B
I love charity shops and so do lots of other people in Britain because you find quite a few of them on every high street. The charity shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices. You can get things you won’t find in the shops anymore. The thing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet, but finding a new home for unwanted goods.
The first charity shop was opened in 1947 by Oxfam. The famous charity’s appeal to aid post-war Greece had been so successful that it had been flooded with donations. They decided to set up a shop to sell some of these donations to raise money for that appeal. Now there are over 7,000 charity shops in the UK. My favorite charity shop in my hometown is the Red Cross shop, where I always find Children’s books, all 10 or 20 pence each.
Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers, although there is often a manager who gets paid. Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public. Every morning you see bags of unwanted items outside the front of shops, although they don’t encourage this, rather ask people to bring things in when the shop is open.
The shops have very low running costs, and all profits go to charity work. Charity shops raise more than￡110 million a year, funding medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, homeless and disabled people, and much more. What better places to spend your money? You get something special for a very good price and a good moral sense. You provide funds to a good cause and step lightly on the environment.
4. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to __________?
A. the famous charity’s appeal B. the first charity shop
C. postwar Greece D. the famous charity: Oxfam
5. The author loves the charity shop mainly because _____________.
A. it is convenient and close to his house
B. it has a wide range of goods
C. it is willing to contribute to a great cause
D. it offers a nice shopping environment
6. The first charity shop in the UK was set up to_______________.
A. sell cheap products to Greece B. help a foreign country to restore itself
C. deal with unwanted things D. raise money for patients
7. Which of the following is TRUE about charity shops?
A. The operating costs are very high. B. The staff are mostly voluntary.
C. 90% of the donations are second-hand. D. They are open twenty-four hours a day.
