THE PROS AND CONS OF ONLINE SHOPPING

I. Прочитайте, переведите письменно текст.

These days, it seems like everything is going digital. From news articles and recipes to yoga tutorials, you can find almost everything on the internet.

Many people find this way of life more convenient, because they can complete their daily chores from the comfort of their own home. I think that’s why some people like to shop for their clothes online. With the click of a button, you can order anything you want, and have it delivered directly to your front door. For someone with a busy lifestyle, this seems ideal.

Firstly, online shopping can be far less stressful than hitting the high street shops. There are no huge crowds of people or tediously long queues. With online shopping, it’s just you and your computer. It’s like you have the whole shop to yourself! Secondly, online stores don’t have opening and closing times. This is perfect for anyone with a busy schedule – like office workers who work long hours, or teenagers with several hobbies to squeeze into the weekend. If you want to, you can even place an online shopping order at three o’clock in the morning!

In the bustling modern world, there are clearly many advantages to online shopping. However, in my experience, there are also several cons … With online shopping, you can’t try before you buy, and that’s a definite disadvantage for me. Often, when my new clothes arrive, I find they don’t fit very well. It’s always annoying when a dress is a little too big, or when sleeves are awkwardly short … Sometimes, the clothes are not what I was expecting. A piece of clothing might look great in photos online, but quite different in real life. A blue jumper might turn out to be green, whilst other times the material of a blouse will feel cheap and scratchy.

In these scenarios, you want to return the item, but here lies the biggest problem with online shopping. You have to pay for your order’s delivery, and for an item to be returned to the warehouse! These charges are often very expensive, which suddenly makes online shopping seem a little less convenient…That’s why I don’t choose to shop online very frequently. For now, I will continue to find the time for a trip to a real shop, where I know exactly what I’m buying!

II. Express your own preferences in shopping (up to 15 sentences)

III. Раскройте скобки, употребляя глагол в нужном времени и переведите предложения на русский язык:

1.    I am writing in connection with the advertisement which (appear) on 12 April.

I now (complete) a postgraduate degree in administration.

2.    Where are my keys? This is the third time I (lose) them today. And what you (do) now? I (look for) the keys again.

3.    Ann never (go) camping. She (not sleep) in a tent. She (make up her mind) to go on her first trip.

4.     Nina (to celebrate) her birthday yesterday. Her room looked beautiful, there (to be) many flow­ers in it. When I (to come) in, somebody (to play) the piano, two or three pairs (to dance).

I (to be) sorry (to miss) the match yesterday. But I (to know) the score. It (to be) 4 to 2 in favour of the NTP team.