专升本公共英语复习资料之阅读理解(pdf 33页).pdfVIP

There are many shops in Singapore where customers still bargain, although prices are clearly shown on the goods. There is nothing out of the ordinary in haggling; some shopkeepers expect you to and will be surprised if you accept their prices immediately. We know that the prices in some stores are a bit higher than those in Change Alley, but we also realize that to keep a store like Robinsons is by no means cheap. Besides, in such places we shop in air-condition () comfort. For all these, we pay a little extra. It is not always true to say that things in Change Alley cost less. I once bought a Czechoslo- vakian glass butter-dish from Robinsons for a little under two dollars. I then went on to Change Alley and just by chance saw an article of the same shape, design and size, in one of the shops. I then asked about its price, and was surprised when the man demanded more than four dollars for it. How much can you offer? he shouted at me. I offered him exactly the same price I paid for the article and his reply was shockingly rude (). I opened my bag, showed him my receipt, stared at him and walked out of his shop. A buyer in England expects to find the price of goods clearly shown, or, to be told exactly what the price is. He knows this is the lowest price that will be accepted. If he thinks the price is beyond what he can afford, he shrugs ( ) his shoulders and walks away. He does not attempt to bargain with the shopkeeper. Even if he showed annoyance or surprise, he would expect to be to that if the price was unacceptable, he should try elsewhere. 1. The underlined word haggling (line 2, para. 1 ) in the text most probably means ________. A. accepting the prices immediately B. fixing the right cost for some goods C. arguing about the price of something D. paying extra for comfortable shopping 2. We can learn from the text that Robinson’s is a store which sells A. expensive goods