美国口语突破教程 第六天

Shopping in America
INTRODUCTION
Conversation A is a typical conversation about shopping in the United States. Masahiro is an international student who has just arrived from Japan, and Anna and Will are introducing him to the shopping scenario in America.
Conversation A
Anna: As I was telling you, Masa, where you shop depends largely on what you need. So, if you want to buy an answering machine or a CD-player, your best bet would probably be an appliance store such as Radio Shack..
Will: Yup! Or Circuit City. I like Best Buy the best, though.
Masahiro: Why?
Will: Coz they usually have the best deals. They have sales on their TVs and CD-players every once in a while.
Anna: Hum. I'll bet they send you their glossy ads loaded with so-called "SALES"!
Masahiro: (laughs)
Anna: Well, I still think the CD-player I bought from them was a rip off.
Will: I'll admit some of their items are high-priced, but at least the shopper's guaranteed quality. There are very few places that have such a wide selection.
Masahiro: I need to buy disks, at least two disk holders, note cards, transparencies, and that kind of stuff.
Will: For office supplies, I suggest Office Max.
Anna: Or Comp USA. One good thing about living in a campus town, though, is that you can easily get that stuff at any of the bookstores. No doubt they do overcharge. I try to get around that by shopping around.
Masahiro: Shopping around?
Anna: Yes. That simply means you go to different stores, check out the prices of items you need and purchase them from the store(s) with the lowest price or prices.
Masahiro: I see. Sounds very practical.
Will: And time-consuming, too!
Masahiro: Where is Office Max located?
Anna: There's one in the mall, so we can stop by there this afternoon.
Masahiro: Great! Thanks.
Will: Hey, Masa. Just so you know, you can always run to the discount stores whenever you're out of something you need right away. There are several around campus.
Anna: That's right. And they carry pretty much everything a student needs. Pop, pasta, eggs, hair spray . . . you name it!
Will: They don't usually carry milk, though, so you might want to walk down to White Hen (Pantry), Walgreens, or some other convenience stores close by.
Anna: I wouldn't advise you to buy things in bulk from such stores, though. I mean, do your major shopping at the specialized stores. It's much cheaper, and more convenient in the long run.
Masahiro: Good advice!
Will: Sort of like Mom's!
Anna: Hey, watch it!
Will: Just kiddin'!
Masahiro (laughs). Life sounds great in this town! Oh! Before I forget, guys, where can I rent movies? I love watching movies in my spare time.
Anna: Me too! Let's see. There are two video stores close to your apartment. Lucky you! One's Blockbuster, and the other's That's Rentertainment. I believe they both have specials on weekdays, right Will?
Will: Yup. But not for the new releases. It's usually a buck each for the older movies.
Anna: Are you guys ready to go to the mall?
Masahiro & Will: Sure.
Anna: Masa, don't forget to take your shopping list with you.
Masahiro: Thanks for reminding me.
Anna: You're welcome. What are we waiting for? let's go.
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New Words and Expression
1 Your best bet is a commonly used idiom which refers to the best possible choice or option available. In Conversation A, it refers to the most suitable store for appliances, in Anna's opinion.
2 The best deals is a frequently used shopping-related expression that refers to items for sale at bargain prices (i.e., cheap). Sometimes, "good deals" or "a real steal/What a steal" are used instead.
3 Glossy ads are colorful advertisement pamphlets or catalogs (on rich/glossy pap