General Listening Quiz

What kinds of items would you find being sold at a flea or street market? Would you ever go to such a market to shop? Why or why not?

1. 1. Street markets are better than shopping in regular stores.
   2. Flea markets are only for people who want cheap items.
   3. Street markets are more fun than online shopping.
   4. Buying from flea markets supports local communities more than big stores.
   5. Street markets are too crowded and stressful to enjoy.
   6. People can find higher quality items at flea markets than in regular shops.
   7. Visiting a street market is more about the experience than the shopping.
   8. Street and flea markets should focus more on food than on goods.
   9. Bargaining at markets is disrespectful and outdated.

“sell like mad” = sell very quickly because an item is popular
“If you don’t hurry to the store, you won’t find any of the new iPhones. They’re selling like mad.”

“bells and whistles” = extra, sometimes unnecessary, decorative features on an item
“Hey, I don’t need a CD player with all the bells and whistles. If it plays a CD, then that is enough for me.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• steal (noun): a great bargain
  – For only $10, that radio is a steal.
• buck (noun): one dollar (informal)
  – Hey. Can you loan me a few bucks until the end of the week?
• break even (verb): end up with no profit or loss at the end of some business activity
  – Business was good yesterday at the store, but in the end, we barely broke even.
• drive a hard bargain (idiom): expect a lot for what you pay for
  – She drives a hard bargain whenever she sells clothing in the outside marketplace.
• throw in (phrasal verb): add or include
  – I’ll buy the ring if you throw in the necklace too.
• stick with (phrasal verb): stay with, not changing to something else
  – Although that is a nice jacket, I think I’ll stick with the one I bought yesterday. I don’t need two jackets.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence  |  Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Practice the dialogue with a partner. Next, create your own dialogue with the seller and a different customer. Try selling two new things.