專四真題:2009年真題 Passage One

For shopaholics, the post-Christmas period means only one thing --- sales! Across the country, prices are slashed on clothing, electronics, home furnishings and more, but London is the place for serious shopping and you can certainly pick up some amazing bargains. The sales start on Boxing Day --- 26th, December and continue for the month of January, but the keenest bargain hunters get there early to be first through the doors. In Oxford Street queues formed outside shops ahead of pre-dawn openings for the start of their sales. At Brent Cross, in north London, more than 1,000 people were queuing at 3:30 a.m for the 'Next' clothing store's sale which began at 4 a.m. Some people even camped outside the shops to be the first in the line. Some people are taking their friends shopping with them and buying their Christmas presents in the sales. A practical but unromantic way of making sure you get the gift you really want. For a less exciting but less stressful shopping experience, online retailers are also getting in on the act with January sales of their own. The most organized of all are those who are already doing their present shopping for next Christmas in the January sales.