Shopping in Shanghai and Beijing
For those who consider a shopping trip essential, China is magic. The vendors at Shanghai & Beijing ’s markets hawk everything – tea pots, Buddhas, pearl necklaces, scarves, jade bracelets, cheap watches, “designer bags”, silk shawls & more. But you need to know (1)_____. And if you want to buy clothing - & that includes knock-off designer & brand-name goods – then you must get over the size difference. My 25-year-old daughter Alissa wears a two or a four in the US, (2) _____. I am of size six or eight. When I examined a silk robe marked “medium”, the saleslady ran over to me, pulled the garment out of my hands, shouting “No, no, no. Chinese sizes. You – extra, extra large”. It felt like something out of a shopping nightmare. The saleswoman, however undiplomatic, was correct. Despite the extra, extra large label, I purchased the robe at $ 45 (3) _____ sold for $160. My daughter’s pants at $7 were perfect for bicycle trek. We found the best buys on uniquely Chinese items to be those made from silk. In Shanghai, start at the Jiangan Silk Shopping Centre, Yu Gardens Bazaar. Since bargaining is forbidden at this government-run store, come here to assess quality, prices & sizes. China is getting known for its cultured pearls. In Beijing a popular place to purchase pearls is at the Hongqiao Market, not far from the Temple of Heaven. We headed here for what we were assured were good quality pearl shop on the top floor, (4) _____ & third floors. At the Hongqiao Market, shopping is a contact sport not for the faint-hearted. Vendorsgrabbed us, shoving pocketbooks, shirts & cheap watches in our faces. The sellers yelled one price to us & after we walked away, cut that by as much as 80 %. My son found a leather jacket & my daughter & I discovered a teenage vendor selling beautiful silk shawls who did not harass us. We purchased several for holiday presents. My husband couldn’t handle the hollering (5) _____. Both Beijing & Shanghai have famous shopping streets. Beijing is known for Wangfujing Street, part of which is a wide pedestrian area. Along with stores & eateries, the street has a shopping mall (6) _____.
A where we found authentic Beijing Olympics 2008 hats, T-shirts & other souvenirs. B so he sat on a chair on the ground floor & pretended to be deaf. C since a similar one in a department store near me. D as well as a silk duvet cover with a traditional dragon medallion print. E you really don’t know what you bought. F but we couldn’t miss the clothing on the second G where to look & how to shop H but she could wriggle only into pants marked “large”
24. Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answers (A, B, C or D).
|
