Exercise RC7-8, page CAN YOU understand this text? - English File Studetn's book, pre-intermediate, Oxford

CAN YOU understand this text?

a Read the article. Does it give you...?

1 explanations and tips about queuing

2 the history of queuing

3 stories about queuing

HOW TO BE A QUEUE WINNER

Do you know why the queues at the other checkouts in the supermarket always seem to move faster than yours? A new book by David Andrews, Why Does the Other Line Always Move Faster?, has the answer: because you only notice how fast the other queues are moving when yours is moving slowly. If your queue moves fast, then you won't notice the slower queues at all, because you're busy unloading your trolley, putting things into bags, and paying.

Of course another part of the answer is simple probability. If there are three queues in the supermarket and you join the middle one, there is a two in three chance that one of the other queues will be the fastest, whereas yours only has a one in three chance.

SO HOW CAN YOU BE A QUEUE WINNER?

According to Andrews, this is what you should do:

1 CHOOSE A QUEUE THAT HAS MORE MEN IN IT. Men are less patient than women, and sometimes give up and leave the queue if it's moving very slowly.

2 CHOOSE A QUEUE ON THE LEFT. Most people are right-handed, and choose queues on the right, so queues on the left are often shorter.

3 DON'T USE THE EXPRESS LANE. Lots of people with a few items can be slower than a few people with lots of items.

4 IF YOU CAN, CHOOSE A CHECKOUT WHICH IS 'CASH ONLY'. Using cash is usually quicker than paying by card.

5 DON'T THINK TOO MUCH! Sometimes it's best just to join the queue with the fewest people.

British and American English

queue = British English

line = American English

b Read the article again. Match the sentence halves.

1 If your queue moves fast,

2 If there are three queues,

3 If there are a lot of women in the queue,

4 If you choose a queue on the left,

5 If there are a lot of people in the express lane,

6 If people pay cash,

a yours will probably not be the fastest.

b it will move more slowly than a normal lane.

c you'll be too busy to notice the other queues.

d they'll pay more quickly than with cards.

e you will probably spend less time waiting.

f it will move more slowly than a queue with lots of men.

a. Прочитайте статью. Дает ли она вам...?
1. объяснения и советы об очередях
2. историю очередей
3. рассказы об очередях

Ответ:

1. explanations and tips about queuing

(объяснения и советы об очередях)

b. Прочитайте статью еще раз. Соотнесите части предложений.

Ответ:

1 - c. If your queue moves fast, you'll be too busy to notice the other queues.

(Если ваша очередь движется быстро, вы будете слишком заняты, чтобы замечать другие очереди.)

2 - a. If there are three queues, yours will probably not be the fastest.

(Если есть три очереди, ваша, вероятно, не будет самой быстрой.)

3 - f. If there are a lot of women in the queue, it will move more slowly than a queue with lots of men.

(Если в очереди много женщин, она будет двигаться медленнее, чем очередь с большим количеством мужчин.)

4 - e. If you choose a queue on the left, you will probably spend less time waiting.

(Если вы выберете очередь слева, вы, вероятно, потратите меньше времени на ожидание.)

5 - b. If there are a lot of people in the express lane, it will move more slowly than a normal lane.

(Если на экспресс-кассе много людей, она будет двигаться медленнее, чем обычная касса.)

6 - d. If people pay cash, they'll pay more quickly than with cards.

(Если люди платят наличными, они расплатятся быстрее, чем картами.)