节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-02-20
难易度:Low
关键字:ad [advertisement], bargain, site, persuade, go for it, online, seasonal
Welcome back.
Well, our lesson today is filled with all sorts of great tips on how to save
money when you shop.
You can look for ads and compare prices or buy things at the end of a season.
You could also visit a street market to bargain with the sellers.
But make sure you know how much each item should cost before you try to bargain.
Well, there are so many ways for you to save money, so let's look at a few more
of these tips.
(Music).
Shopping for Bargains.
Know what you're looking for.
The more focused you are, the easier it is to make wise decisions.
Don't shop when you are hungry.
Studies show that you'll usually buy more than you originally planned.
Don't buy something just because it's on sale.
First ask yourself: Do I have the money to buy it?
Do I need it?
Will I use it?
If not, walk away, but if so, go for it!
That way you'll still feel good after you take your item home.
All right.
(Chinese).
And now let's go to our teachers.
Thanks, Michelle.
You know, I really like these shopping tips, Gabe, especially this first tip
here that says to be focused on what you want to buy so that you will make wise
decisions.
Hmm, I do, too.
And I think that's a great phrase: wise decisions.
If you make wise decisions, that means that you are well-informed, and you can
make a good decision.
For example, waiting until the end of a season, like winter, to buy warm clothes
for next year is a wise decision,
especially if you already have enough clothes for the current winter.
Right. Or going to church every week is a wise decision because it helps you to
grow in your relationship with God and other people.
That is a very wise decision indeed, Gabe.
And we like to make wise decisions in every part of our lives, and of course
that includes shopping.
That's right. It certainly does.
And one tip I should follow is to not shop when I'm hungry.
I always buy too much food, and then it goes to waste.
Oh. That's not good, Gabe.
I think that's a common problem.
But you did use a great phrase: to go to waste.
If something goes to waste, that means that it has value but it doesn't get
used.
So you could say that if you spend too much time playing computer games, your
time and energy go to waste.
Or if you spend a lot of money on things you don't need, your money goes to
waste.
Another example would be if you don't eat all of the food that you buy and have
to throw it away, then your food goes to waste.
Or if you buy too much and you feel like you need to eat it all, then your food
might go to your waist, W-A-I-S-T.
Oh. Well, that isn't good, either.
You gain too much weight.
So try not to let things go to waste or let your food go to your waist.
That's right.
Well, another good lesson, something that we can learn is that you shouldn't
just buy something just because you see it or just because it's on sale.
First, you should ask yourself: Do I really need this?
That's a great point.
And there are a lot of great teaching points in that tip,
so let's see what Steve and Ken have to say about the difference between
something being for sale and something being on sale.
And you know what?
There's also a grammar tip right there as well.
So we'll see Liz after that.
First the Information Cloud, and then the Grammar Gym.
Hi, friends.
Remember our lesson on prepositions last year, how the switch of one preposition
may change the whole meaning of a phrase?
Well, today we're going to look at another important example involving two
different prepositions.
Hey, Steve, is that book you're holding on sale?
I don't think so, Ken.
When I went to the bookstore yesterday, it wasn't on sale.
Well, in that case, can I buy that book from you?
Sorry, Ken. This book is not for sale.
It's my only copy, and there's no way I'm going to sell it.
Friends, did you catch that?
Steve's book is not for sale, so I can't buy it from him.
When something is for sale, it's available to be purchased.
However, if I get tired of this book one day, it may be up for sale, then Ken
can buy it from me.
Only if it's not too expensive.
OK. What about on sale?
On sale is when you lower the price of something that's already being sold.
It's on a discount.
Right.
Something might be on sale for a couple of weeks, during which time you can pay
less money for it.
But when the sale is over, it's back to the regular price.
(Chinese).
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends.
My name is Liz.
Here's today's Grammar Tip sentence:
First ask yourself: Do I have the money to buy it?
Do I need it?
Will I use it?
For those who are watching the program on screen or having the magazine in front
of you,
you'll notice how there is this punctuation mark that looks like two dots on top
of each other.
That's the colon sign.
It's there to mean that an explanation, detail or list is coming right up.
So in today's sentence, the writer begins with the statement "First ask
yourself." Then the writer continues on with a list of questions:
Do I have the money to buy it?
Do I need it?
Will I use it?
Now in North American English, if what comes after the colon is a complete
sentence,
then it's quite common to see the first letter of that explanation or detail get
capitalized.
