Karen Smith is a buyer for a department store in New York. Department store buyers purchase the goods that their stores sell. They not only have to know what is fashionable at the moment, but also have to guess what will become fashionable next season or next year.

Most buyers work for just one department in a store, but the goods that Karen finds may be displayed and sold in several different sections of the store. Her job involves buying handicrafts from all over the world.

Last year, she made a trip to Morocco, and returned with rugs, pots, dishes, and pans. The year before, she visited Mexico, and brought back hand-made table cloths, mirrors with frames of tin, and paper flowers. The paper flowers are bright and colorful, so they were used to decorate the whole store. This year, Karen is traveling in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Many of the countries that Karen visits have government offices that promote handicrafts. They officials are glad to cooperate with her, by showing her the products that are available.

Karen especially likes to visit markets and small towns and villages whenever she can arrange for it. She’s always looking for interesting and unusual items. Karen thinks she has the best job she could have found. She loves all the traveling that she has to do, because she often visits markets and small out-of-the-way places. She sees much more of the country she visits than an ordinary tourists would. As soon as she gets back to New York from one trip, Karen begins to plan another.

16. What is said to make a good department store buyer?
17. What does Karen’s job involve?
18. Why does Karen think she has got the best job?