Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. He knows what he wants, and his purpose is to find it and buy it; the price is a less important consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it, the salesman immediately produces it, and the business of trying it is done at once. All being well, the bargain can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any chat and to everyone's satisfaction.
For a man, slight problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants. Then the salesman tries to sell the customer something else—he offers the nearest he can to the thing required. He usually says, "I know this jacket is not the style you want, sir, but would you like to try it on for size? It happens to be the color you want." Few men have patience with this treatment, and the usual reply is: "This is the right color and may be the right size, but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on."
Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? She does so in the opposite. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only "having a look round." She is always open to persuasion; indeed she considers of great importance what the saleswoman tells her, even what her friends tell her. She will try on any number of things. Highest in her mind is the thought of finding something that everyone thinks suits her. Most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always trying to find an unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one counter to another before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It takes a great deal of time but gives great joy. Most dress shops supply chairs for the waiting husbands.
53. When a man is buying clothes, he ___________.
A. puts price before quality B. chooses things that others think suitable for him
C. does not mind much the price he has to pay for the right things
D. buys good quality things, so long as they do not cost too much
54. When a man cannot get what he wants, he ________.
A. buys something of the same color in a slight different style
B. usually does not buy anything
C. will try on some other clothes of the same style
D. wastes no time in buying something else
55. What does the passage tell us about women shoppers for clothes ?
A. They welcome suggestions from anyone
B. Women seldom consider buying cheap clothes
C. Women often buy things without thinking D. They listen to advice but never take it
56. The most obvious difference between men and women shoppers is ________.
A. that men do not try clothes on in a shop while women do
B. that women bargain for their clothes and men don't
C. that women do their shopping standing up but men do theirs sitting down
D. the time they take over buying clothes