2nd February

Monday the 2nd February will be just another Monday for us, but Americans will be celebrating "Groundhog Day" and National Change your Windshield Wipers Day and Spain is different, they say.

Cashback

It used to be that shopping was a fairly simple activity - you went to the supermarket, picked up what you needed, paid for it and left. But in recent years it's become a lot more complicated. Supermarkets in the UK now sell much more than food: you can get your insurance there, pay bills and a variety of other services. In many ways they've become a one-stop shop for lots of life's daily chores.
You can also get 'rewards' - join up and get a 'loyalty card' and every time you shop you'll get points and discounts. And just when you thought supermarkets couldn't offer anything else, they turned into mini-banks, offering you cash when you shop. Go into any UK supermarket, pay for your shopping, and you're more than likely to be asked if you want 'any cashback with that?'
This is only offered if you pay by debit card. Effectively, if you buy £30 worth of shopping, you can pay £50 with your debit card and the supermarket will give you your shopping plus, £20 in cash from the till.
Originally introduced by the supermarket giant Tesco, it eases busy shoppers' lives by cutting out an extra visit to the bank. Of course, they didn't just introduce this for the customer's benefit - shops also benefit by having less cash in-house, and by paying less in fees for taking this cash to their local bank.
In recent years the phrase 'cashback!' has also been observed as an exclamation of joy or satisfaction, as in 'It's three drinks for the price of two in the pub tonight. Cashback!'

Question 1 (2 Points)
Indicate whether the following questions are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) British supermarkets have always sold a wide variety of things.
b) You can pay for your telephone and electricity when you go to the supermarket.
c) Tesco is a small company.
d) Some people use the word ‘cashback ’ when they hear some good news.

Question 2 (2 Points)
Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) How does ‘ cashback ’ work?
b) How does a shop benefit if people use ‘cashback ‘?

Question 3 (1.5 points)
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions below.
a) jobs: paragraph 1
b) a reduction in price: paragraph 2
c) eliminate: paragraph 4

Question 4 (1.5 points)
Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) The shop gives customers points and discounts when they use ‘cashback ‘.
Customers
b) Tesco said “The system eases busy shoppers’ lives because they have to visit the bank less frequently..”
Tesco said that
c) People who own a loyalty card are given points and discounts.
If you

Question 5 (3 points)
Write a short essay (120-150words) about the following topic:
“You can buy anything 24/7”.
Self-Access Group.

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