Academic Test 4 – Passage 01: Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping reading answers with location, explanation and pdf summary.
Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping
Research in Britain has shown that green consumers’ continue to flourish as a significant group amongst shoppers. This suggests that politicians who claim environmentalism is yesterday’s issue may be seriously misjudging the public mood.
A report from Mintel, the market research organisation, says that despite recession and financial pressures, more people than ever want to buy environmentally friendly products and a ‘green wave’ has swept through consumerism, taking in people previously untouched by environmental concerns. The recently published report also predicts that the process will repeat itself with ‘ethical’ concerns, involving issues such as fair trade with the Third World and the social record of businesses. Companies will have to be more honest and open in response to this mood.
Mintel’s survey, based on nearly 1,000 consumers, found that the proportion who look for green products and are prepared to pay more for them has climbed from 53 per cent in 1990 to around 60 per cent in 1994. On average, they will pay 13 per cent more for such products, although this percentage is higher among women, managerial and professional groups and those aged 35 to 44.
Between 1990 and 1994 the proportion of consumers claiming to be unaware of or unconcerned about green issues fell from 18 to 10 per cent but the number of green spenders among older people and manual workers has risen substantially. Regions such as Scotland have also caught up with the south of England in their environmental concerns. According to Mintel, the image of green consumerism as associated in the past with the more eccentric members of society has virtually disappeared. The consumer research manager for Mintel, Angela Hughes, said it had become firmly established as a mainstream market. She explained that as far as the average person is concerned environmentalism has not gone off the boil’. In fact, it has spread across a much wider range of consumer groups, ages and occupations.
Mintel’s 1994 survey found that 13 per cent of consumers are ‘very dark green’, nearly always buying environmentally friendly products, 28 per cent are ‘dark green’, trying ‘as far as possible’ to buy such products, and 21 per cent are ‘pale green’ – tending to buy green products if they see them. Another 26 per cent are ‘armchair greens’; they said they care about environmental issues but their concern does not affect their spending habits. Only 10 per cent say they do not care about green issues.
Four in ten people are ‘ethical spenders’, buying goods which do not, for example, involve dealings with oppressive regimes. This figure is the same as in 1990, although the number of ‘armchair ethicals’ has risen from 28 to 35 per cent and only 22 per cent say they are unconcerned now, against 30 per cent in 1990. Hughes claims that in the twenty-first century, consumers will be encouraged to think more about the entire history of the products and services they buy, including the policies of the companies that provide them and that this will require a greater degree of honesty with consumers.
Among green consumers, animal testing is the top issue – 48 per cent said they would be deterred from buying a product it if had been tested on animals – followed by concerns regarding irresponsible selling, the ozone layer, river and sea pollution, forest destruction, recycling and factory farming. However, concern for specific issues is lower than in 1990, suggesting that many consumers feel that Government and business have taken on the environmental agenda.
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer of Reading Passage ?
In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
1. The research findings report commercial rather than political trends.
2. Being financially better off has made shoppers more sensitive to buying ‘green’.
3. The majority of shoppers are prepared to pay more for the benefit of the environment according to the research findings.
4. Consumers’ green shopping habits are influenced by Mintel’s findings.
5. Mintel have limited their investigation to professional and managerial groups.
6. Mintel undertakes market surveys on an annual basis.
Questions 7-9
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.
7. Politicians may have ‘misjudged the public mood’ because …
A) they are pre-occupied with the recession and financial problems.
B) there is more widespread interest in the environment agenda than they anticipated.
C) consumer spending has increased significantly as a result of ‘green’ pressure.
D) shoppers are displeased with government policies on a range of issues.
8. What is Mintel?
A) an environmentalist group
B) a business survey organisation
C) an academic research team
D) a political organisation
9. A consumer expressing concern for environmental issues without actively supporting such principles is…
A) an ‘ethical spender’.
B) a ‘very dark green’ spender.
C) an ‘armchair green’.
D) a ‘pale green’ spender.
Questions 10-13
Complete the summary using words from the box below.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more answers than spaces, so you will not use them all.
The Mintel report suggests that in future companies will be forced to practise greater … (10) … in their dealings because of the increased awareness amongst… (11)… of ethical issues. This prediction is supported by the growth in the number of … (12)… identified in the most recent survey published. As a consequence, it is felt that companies will have to think more carefully about their … (13)….
