04: Bargain Hunting

Activity 1. Look at the photo and read the text below

Claudia found herself inside a thrift shop. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular. She liked to go there just to browse. A big sign on the front door said OPEN. The shop was closed on Sundays and Mondays. The rest of the week, it opened at half past nine in the morning and closed at quarter to three in the afternoon.

An old man and his son worked inside. They rang up sales and put the items into plastic bags for the customers to carry out. At the back of the shop was a big room where two ladies in their late thirties worked. They sorted the new donations and put price tags on them. At the end of each day, they would bring the new donations out to the main part of the shop.

Everyone who worked at the thrift shop was a volunteer. The only “payment” they received was that they had the opportunity to see, and buy, any items in the shop before the customers did.

When Claudia entered, the old man behind the register waved at her. She smiled and hollered back. He definitely knew Claudia because she was a regular customer.

Claudia asked, “What’s new?” The younger man laughed and said that nothing was ever new at a thrift shop. “It’s always old and it’s always used,” he smiled. Then, Claudia glanced at the antique glass bottles. She spotted one that she liked. “Could I look at that one?” she asked.

Activity 2. True or False: State whether these sentences are correct, and if not, rephrase the sentence to make it true.

1. Claudia stepped inside a thrift shop she has never been to before.

2. There wasn't anything new at the thrift shop since all of the items are old and used.

3. Everyone who worked at the thrift shop received payment for volunteering.

4. From Tuesday to Saturday, the shop opened at 9:30 A.M. and closed at 3:15 P.M.

5. Claudia saw nothing at the shop that caught her fancy.

Activity 3. Discussion.

1. Re-tell the story in your own words.

2. Have you ever gone bargain hunting at the thrift shop?

3. Do you think old and used materials are still valuable?