[originaltext] For shopaholics, the post-Christmas period means only one thi

For shopaholics, the post-Christmas period means only one thing—sales! Across the country, prices are slashed on clothing, electronics, home furnishings and more, but London is the place for serious shopping and you can certainly pick up some amazing bargains. The sales start on Boxing Day—26th December, and continue to the month of January, but the keenest bargain hunters get there early to be first through the doors. In Oxford Street queues formed outside shops ahead of pre-dawn openings for the start of their sales. At Brent Gross, in north London, more than 100 people were queuing at 3:30 a. m. for the Next clothing store’s sale which began at 4 a. m. Some people even camped outside the shops to be first in the line. Some people are taking their friends shopping with them, and buying their Christmas presents in the sale—a practical but unromantic way of making sure you get the gift you really want. For a less exciting but less stressful shopping experience, online retailers are also getting in on the act with January sales of their own. The most organized of all are those who are already doing their present shopping for next Christmas, in the January sales!
Questions 16 and 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. Why do people choose London for post-Christmas shopping?
17. When did the sales start?
18. What did people buy in the sales?