Why Bookshops Are Opening Again
Independent bookshops have been opening rather than closing for several years now, and the reasons say a lot about what people want a shop to be.
1. Read the text
Read the text carefully. You will need it for the exercises below.
For many years, people said that small bookshops would soon disappear. Online stores were cheaper and faster, and thousands of owners closed their doors. But something surprising has happened: in several countries, independent bookshops have started opening again, year after year.
How did they survive? The answer is not price. A small shop cannot stock as many titles as a website, and every book on the shelf usually costs a little more. Instead, these shops offer things a screen cannot. Customers come to browse slowly, touch the books, and enjoy the quiet atmosphere. Many shops also organise events, such as evenings with authors or book clubs for teenagers. The owner often knows regular customers by name and remembers what they like. A personal recommendation from someone who truly loves books feels very different from a suggestion made by a computer. In short, a good bookshop is no longer just a place to buy things; it has become a meeting place for the whole community.
2. Key vocabulary
Match each word from the text with its definition.
- browse
- stock
- shelf
- recommendation
- community
- event
- atmosphere
- owner
- customer
- survive
- to look at things in a shop slowly, without planning to buy anything particular
- to keep goods in a shop, ready to sell
- a flat board on a wall or in a cupboard where books or objects stand
- advice about what someone should choose or try
- the people who live in one area or share an interest
- an organised activity, such as a reading or a book club meeting
- the feeling or mood of a place
- the person a shop or business belongs to
- a person who buys something from a shop
- to continue to exist after a difficult time
3. Check your understanding
Choose the correct answer for each question.
1. What surprising change does the text describe?
- Online bookstores are closing everywhere.
- Independent bookshops have been opening again.
- Books have become much cheaper.
- Authors have stopped visiting bookshops.
2. Why is price NOT the reason small bookshops survived?
- Their books are usually the cheapest.
- They stock more titles than websites.
- Their books usually cost a little more than online.
- They only sell second-hand books.
3. According to the text, what do customers enjoy doing in a bookshop?
- Ordering books to be delivered home.
- Browsing slowly and enjoying the atmosphere.
- Comparing prices on their phones.
- Watching films about authors.
4. Which events does the text mention?
- Cooking classes and concerts.
- Evenings with authors and book clubs.
- Language courses for adults.
- Painting workshops for children.
5. Why does a recommendation from the owner feel special?
- It always comes with a discount.
- It comes from a person who truly loves books.
- It is printed on the receipt.
- It is chosen by a computer program.
6. What has a good bookshop become, according to the text?
- A quiet library with free books.
- A warehouse for online orders.
- A meeting place for the community.
- A café that also sells magazines.
4. Use the new words
Complete each sentence with one word from the box. Use each word once.
browse · stock · shelf · recommendation · community · event · atmosphere · owner · customer · survive
1. I love to ______ in bookshops even when I don't need anything.
2. The shop doesn't ______ that novel, but they can order it for you.
3. Please put the dictionary back on the top ______ .
4. Thanks for your ______ - the book was wonderful!
5. The bookshop organises a special ______ with a local author every month.
6. The café next door has a warm and friendly ______ .
7. The ______ of the shop knows all her regular visitors by name.
8. Many small shops did not ______ when their rents went up.
9. Every ______ who buys three books gets a free bookmark.
10. The new bookshop has become important for the local ______ .
5. Word formation
Choose the correct form of the word to complete each sentence.
1. Can you
- recommend
- recommendation
- recommended
2. Her
- recommend
- recommendation
- recommended
3. The
- own
- owner
- owned
4. It was hard for small shops to
- survive
- survival
- survivor
5. The shop's
- survive
- survival
- survivor
6. She is a keen
- read
- reader
- reading
6. Your opinion
Where do you prefer to buy books: in a shop or online? Write 60-80 words giving your opinion and at least two reasons. Try to use some words from this lesson.
This lesson is interactive: open this page in a browser to fill in the answers and get them checked automatically. Teachers can copy the lesson and edit every part of it.