A supermarket express lane (通道) is a cashier checkout designed for a limited number of items, such as a little snack or a little handful of goods. Having an express lane allows the shopper with a few items to get out of the store quickly. 【小题1】

The express checkout lane usually has a smaller counter area than the regular checkout lanes. It’s also narrower since it is not made for grocery carts to go through. 【小题2】 Shoppers that need only one or two items may not even use a basket and instead just carry the items in their hands to the express checkout.

【小题3】 Even if you’re not the first one in line, if the people in front of you have 10 itemsor less, it should take less time than if you have people with cartloads full of items in front of you. Yet, sometimes it may be faster to check out a small number of items in a regular lane if there are many people lined up in the express lane, but only one or two in the regular lane.

In determining if the express checkout would be the fastest, focus on the number of items ahead of you rather than going by the number of people in line. 【小题4】 Sometimes, the line may come to a stop if a customer is questioning the price of something or needs to exchange an item.

The self-checkout system may replace the express lane. Some customers appreciate being able to check out their items themselves. 【小题5】 If a supermarket doesn’t have an express lane of some kind, shoppers may be tempted to pay a bit more and buy their extra milk or other items at a convenience store.