Flea Markets

Cath McLellan

Activity 1

a. a small insect that lives on other animals and bites them

b. different from everything else

c. money you have to spend after you have paid your bills/living costs

d. not very clean or tidy

e. something which has a very good price

f. already been used； not new

g. to throw away something you don't need

The rise of flea markets

Everything and anything for sale

An international trend

The past life of things

Activity 2

Now complete the sentences using words and phrases from the text. Make any changes to the words that are necessary.

1. I didn't have enough money to buy a new car， so I decided to buy a .......... one from a friend of mine—it was only two years old.

2. I have got so many shoes that I never wear—I really need to .......... some.

3. ‘I only paid 25 pounds for this silk dress—It was a real ..........！

4. I think my cat has .......... —he keeps scratching himself.

5. I wore my jeans when we were painting the house， and now they look really .......... .

6. She wanted her website to look different from others and be ..........， so she designed it herself.

7. When I was a student I didn't have much ........， as I only worked part-time in a bar.

Activity 3

Decide if the following statements are true or false， according to the text. Can you correct the false ones？

1. These days， people have more money to spend on the things that they like.

2. The word ‘flea market comes from a French phrase.

3. The original flea markets sold high-quality furniture.

4. Flea markets are a good opportunity to buy things you don't need.

5. A lot of people enjoy buying something which is old and has a story.

Activity 4

Use the adjectives in brackets in either the comparative or superlative form to complete the sentences.

Example： Le Marché aux Puces in Paris is one of the ... most popular ... [popular] markets in the world.

1. Going on holiday in your own country is usually .......... [cheap] than going on holiday to a different country.

2. The .......... [big] market in my town is the Saturday farmers market-there are always hundreds of people there.

3. I like to watch nature programmes on TV as they are .......... [interesting] than typical comedy shows.

4. Buying new furniture is always .......... [expensive] than buying second-hand furniture.

5. This is the .......... [good] meal I have ever eaten！ The food is delicious！

Activity 5

How popular are flea markets where you live？ Have you ever bought anything second-hand？