Reading passage
Every Saturday morning, Maria goes to the supermarket near her flat. She likes this shop because it is big, clean, and cheap. The supermarket opens at seven o'clock, and Maria always arrives early. She says the shop is quiet at that time, so she can walk slowly and choose things carefully.
Before she leaves home, Maria writes a shopping list. She checks the fridge and the cupboards first. Then she writes down what the family needs. Her list usually has milk, eggs, bread, fruit, and vegetables on it. Maria says a list helps her to save money. Without a list, she often buys things she does not really need.
The supermarket has many different sections. The fruit and vegetables are near the entrance. The bread section is at the back of the shop. Milk and cheese are in the cold part on the left. Maria knows the shop very well now, so she can find everything quickly. When she first came here, she often got lost between the shelves.
Maria always starts with the fruit and vegetables. She picks bananas, apples, carrots, and potatoes. She looks at the dates on the bags of salad. Fresh food is very important to her. Her children eat an apple every day after school. Sometimes the supermarket has special offers on fruit, and then Maria buys a little extra for the week.
Next, Maria goes to the bread section. Her family eats brown bread because it is good for them. Her husband likes bread rolls for his lunch at work. Maria also buys a cake when there is a birthday in the family. Last week, she bought a chocolate cake for her son Tom. He said it was the best cake ever, and he ate three pieces.
After that, Maria gets milk, cheese, and yoghurt from the cold section. She takes the milk with the longest date on it. That way, the milk stays fresh for many days. She also buys butter and a box of eggs. The eggs are from a farm near the town. They cost a little more, but Maria thinks they taste better than normal eggs.
At the end of her shop, Maria walks to the checkout. There are ten checkouts, but not all of them are open in the morning. Maria usually pays with her bank card. Sometimes she uses her phone to pay. She puts all the food into her own bags. She never takes plastic bags because she wants to help the environment.
The supermarket sells more than food. There is a part with things for cleaning the house. There is also a small part with books and magazines. Near the checkouts, there are sweets and chocolate. Maria never looks at them. She says they are too close to the checkout because the shop wants people to buy them quickly.
The people who work in the supermarket are friendly. Maria knows some of them by name. A man called Sam often helps her to find things. The shop also has a small cafe next to the entrance. Sometimes Maria sits there with a cup of tea after her shop. She says it is a nice way to start the weekend.
Maria's neighbour Anna does not like big supermarkets. She buys her food in small shops in the town centre. She says small shops are friendlier and the food is fresher. Maria understands this, but for her the supermarket is easier. Everything is in one place, and the prices are lower. For a family with three children, that matters a lot.
For Maria, the weekly shop is more than just buying food. It is part of her routine, and she enjoys it. She plans the family meals while she walks through the shop. On Sunday, the family always has a big lunch together. Most of the food for that lunch comes from Maria's Saturday trip to the supermarket.
Next month, the supermarket will close for two days for new floors. Maria is not happy about this, but she understands. She plans to go on Friday evening that week instead. The shop will look different after the work, and Maria is curious about the changes. She hopes the bread section will stay at the back, where she can always find it.