantities that they have a big gross profit.
Their goods are clearly displayed and one may choose exactly what one needs. This also gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with the new products which appear at the market every day. The shopping cart was a brilliant and lucrative idea. With them at hand, a person easily buys much more than his arms can carry, and if the customer is carrying a baby, the baby can sit comfortably in the cart and the customer can continue his shopping with ease.Now perhaps your curiosity has been aroused and you ask yourself, "When and where did supermarkets originate?" Most likely, no one knows.
Around supermarkets, with large parking areas, other stores -clothing, hardware, jewelry -immediately arise, thus creating a shopping center.
These shopping centers are taking in most of the downtown trade, leaving a desolate and not very attractive downtown section in some cities. Now, instead of just a supermarket and the stores surrounding it, there are fabulous shop-ping centers coming to life. Some of these have theaters, movie houses, churches, and recreational areas.
Let's take, for instance, the Farsta shopping center near. Stockholm Sweden. It is a wonderful place with eight buildings and a church. It has four large parking areas besides a garage that holds three hundred cars. It has a beautiful plaza which was thought out very carefully. The central attraction of the plaza is the thirty years-old oak tree. There are also statues, a fountain, beautifully colored flower-beds, whit benches surrounding them. Likewise, there are flag poles, show cases and room enough for temporary ornamental elements. You will also find in de plaza a small supervised area where children can play while their parents leisurely do their shopping. The Farsta has very large stores, all kinds of shops, offices, a postoffice and a church. It also has several specialized doctors, dentist, a maternity clinic, a public library, a social service office, a youth center, drugstores, a movie house, a theater, a police department, an auto-repair shop and restaurant. Would you like to spend a day at Farst in Stockholm?
A completely different aspect of the previous shopping center, is "The Cannery" in San Francisco, California. As the name suggest, it used to be a canning center factory. The entire place was remodeled by an architect named Joseph Esherick and, in the matter of architecture, he omitted nothing on create "life" or intensity the original aspects of the building. He restored the three stories and these were turned into stores, shops, and restaurants. Narrow winding streets, gas lanterns, stairs, balconies, archades and early century motifs were added.
"The Cannery" is supposed to be a tourist attraction, but as difficult as it is to explain, the fact remains that there are many San Franciscans who prefer "The Cannery" for their shopping. Several questions have arisen as to the reason: Is it a reaction to the skyscrapers in many American cities? Is it to elude modern structures, the shopping centers, the self-service cafeterias? Is it "snob appeal" -when qualities in a product, as a high price, rarity or forcing origin appeal to the snobbery of the purchaser?
But then, perhaps, it could merely be romantic taste for gas-lit lanterns, and narrow-winding streets!
1.- That was the predecessor of the supermarket?
a) The nearby grocery store b) The shopping center. c) The Farsta shopping center near Stockholm d) The cannery in San Francisco California.
2.- What does the supermarket have to offer? a) A friendly chat with the grocer. b) Buying in credit terms. c) Being familiar with their life stories. d) Lower prices and saving labor on a self- ser-vice basis. .
3.- Why do supermarkets buy at a lower price than the corner grocer? a) Because they buy enormous quantities at a time. b) Because they save cost labors. c) Because they nay choose exactly what one needs. d) Because they familiarize whit new products.
4.- Why do you buy more when you use a cart? a) Because you can sit comfortably to your baby in car. b) Because a Persian can buy much more than his arms can carry. c) Because it has a brilliant and lucrative idea. d) Because it can carry a baby. .
5.- What was the cannery before it became a shopping center. a) It was a reaction to skyscrapers in many American cities. b) It was supposed to be a tourist attraction. c) It was self-service cafeteria. .
6.- What could be the reason of many San Franciscans preferring the shop at the center "The Cannery". a) Being a tourist attraction. b) It's difficult to explain. c) It could a romantic place taste for gas lanterns and narrow winding streets. .
