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 1 Ready, Click, Spend! — Basic Story

Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. They share a festive meal, watch football, and enjoy each other's
company. For some people, shopping is a big part of their Thanksgiving tradition as well.
For many years, the day after Thanksgiving has been the busiest shopping day of the year. Many stores have
sales on that day. Many people go to the sales so they can save money. The shoppers are looking for bargains.
This busy shopping day is called "Black Friday."
Recently, researchers have noticed another busy shopping day. This day is a little different. It is the busiest day
of the year for online shopping. The Monday after Thanksgiving has become known as "Cyber Monday." On
this day, more and more shoppers buy their holiday gifts online.
One organization took a survey. The survey found that 80 percent of Internet users buy gifts online. Some cities
have more online shoppers than others. The survey found that shoppers in one city will spend one third of their
holiday budget online.
But, most shoppers still do not want to buy online. They are afraid to use their credit card on a Website. They
fear that their credit card number will be stolen. They worry that retail Websites are not secure. They are afraid
that shopping sites could be hacked into. Their personal banking information could be stolen. This is called
fraud.
Shopping online is a new way for people to shop. An expert in preventing fraud says shoppers should be careful.
He says that online shoppers should use caution when they shop online. He has some helpful tips to keep
shoppers safe. If you decide to shop online, follow these rules:
First, don't follow an email link to a shopping Website. The link could lead to a fake site. Type the retailers'
address into your browser yourself. Also, make sure that you are shopping on a secure server. You should see a
little lock at the bottom of the screen. The picture means you are on a secure server and it's safe to shop. One
last tip is to avoid using debit cards online. Credit cards are a safer choice.
The survey predicts that more people will shop online in the future. But holiday shoppers will still shop in stores
to find good bargains.

 2 bargain

something bought at a good price

 3 budget

the set amount of money to be spent on one or more items

 4 caution

close attention or care

 5 festive

merry and joyful

 6 fraud

the act of cheating someone to get money

 7 predict

to tell in advance that something will happen

 8 retail

having to do with the sale of items

 9 secure

safe; free from harm

 10 tradition

a celebration passed from parents to children

 11 Website

a location or page on the World Wide Web

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