OK. Here are some examples of how a colon can introduce an explanation or
detail.
We have a special announcement: Louis and Polly are getting married.
Or Becky has made her decision: She will quit her job and go travel around the
world.
If you want more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section
in your magazine.
And that's it for today.
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym.
I'll see you next time.
Thank you, Liz.
Those are all great tips.
Now another tip that isn't mentioned in our article is to use coupons.
Coupons.
And these are special pieces of paper that can be used to get extra discounts on
items.
So you can save a lot of money with coupons, especially if you combine them with
other sales or even other coupons if the store allows it.
In fact, there is a TV series in the United States all about something called
Extreme Couponing.
This show follows around a group of people who dedicate a large amount of their
time to finding, collecting and using coupons to save money.
This show has actually inspired a lot of people to try to do this for
themselves.
One man who started extreme couponing after seeing the show, saved US$6,000 in
one year.
Shoo! That's amazing.
So if you really know how to use coupons, you can save really big.
You sure can.
And it's always a good feeling to save money.
In fact, the man said that even the store clerks that rang up his items as he
was buying them would get just as excited to see how much money he was saving as
he was.
And they wanted to know his tricks.
Hmm. So everyone was interested in this.
And of course they wanted to know his tricks, his secret, the research that he
did.
He spends about 10 hours each week researching online, comparing prices and
organizing coupons for his shopping lists to make sure he always gets the best
deals.
Wow! Now of course not everyone has that much time, 10 hours a week just for
coupons.
So there are some websites that extreme couponers have started to help other
people in their area find the same deals that they do.
And what a great way to help your spending habits, and of course a great way to
help your neighbors as well.
Now you've heard us use this word many times: coupon, coupon, coupon, extreme
couponers.
There is another way to pronounce this word.
You could also say coupon.
Coupon or coupon, it's up to you.
So yes, there are a couple of different ways to say it.
But however you want to say it, it can be very beneficial for your wallet and
help you save a lot of money.
Well, something that is always beneficial to our lesson is joining Linda for the
Editor's Summary.
So, we will first watch a review skit.
And then we will enjoy a summary with Linda.
I can't resist a bargain.
When I see a special sale, I can't walk away.
But how do you know you're getting a good deal?
It's only $7.99.
Prices ending in 99 just seem cheaper.
But the prices here are reduced.
Some sellers mark prices higher before the sale.
It's a big discount.
You still may pay more than the original price.
So this might be a sales trick?
Yes. Shopkeepers understand what makes you want to buy things.
No! So I'm being sold a bill of goods.
Yes. So prepare and make smart choices.
How do I prepare to shop?
Bring a credit card?
No. Check sale ads.
Always compare prices.
Yes, now that makes sense.
And watch for holiday and seasonal sales.
And look for free shipping when shopping online.
Well, that's a great idea.
Know what you're looking for.
And don't let your friends persuade you to buy things you don't need.
Yes. Thanks for all of those helpful tips.
And remember, don't buy something just because it's on sale.
No?
No. First ask yourself: Do I have the money?
Do I need this?
Will I use this?
Uh, no, no and no.
But do I want it?
Yes! I'm buying it.
So more tricks for shopping for bargains is always, always, always compare
prices before you buy anything.
Also, check sales just before a holiday and at the end of a season.
There are often big sales at those times.
And do you like to shop with friends?
Well, don't.
It has been shown that people spend more because perhaps their friends talk them
into buying something they don't really need.
And don't buy something just because it's on sale.
If you don't need it, don't buy it.
Thank you, Linda.
It's been a great day filled with all sorts of tips on how to find the best
bargains when you shop.
Yeah. It was a pretty good day, a pretty good lesson.
Hey, what was your favorite tip from today's lesson?
Well, actually, it was one that we didn't really talk about - not letting your
friends persuade you to buy something.
You should be able to make your own decisions and not let other people convince
you to buy something you don't need or want or maybe something that you can't
really afford.
Are you saying that because I keep telling you to get a smartphone, Carolyn?
No, Gabe.
No?
No.
Well, it does sound like very good, practical and valuable advice.
I also don't like to be... pressured into buying things.
And friends aren't the only ones who do that.
Shopkeepers will try to convince you to buy things as well.
If I start to feel pressured, I just leave the store.
Good idea, well.
What tips do you want to use?
Talk about them in English, and we'll see you next time right here at Studio
Classroom.
See you then.