Statistics show that rapid population, growth creates problems for developing countries. So why don´t people have fewer children ? statistics from the developed countries suggest that it is only then people´s living standards begin to risk that birth rates begin to fall. There are good reasons for this. Poor countries cannot afford social services and old age pensions, and people´s income are so low they have nothing to spare for saving. As a result, people, look to their children to provide them with security in their old age. Living in a large family can be a form of insurance. And even while they are still quite young. Children can do a lot of lawful jobs on a small farm, so poor people in a developing country will need to have better conditions ahead, before they think having smaller families, but their conditions cannot be improved unless there is a reduction in the rates at which population is increasing. This depend on a very such wider acceptance of family planning and this, will mean a basic change in attitude.
Taken from: Roding for Adults.
By R. Luis, Mc. Vincent and S. wair.
4. The expression “look to” underlined in line 5, can be substituded by
A) Take care of. B) Search for. C) Consider. D) Expect. .
5. According to the text, large families in undeveloped countries are convenient because A) Young children help do minor tasks. B) Young children can mostly work in agriculture. C) Many children are expected to feed their families. D) Many children provide the adults with the insurance polices. .
6. Which of the following titles is the most adecuate for the text? A) “Social security and old age pensions” B) “The Dependence of Birth rate on Living Standards” C) “The opportunities in undeveloped Countries” D) “High Growth rates in developed Countries” .
7. I _____________ do that if I _________ in his place. A) didn´t / was B) Weren´t / were C) Shouldn´t / was D) Wouldn´t / were .
8. I watched the cat ____________ in the rain A) running. B) to run C) runs.
D) ran .
9. Robert can’t give a lecture .He is an _________ iliterate A) un B) ill C) in D) un .
10. Mike is very grateful _____ his friend A) with B) on C) at D) to .
11. ________ Diana _________ taking a bath when we called her this morning? She never answerd the telephone. A) could / have been B) Should / be C) Could / be D) Should / have been .
12. Ralph _____ have ______ the situation. He’s too immature A) should / not understood B) could / not understood C) could not / understood D) should not / understood .
13. Billy saw the man ______ his mother’s hanbag A) took B) takes C) taking D) to take .
14. Paul _______ to California if he got a car A) would go B) Will go C) Does D) go .
15. Sandra was not home when I got up this morning. She ____ have left early a) Must b) Would c) Can d) May .
16. Does the teacher wish her students _________ more polite? a) are b) were c) will be d) should be .
17. Vicky _____ left for the congress. I haven’t seen her for a week A) would be B) must be C) would have D) must have .
18. Sally’s party has been _________ commented on all around the town A) wide B) width C) widen D) widely.
19. If I _________ the Money soon, I ________ go to Acapulco with you A) got / may B) get / will C) get / would D) got / should .
20. Gaby will never trust anybody. She’s always filled with ________ giving A) in B) an C) mis D) dis .
21. The garden was filled with ________ after the party a) liter b) leisure c) waste d) load .
22. Not _______ the film, I couldn’t argue with Alcart A) has seen B) have to see C) having seen D) having to see .
23. My cousin was nominated _________ of Webson School A) major B) principle C) mayor D) principal .
24. They have an interesting _______ of photographe at the “ Museum of Modern Arte” A) output B) feature C) ornate D) display.
25. Professor Jones _________ perfect program for the year A) devised B) complied C) executed D) endeavored .
26. The table is not ________ for our dining room A) familiar B) hand made C) suitable D) home guiding .
27. She could have ________ the contest if she _______ worked more A) won / has B) won / had C) to win / has D) to win / had.
28. Jim and I have traveled ______ the world together A) amid B) among C) for all D) throughout .
29. Mr. Clark is always very busy. He never reserves time for _________. A) output B) leisure C) display D) network .
30, If Clair had met George in other circumstance, she ______ married his A) has B) would C) had been D) would have.
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