Page 129 - ebook English for Tourism

112

C. M6: Reading

Instructional Objective
You will be able to comprehend passages about shopping

Reading Activity 1: Traditional market
Read the passage and answer the questions

For generations, Indonesians have bought their food at traditional markets, pasar.
The term pasar can refer to a gathering of tukang sayur (vendors who sell off carts
which go through residential areas), to a rough, temporary structure where sellers
gather in the morning, to the large, multistory buildings run by PD Pasar Jaya,
Jakarta’s market authority.

Throughout Jakarta, the items sold in pasar are basically the same – fruit,
vegetables, meat and fish, spices, dry goods and household items. Selection may
vary slightly to better serve the needs of the ethnic groups which live in the area.
For example, if the pasar is located near an area where there are many ethnic
Indians, they may have more Indian spices or, if there are a lot of Minangkabau
people living nearby, more Padang spices will be available.

Daily Trip to the Pasar
Going to the pasar is a daily activity for Indonesian women or their household help.
Since refrigerators are too expensive for the poor and Indonesians like their
vegetables and meat fresh, this necessitates a trip to the pasar each day to buy
ingredients for that day’s meals. While shopping in supermarkets is popular
amongst the middle and upper classes, supermarket prices are generally too
expensive for the poor.

Shopping is not all that’s done at the pasar. It’s also a chance to get out of the house
and catch up on all the latest news and gossip with neighbors and friends.
Bargaining