Answers with Explanation
Check out Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping reading answers below with locations and explanations given in the text:
1. YES
2. NO
3. YES
4. NOT GIVEN
5. NO
6. NOT GIVEN
7. B
8. B
9. C
10. honesty and openness
11. consumers
12. armchair ethicals
13. social record
Wondering how the answers are chosen?? Then, read Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping reading answers explained below:
YES/NO/NOT GIVEN
| Question | Answer Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1. The research findings report commercial rather than political trends. | Underline keywords: research findings, report, commercial, than, political trends In the paragraph 2, in lines 9-14, the writer explains, “___The recently published report also predicts that the process will repeat itself with ‘ethical’ concerns, involving issues such as fair trade with the Third World and the social record of businesses___.” In this text, The recently published report also predicts that means that ➙ the research findings report, & fair trade with the Third World and the social record of businesses means that ➙ commercial rather than political trends Hence, the answer is going to be: YES |
| 2. Being financially better off has made shoppers more sensitive to buying ‘green’. | Underline keywords: being financially better off, made, shoppers, more sensitive, buying ‘green’ If we see the starting lines in paragraph 2, “__despite recession and financial pressures, more people than ever want to buy environmentally friendly products and a ‘green wave’ has swept through consumerism.____” In this text, despite recession and financial pressures means that ➙ being financially unstable (opposite to ‘better off’) & more people than ever want to buy means that ➙ made shoppers more sensitive & environmentally friendly products means that ➙ green products As you see, it completely contradicts the statement in the question. Hence, the answer is going to be: NO |
| 3. The majority of shoppers are prepared to pay more for the benefit of the environment according to the research findings. | Underline keywords: majority of shoppers, prepared to pay more, benefit of the environment, research findings In the paragraph 3, in lines 1-6, “Mintel’s survey, based on nearly 1,000 consumers, found that the proportion who look for green products and are prepared to pay more for them has climbed from 53 per cent in 1990 to around 60 per cent in 1994_____.” In this text, climbed from 53 per cent in 1990 to around 60 per cent in 1994 means that ➙ the majority of shoppers & the proportion who look for green products and are prepared to pay more means that ➙ prepared to pay more for the benefit of the environment Hence, the answer is going to be: YES |
| 4. Consumers’ green shopping habits are influenced by Mintel’s findings. | Underline keywords: Consumers’ green shopping habits, influenced by, Mintel’s findings This passage talks about the research work of Mintel; nevertheless, there is NO information about consumers’ green shopping habits and influence of Mintel’s findings on them. Hence, the answer is going to be: NOT GIVEN |
| 5. Mintel have limited their investigation to professional and managerial groups. | Underline keywords: Mintel, invited, their investigation, professional, managerial groups Look at the ending lines of paragraph 3, “ ___ although this percentage is higher among women, managerial and professional groups and those aged 35 to 44.” These lines made it crystal clear that Mintel has NOT limited their investigation to professional and managerial groups only; women and people aged 35 to 44 were also part of the investigation. Hence, the answer is going to be: NO |
| 6. Mintel undertakes market surveys on an annual basis. | Underline keywords: Mintel, undertakes, market surveys, annual basis In the whole text, we find NO information on whether Mintel undertakes market surveys on an annual basis or not. Hence, the answer is going to be: NOT GIVEN |
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
| Question | Answer Explanation |
|---|---|
| 7. Politicians may have ‘misjudged the public mood’ because … | Underline keywords: politicians, may have, ‘misjudged the public mood’ Look at the 1st paragraph, the writer explains, “Research in Britain has shown that ‘green consumers’ continue to flourish as a significant group amongst shoppers. This suggests that politicians who claim environmentalism is yesterday’s issue may be seriously misjudging the public mood.” In this text, ‘green consumers’ continue to flourish as a significant group amongst shoppers means that ➙ there is more widespread interest in the environment agenda Hence, the answer is going to be: B |
| 8. What is Mintel? | Keywords for the question: what, Mintel Look at the starting lines of paragraph 2, “A report from Mintel, the market research organisation,____” In this text, market research organisation means that ➙ business survey organisation Hence, the answer is going to be: B |
| 9. A consumer expressing concern for environmental issues without actively supporting such principles is… | Underline keywords: consumer, expressing concern, environmental issues, without, actively supporting, such principles Carefully look at the lines 9-11 of paragraph 5, “____‘armchair greens’; they said they care about environmental issues but their concern does not affect their spending habits.___” In this text, care about environmental issues means that ➙ expressing concern for environmental issues & their concern does not affect their spending habits means that ➙ without actively supporting such principles Hence, the answer is going to be: C |
SUMMARY COMPLETION
| Question | Answer Explanation |
|---|---|
| The Mintel report suggests that in future companies will be forced to practise greater … (10) … in their dealings because of the increased awareness amongst… (11)… of ethical issues. | Underline keywords: the Mintel report, in future, companies will be forced, practise, greater, because of, increased awareness, ethical issues Let’s look at the ending lines of paragraph 2, “____The recently published report also predicts that the process will repeat itself with ‘ethical’ concerns, involving issues such as fair trade with the Third World and the social record of businesses. Companies will have to be more honest and open in response to this mood.___” In this text, The recently published report means that ➙ The Mintel report & Companies will have to be means that ➙ in future companies will be forced to practise & more means that ➙ greater & honest and open means that ➙ honesty and openness Now, look at the start of paragraph 3, “Mintel’s survey, based on nearly 1,000 consumers_____.” Hence, the answers are going to be:honesty and openness, consumers |
| This prediction is supported by the growth in the number of … (12)… identified in the most recent survey published. | Underline keywords: this prediction, supported by, growth, number of, identified, most recent survey In the paragraph 6, look at the lines 4-9, “____This figure is the same as in 1990, although the number of ‘armchair ethicals’ has risen from 28 to 35 per cent and only 22 per cent say they are unconcerned now, against 30 per cent in 1990_____.” In this text, risen from 28 to 35 per cent means that ➙ This prediction is supported by the growth in the number Hence, the answer is going to be: armchair ethicals |
| As a consequence, it is felt that companies will have to think more carefully about their … (13)…. | Underline keywords: as a consequence, felt that, companies, will have to think, more carefully Look at the paragraph 6, in lines 9-13, the author says, “ ______Hughes claims that in the twenty-first century, consumers will be encouraged to think more about the entire history of the products and services they buy.” In this text, entire history of the products and services they buy means that ➙ social record, Hence, the answer is going to be: social record |
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