English Language Listening Library Online
Mixer #53 | Intermediate B1

Shopping

See what people like and don't like to shop for.

Ruth, England
speakerSomething I like shopping for? I like shopping for everything. I like shopping for clothes. I like shopping for food. I like shopping for presents. Everything. Maybe the one exception would be shopping for DIY things: things like pliers and gardening tools and wallpaper. I'm not really interested in things like that but that's the exception. Other than that, everything.

Simon, Canada
speakerWhat do I like shopping for? I like shopping for food, going to the supermarket looking at -- especially a nice good supermarket and looking at all the weird and cool and wacky food. That's pretty fun. What I don't like shopping for is everything else. I'm not really a big shopping fan. I like to buy as quickly as possible and get out as quickly as possible and that's it.

Al, England
speakerI don't really enjoy shopping at all but I guess if I have to go shopping, the one type of shopping I enjoy is bread shopping. I really enjoy looking for really good bread and smelling the bread in the bread shop, but usually I don't, I'm not a big fan of shopping anyway.

Mitchell, The United States
speakerI enjoy shopping for food because I like eating and I do not enjoy shopping for cosmetic stuff like for example shampoo - girls stuff. I do not like shopping with girls because they tend to take long and look at every item at least ten seconds but I enjoy shopping for food for myself.

Ruth, Ireland
speakerThe thing I most enjoy shopping for is shoes. I could shop and shop and never get tired of them. The last time I visited Ireland. I bought five pairs of shoes in three days. I just love them.

Tres, The United States
speakerI like shopping for clothing. It's a lot of fun finding new shirts or new jeans to put on, trying out new outfits that I normally wouldn't wear. The only thing I dislike about it are the prices of course, but I really have a good time going out and looking for things - that hunter-gatherer instinct in me.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson!

the one exception

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The one exception would be shopping.

An exception is something that is in some way, different than other similar things.  Notice the following:

  1. I hate sports, the one exception being ping-pong.  That's fun!
  2. School's boring.  The one exception would be English class.

DIY things

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Shopping for DIY things.

DIY means 'Do-it-yourself'.  We use DIY items to fix or take care of things in and around our home.  Notice the following:

  1. You can find gardening tools in the DYI department.
  2. I'm not a DIY person.  I can't fix anything.

wacky

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I enjoy wacky food

We use the word 'wacky to talk about people or things that are unusual in a funny way.  Notice the following:

  1. Jim Carrey is a wacky guy.
  2. It's a wacky TV comedy show.

girls stuff

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I do not enjoy shopping for girls stuff.

Girls stuff would mean cosmetics, perfume, fashion accessories, stuff like that.  Notice the following:

  1. The girls stuff is on the third floor.
  2. Girls stuff is so expensive!

hunter-gatherer

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I have that hunter-gatherer instinct.

'Hunter-gatherer' is a phrase we use to talk about at time when people hunted animals and looked for plants to eat for survival.  Notice the following:

  1. Primative people were hunter-gatherers.
  2. My shopaholic girlfriend's a modern hunter-gatherer!

Vocabulary Quiz

exception • DIY things • wacky
girls' stuff • hunter
  1. I think the style in the 1980s was pretty .
  2. After many years of living alone she has a big collection of .
  3. Video games fulfill the instinct for men.
  4. He was always scared of in his older sister's room.
  5. In general, I don't like sweets, but my one is chocolate chip cookies.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

One Minute English Video

Speakers
Mixer Video #53
What do you like shopping for?

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