Forshopoholicsthepost-Christmasperiodmeansonlyonething----sales!AcrossthecountrypricesarereducingsharplyonclothingelectronicsandhomefurniturebutLondonistheplaceforseriousshoppingandyoucancertainlypickupsomeamazingbargains.

ThesalesstartonBoxingDay—26thDecemberandcontinueforthemonthofJanuarybutthekeenestbargainhuntersgetthereearlytobefirstthroughthedoors.InOxfordStreetqueuesformedoutsideshopsaheadofbefore-dawnopeningsforthestartoftheirsales.AtBrentCrossinnorthLondonmorethan1000peoplewerequeuingat3.30amforthe‘Next’clothingstore’ssalewhichbeganat4am.Someeagerindividualsevencampedoutsidetheshopstobefirstintheline.

Consumerswhohittheshopswererewardedwithdiscountsofasmuchas80%asdepartmentstoresjoinedthebargainsales.Theshopsareverycrowdedasthesalesreachedtheboiling-pointwithmorethanhalfamillionpeoplegatheringonLondon’sWestEnd.

FamoussalesincludethebiggestmostpopularshopssuchasHarrodsSelfridgesLibertyandJohnLewis.Departmentstoresarealwaysagoodbet—you’relikelytofindeverythingyouneedunderoneroofincludingmuch-neededfoodanddrinks!

It’sagoodtimetostockuponcheapsmalltoolsandthere’snobettertimetoinvestinsomedesignerclothes.

SomepeoplearetakingtheirpartnersshoppingwiththemandbuyingtheirChristmaspresentsinthesale----apracticalbutunromanticwayofmakingsureyougetthegiftyoureallywant.ForalessexcitingbutlessstressfulshoppingexperienceonlinesellersarealsogettinginontheactwithJanuarysalesoftheirown.

ThemostorganizedofallarethosewhoarealreadydoingtheirpresentshoppingfornextChristmasintheJanuarysales!

【小题1】

Inthesalespeoplecanbuyataverylowpriceallofthefollowingexcept______.

A．fashionableclothingB．bestsellerC．TVsetsD．bookcases【小题2】

Wecanlearnfromthepassagethatthesales______.A．actuallystartbeforetheendofDecemberB．generallylastfortwomonthsC．basicallybenefitnoneofthepeople