REVIEW FOR THE 1ST TERM TEST

WORD IN CONTEXT

Shopping for Christmas

What word goes best with Christmas in modern English?

For some people it is eating, for others it is presents, for some it is Jesus... but for a lot of
people, Christmas means shopping, more than anything else.
Christmas will 1. _ _ _ n be here again. For Britain's shops, specially shops in cities,
November and December are the 2. _ _ s_ _ _ _ months of the year. In fact, some big shops do
half their year's 3. b_ _ _ _ _ _ _ in those two months.
Yet in 2022, with Covid-19 still with us, Christmas shopping will not be the 4. _ _ m _! Many
people do not want to go into cities, or into big shopping 5. _ _ n_ _ _ _. They are afraid of catching
Covid. More and more people are now shopping on the Internet! Internet shops are safe for 6. _ _
_ _ _ _ r _, and they never shut... not even on Christmas Day!
Most people, however, 7. _ _ _ n_ their money before Christmas. "Christmas shopping" is
different from ordinary shopping, and people like to do it 8. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _y. They go to
different shops, or different online stores, more expensive shops very often. They don't just buy food
from their supermarket and clothes from big 9. _ _ p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ stores. They look round, they
take time (if they can), they browse and they choose.
City shops do their best to 10. a_ _ _ _ _ _ them with exciting windows, and special offers.
In the West End of London, shops spend thousands of pounds on lights, decorations, and special
window 11. _ _ _ _ l_ _ _. Some visitors come to London, just to see the lights and shop windows;
but others come to shop in famous shops like Harrod's or Hamley's, Europe's biggest toy shop.
For shop 12. _ _ s_ _ _ _ _ _ _, it is a frantic season. There is not much time to rest. Just
time for a cup of coffee or tea perhaps, then back to work. It's a good season for pay! As Christmas
gets nearer, shops stay 13. _ _ _ n longer, sometimes until 10 p.m. That means more pay for
the staff. It also means extra staff. Some people find a job, for a few weeks at 14. _ _ a_ _.
Then, at about 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, it all stops. The shops are 15. _ _ _ _e_ _ _
empty - just a few people running round, looking for last minute 16. _ _ _ _ _ _t _. In many shops,
there is a small party, a bottle of wine and mince pies or something like that. And then it's over. The
shop doors close, but the 17. l _ _ _ _ _ stay on. Out in the streets, which were so busy a few
hours before, there is 18. _ _ _ _ _ y anyone. Just a few people going home, or singing in the
street.
Christmas shopping is over again.... until next October or November.
But for some shops, the doors will only stay closed for a day. After Christmas shopping, there is New
Year shopping! The New Year 19. _ _ l _ _ used to start after January 1st. Now in some shops
they start on the day after Christmas, and the 20. _ r _ _ _ _ rush back for a few more days. Lots
of things are cheaper now.

THE END