Christmas will soon be here again. For Britain's shops, specially shops in cities, November and December are the busiest months in the year. In fact, some big shops do half their year's business in those two months.
    Even when times are bad, people spend money before Christmas; "Christmas shopping" is different from ordinary shopping, and people like to do it differently. They go to different shops, more expensive shops very often; they don't just buy food from their supermarket and clothes from Marks & Spencer's or Littlewoods. They look round, they take time, they choose.
    City shops do their best to attract them with exciting windows, and special offers. In the West End of London, shops spend thousands of pounds on lights and decorations, and they put on special window displays. Some people come in to London by special bus, just to see the lights and shop windows; but everyone buys something too, of course, often in famous shops like Harrod's or Hamley's, Europe's biggest toy shop.
    For shop assistants, it is a frantic season - not much time to rest. Just time for a cup of coffee or tea perhaps, then back to work. It's a good season for pay! As Christmas gets nearer, shops stay open longer, sometimes until 9 p.m.; that means extra pay for the staff. It also means extra staff. Some people find a job, for a few weeks at least.
    On the last Sundays before Christmas, almost all shops stay open; for some people, (people working in other shops, for example) Sunday is the only day to go shopping!
    Here and there, the last few days before Christmas are even busier, as some shops now start their "New Year Sales" before Christmas, instead of after it!
    Nevertheless, at about 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, it all stops. The shops are suddenly empty - just a few people running round, looking for last minute presents. In many shops, there is a small party, a bottle of wine and mince pies or something like that. And then it's over. The shutters come down, but the lights stay on. Out in the streets, which were so busy a few hours before, there is hardly anyone. Just a few people hurrying home, or a few party-goers singing in the street.
    Christmas shopping is over again.... until next November.

WORDS:

busy: active - Christmas Eve: 24th December - display: show - extra: suplementary - frantic: very active - hurry: go fast - mince pies: special Christmas tarts - party-goer: person going to a party -rush: go fast - sale: when shops sell things cheaper than usual shutters: shutters protect windows - staff: employees .

Vocabulary research: This article talks about two things: Christmas, and shopping. Read through it, and pick out and list all words connected to one or other of these subjects. For example, shops: business, supermarket, windows, window displays, special offers, shop assistants, staff, shutters, sale. Consolidate this vocabulary by writing three sentences containing at least two of the words each.

Reusing information: Creative writing. Write a 100-word 1st person description of a Christmas shopping trip in London.

Blank-fill exercise:
Replace the missing verbs in this extract, putting the whole extract into past time.

Even when times ________ bad, people _________money before Christmas; "Christmas shopping" _______ different from ordinary shopping, and people _________ to do it differently. They _______ to different shops, more expensive shops very often; they _________ just buy food from their supermarket and clothes from Marks & Spencer's or Littlewoods. They __________ round, they ________ time, they _________ .

City shops ______ their best to attract them with exciting windows, and special offers. In the West End of London, shops ________ thousands of pounds on lights and decorations, and they ______ on special window displays. Some people ________ in to London by special bus, just to see the lights and shop windows; but everyone _________ something too, of course!

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