Passage 2 

 There are many shops in Singapore where customers still bargain, although prices are clearly shown on the goods. There is nothing out of the ordinary in haggling;some shopkeepers expect you to and will be surprised if you accept their prices immediately. We know that the prices in some stores are a bit higher than those in Change Alley,but we also realize that to keep a store like Robinson’s is by no means cheap. Besides,in such places we shop in air-conditioned (空调)comfort. For all these, we pay a little extra. 

It is not always true to say that things in Change Alley cost less. I once bought a Czechoslovakian glass butter-dish from Robinson’s for a little under two dollars. I then went on to Change Alley and just by chance saw an article of the same shape, design and size,in one of the shops. I then asked about its price, and was surprised when the man demanded more than four dollars for it.“How much can you offer?” he shouted at me. I offered him exactly the same price I paid for the article and his reply was shockingly rude (粗鲁).I opened my bag, showed him my receipt,stared at him and walked out of his shop.