While it’s true that women love shopping for clothes, the same cannot be said for shopping in supermarkets, which is for most people a stressful experience involving queues and a lot of frustration.

Last Saturday was typical. My husband’s boss was coming to dinner and I had planned what I thought was an impressive three-course meal. I set off from the local supermarket early, hoping to avoid the queues, only to find that everyone had had the same idea. It took 15 minutes to park and then, just when I thought I could start some serious shopping, I found I didn’t have the one-pound coin I needed to release a trolley, which meant I had to join a long queue inside to get some change. Not a good start.

But think positive. Once in the shop, things went well until the fruit and vegetables section, which had no asparagus, my starter course for the dinner party. This meant I would have to go to another supermarket after this one, as the supermarkets had caused the two greengrocers in town to close down. The same thing happened in the diary section, which, at over a hundred yards long, had every dairy product on the planet except the one I needed. I would have to buy that at the next supermarket too. By now, my trolley had decided to misbehave, and was going in every direction but the one I was pointing it in, making me look an idiot.

Nonetheless, I made it to the checkout tills. I joined one of the extremely long queues and the cashier had just started putting my shopping through when her till jammed. “You’ll have to go to another till,” she said, unapologetically. It took another 20 minutes to get out of the supermarket and another ten to get out of the car park – the queues, see.

1. In the writer’s opinion, ___C_____.

A) shopping makes people feel anxious.  

B) women only enjoy shopping for clothes.

C) supermarket shopping isn’t enjoyable.

D) supermarket shopping should not involve so much queuing.

2. What does the word “Trolley” probably mean?  B  

A) A small cupboard that can be locked, where you can leave your clothes, bags, etc.

B)A small vehicle with wheels that can be pushed or pulled along and is used for carrying things.

C) A small plastic card that you can use to buy goods and services and pay for them later.

D) An animal that people keep for pleasure.

3. Why does the woman have to go to another supermarket?  C  

A) Because the local greengrocers didn’t have what she needed.

B) Because the diary section in another supermarket was bigger.

C) Because she wanted to buy two items that she needed.

D) Because she was reluctant to join the long queue.

4. At the checkout tills ____D____.

A) the woman queued for 20 minutes.

B) the woman decided to go to another checkout before she reached the cashier.

C) the cashier was sorry that the woman had to go to another till.

D) went to another checkout because there was a problem with the till.

5. According to the writer, she ____B____.

A) joined four queues   

B) joined five queues

C) queued for three-quarters of an hour

D) joined two queues because of her own mistake