Elementary Book: Chapter 7
Shopping
Vocabulary
1.
supermarkets (noun – n. - plural)
2.
hypermarkets (n. - plural)
3.
types of stores (compound noun -comp. n.)
4.
local shops (comp. n.- plural)
5.
convenience stores (comp. n. - plural)
6.
corner shops (comp. n. plural)
7.
butcher shops (comp. n. plural)
8.
greengrocers (n. - plural)
9.
bakeries (n. - plural)
10.
similar in nature (idiom – id.)
11.
difference (n.)
12.
grocery stores (comp. n. - plural)
13.
also (adverb – adv.)
14.
household items (comp.n. - plural)
15.
discount (n.)
16.
all in one (adj.)
17.
speed shoppers (comp. n. - plural)
18.
frequent shoppers (comp. n. – plural.)
19.
careful shoppers (comp. n.- plural)
20.
clothing items (comp. n.)
21.
smaller than (adjective – adj. - comparative)
22.
larger than (adj. - comparative)
23.
neighborhood (n.)
24.
more than one (adj. comparative)
25.
on the other hand (conjunction – conj.)
26.
huge (adj.)
27.
outside of town (phrase – ph.)
28.
cheap (adj.)
29.
deals (n. - plural)
30.
consumers (n. - plural)
31.
htabits (n. - plural)
32.
advantages (n. - plural)
33.
disadvantages (n. - plural)
34.
variety (n.)
35.
impersonal (adj.)
36.
these days (comp. n.)
Before listening
Answer these questions. Use full sentences and record the questions and your answers on your phone or
personal computer. Share your answers with your classmates.
1.
What is the difference between a supermarket and a hypermarket?
2.
Are there any hypermarkets in Istanbul? Give examples.
3.
What are some famous supermarkets in Istanbul?
Yıldız Technical University Podcast
Chapter 7: Elementary
Ange: We are talking about supermarkets and hypermarkets in this lesson. What is the difference between a
supermarket and a hypermarket?
Man: Right. Supermarkets and hypermarkets are two different types of shopping stores that are quite similar in
nature. The most important difference is that supermarkets are grocery stores that also sell household items.
Hypermarkets are grocery stores, department stores and discount stores all in one.
Ange: So hypermarkets are the best choice for speed shoppers and for frequent shoppers, since they can find
everything they need in one place, right?
Man: Yes, they are certainly not for careful shoppers who like to check the prices of a product at different
stores before they spend their money.
Ange: There aren't any hypermarkets in Istanbul. You know, something like Walmart in the United States and
Canada or like Canadian Tire in Canada. But what do you think of stores like Shok or Migros?
Man: I think Shok, Migros, and Carrefour are supermarkets, not hypermarkets, although sometimes they sell,
both clothing items and household supplies – household products. Shok, Migros, Carrefour are smaller than
hypermarkets. In Istanbul, every little neighborhood has more than one supermarket. In North America, on the
other hand, because hypermarkets are often very big, and some of them are huge, really, they are often outside
the town.
Ange: And Istanbul supermarkets are often NOT cheap, while North American consumers get the best deals at
hypermarkets such as Walmart.
Man: I agree. Prices are high at Turkish supermarkets. I think consumers in Istanbul are better off shopping at
small local shops.
Ange: And by small shops you mean convenience shops or corner stores, right? What people call “bakkal” here.
Man: Yes. That, as well as butcher shops, greengrocers', pastry shops as well as bakeries.
Ange: So, it's better to shop at small stores in Istanbul. But I think the shopping habits of Istanbul residents are
changing these days. More and more people are shopping at supermarkets nowadays. What advantages do
supermarkets have, in your opinion?
Anson: First of all, supermarkets are big and some of them are huge, so consumers have many more choices of
food and even of household supplies.
Ange: So, there's more choice, more variety, more products. What else?
Man: There is something that I like about supermarkets on a personal level.
Ange: What is that?
Man: The service at supermarkets is more impersonal.
Ange: How is this an advantage?
Man: For example, in a supermarket, the cashiers and the shop assistants do not know you, do not greet you,
and they do not ask you personal questions. On the other hand, if you are a regular customer at a small shop,
the grocer starts asking you personal questions.
Ange: I hear you. I personally like small shops BECAUSE they are more personal.... Let's now turn to the
negative aspects of shopping at a supermarkets....What disadvantages do supermarkets have?
Man: Well, we mentioned this before. The prices are sometimes high. You pay more for variety. Consumers
pay more for French or Dutch cheese for instance than they pay for local cheese.
Ange: I agree. One of the disadvantages of buying foreign food in Turkey is that foreign food is pricier than the
local food. ...But there's one more disadvantage to buying food at Istanbul supermarkets: the food may smell
like chemical products that are in the store. ...I bought some cheese at Carrefour the other day and it smelled
like detergent. Having many products in one place can be a great disadvantage. ...These days I am not
shopping at supermarkets much. I certainly do not want to buy cheese that smells like detergent again.
Man: Of course. But you live in Cihangir. There aren't many small shops there, and the convenience stores are
usually expensive. Do you regularly shop for groceries in a different neighborhood?
Ange: I do.
I often get my groceries at convenience shops in Çukurcuma in Beyoğlu and I sometimes buy household items
at small shops in the Tarlabaşı area of Beyoğlu.
Man: Is Tarlabaşı a safe place though?
Ange: Well, crime is high, but prices are low.
So, Anson to conclude, where can Istanbulites get their groceries and household items? Are supermarkets
better than small shops?
Man: I think a shopper should buy some products at the supermarket – such as foreign food items- but they
should shop at small stores for local foods and for household supplies.
After listening
Answer these questions. Use full sentences and record the questions and your answers on your phone or
personal computer. Share your answers with your classmates.
1.
Ange believes that there are no hypermarkets in Istanbul. Do you agree? Please support your argument with
examples.
2.
Ange is not buying her food at supermarkets nowadays. Why?