IV. Read the passage and answer the following questions. SHOPPING MALLS Since 1945 there has been an important change in cities in the United States and Canada- the growth of shopping centers, or shopping malls. Before World War II (1939-1945) cities had department stores, other smaller stores, and offices. These were in the center of the city, called downtown. Around downtown there were residential areas with houses and apartments. After World War II, as cities grew larger and larger, it became more and more difficult to drive downtown to go shopping. Store owners decided they could do more business if they left downtown and move closer to the new residential areas. As a result, today we find many shopping centers on the main streets of residential areas. Downtown in most cities is not as important for shopping as it was before 1945. A large shopping centre, or mall, usually has about 50 to 100 stores of all kinds and large parking lot for cars. It is near a residential area, not downtown, and parking in the park lot is free. Most malls have two or more department stores that sell everything you can imagine- clothes, toys, cameras, and sports equipment. These department stores also sell furniture, dishes, towels, and other things for the home. Some shopping centers have supermarkets that sell food. Some have drugstores that sell medicine and hundreds of other things. The other stores in a shopping center usually each sell only one kind of thing- books, shoes, music cassettes and CDs, computers, or almost anything else you can imagine. A shopping center often has several fast-food restaurants and larger restaurants that serve snacks, lunch, and dinner. In North America, there are several very large shopping malls. The West Edmonton Mall in Canada has 600 stores, 110 places to eat, and 19 movie theatres! In the United States, the Mall of America has 400 stores, 40 restaurants, and 14 movie theaters. There are also many exciting things to do at these two malls. For example, people can play miniature golf, ride a roller coaster, listen to music, get a haircut, or even stay overnight in a hotel. Many of the stores in shopping malls belong to large companies. These companies have stores in cities all over North America. People can shop in the same stores in Toronto or Montreal, in Boston or Chicago, in Dallas or in Denver. Questions A. Answer the questions about the reading. 1. What has changed in North American cities since World War II? - 2. Why did store owners move their stores to shopping centers? - 3. Where do we find shopping centers today? - 4. Where can people park at a shopping center? - 5. What kinds of stores can you find in a shopping mall? - 6. What do department stores sell? - 7. What do drugstore sell? - 8. What do the other stores in malls sell? - 9. Can people eat in a mall? - 10. What other things can people do in a shopping mall? - B. Write T if the sentence is true and F if the sentence is false. 1. A mall is a shopping centre. 2. Before World War II, there were shopping centers downtown. 3. It is always easy to drive in big cities. 4. Some malls have movie theaters and other types of entertainment. 5. Many of the stores in shopping malls belong to large companies. 6. People like shopping centers because they can buy everything they need in one place, and parking is free. 7. A shopping mall is a good place to buy birthday presents for family members and friends. 8. It is difficult for a person to start a small business in a shopping mall. C. Main idea. Check the two main ideas of the reading. (these are the most important ideas of the reading) 1.Shopping centers are on main streets in residential areas. 2.Shopping centers are an important change in cities. 3.Shopping centers have drugstores that sell medicine. 4.Shopping centers have large parking lots. 5.Shopping centers have many kinds of stores and restaurants.