What Is It Like To Run A Large Supermarket? - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 11 General Training Reading Test 2 · Part 3 · Questions 28–40
Reading Passage
What is it like to run a large supermarket?
Jill Insley finds out
A You can’t beat really good service. I’ve been shopping in the Thamesmead branch of supermarket chain Morrisons, in south-east London, and I’ve experienced at first hand, the store’s latest maxim for improving the shopping experience — help, offer, thank. This involves identifying customers who might need help, greeting them, asking what they need, providing it, thanking them and leaving them in peace. If they don’t look like they want help, they’ll be left alone. But if they’re standing looking lost and perplexed, a member of staff will approach them. Staff are expected to be friendly to everyone. My checkout assistant has certainly said something to amuse the woman in front of me, she’s smiling as she leaves. Adrian Perriss, manager of the branch, has discussed the approach with each of his 387 staff. He says it’s about recognising that someone needs help, not being a nuisance to them. When he’s in another store, he’s irritated by someone saying, ‘Can I help you?’ when he’s only just walked in to have a quick look at the products.
B How anyone can be friendly and enthusiastic when they start work at dawn beats me. The store opens at 7 am, Monday to Saturday, meaning that some staff, including Perriss, have to be here at 6 am to make sure it’s clean, safe and stocked up for the morning rush. Sometimes he walks in at 6 am and thinks they’re never going to be ready on time — but they always are. There’s so much going on overnight — 20 people working on unloading three enormous trailers full of groceries.
C Perriss has worked in supermarkets since 1982, when he became a trolley boy on a weekly salary of £76. ‘It was less money than my previous job, but I loved it. It was different and diverse. I was doing trolleys, portering, bread, cakes, dairy and general maintenance.’ After a period in the produce department, looking after the fruit and vegetables, he was made produce manager, then assistant store manager, before reaching the top job in 1998. This involved intensive training and assessment through the company’s future store manager programme, learning how to analyse and prioritise sales. wastage, recruitment and many other issues. Perriss’ first stop as store manager was at a store which was closed soon afterwards — though he was not to blame.
D Despite the disappointing start, his career went from strength to strength and he was put in charge of launching new stores and heading up a ‘concept’ store, where the then new ideas of preparing and cooking pizzas in store, and having a proper florist, and fruit and vegetable ‘markets’ were Mailed. All Morrisons’ managers from the whole country spent three days there to see the new concept. ‘That was hard work,’ he says, ‘long days, seven days a week, for about a year.’
E Although he oversees a store with a large turnover, there is a strongly practical aspect to Perriss’s job. As we walk around, he chats to all the staff while checking the layout of their counters and the quality of the produce. He examines the baking potato shelf and rejects three, one that has split virtually in half and two that are beginning to go green. He then pulls out a lemon that looks fine to me. When I ask why, he picks up a second lemon and says: ‘Close your eyes and just feel and tell me which you would keep.’ I do and realise that while one is firm and hard, the other is going a bit squashy.
F Despite eagle-eyed Perriss pulling out fruit and veg that most of us would buy without a second thought, the wastage each week is tiny: produce worth £4,200 is marked down for a quick sale, and only £400-worth is scrapped. This, he explains, is down to Morrisons’ method of ordering, still done manually rather than by computer. Department heads know exactly how much they’ve sold that day and how much they’re likely to sell the next, based on sales records and allowing for influences such as the weather.
G Perriss is in charge of 1,000 man-hours a week across the store. To help him, he has a key team of four, who each have direct responsibility for different departments. He is keen to hear what staff think. He recently held a ‘talent’ day, inviting employees interested in moving to a new job within the store to come and talk to him about why they thought they should be promoted, and discuss how to go about it. ‘We had twenty-three people come through the door, people wanting to talk about progression,’ he says. ‘What do they need to do to become a supervisor? Twenty-three people will be better members of staff as a result of that talk.’
H His favourite department is fish, which has a 4 m-long counter run by Debbie and Angela, who are busy having a discussion about how to cook a particular fish with a customer. But it is one of just 20 or so departments around the store and Perriss admits the pressure of making sure he knows what’s happening on them all can be intense. ‘You have to do so much and there could be something wrong with every single one, every day,’ he says. ‘You’ve got to minimise those things and shrink them into perspective. You’ve got to love the job.’ And Perriss certainly does.
Questions
Questions 28–35 Matching Features
The text has eight sections. A-H. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-x, in boxes on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Why Perriss chose a career in supermarkets
ii Preparing for customers to arrive
iii Helping staff to develop
iv Demonstrating a different way of organising a store
v The benefit of accurate forecasting
vi Keeping everything running as smoothly as possible
vii Making sure the items on sale are good enough
viii Noticing when customers need assistance
ix How do staff feel about Perriss?
x Perriss’s early career
Questions 36–40 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q28 | viii | If they don't look like they want help, they'll be left alone. But if they're standing looking lost and perplexed, a member of staff will approach them | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that if a customer doesn't want help, staff will not bother them, but if a customer looks lost, staff will go to help them. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the section talks about how staff help customers when they need it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'viii' because Section A describes how store staff approach and assist customers who seem confused or lost, while leaving those who do not want help alone. This emphasizes the importance of noticing when customers need assistance. |
| Q29 | ii | The store opens at 7 am, Monday to Saturday, meaning that some staff, including Perriss, have to be here at 6 am to make sure it's clean, safe and stocked up for the morning rush | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that the store gets ready for customers at 6 am. Staff work to make everything clean and filled with products before people arrive at 7 am. Answer Explanation: The answer means that this section talks about how staff prepare the store for customers before it opens. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ii' because this section explains what happens early in the morning before customers arrive. It describes how staff, including the manager, come in early to make sure the store is clean and ready. The focus is on preparing for the morning when customers start to shop. |
| Q30 | x | Perriss has worked in supermarkets since 1982, when he became a trolley boy on a weekly salary of £76. 'It was less money than my previous job, but I loved it. It was different and diverse | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about how Perriss began his job in supermarkets in 1982 as a trolley boy. Even though he earned less money, he really liked the work because it was varied and interesting. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Section C talks about Perriss's early career in supermarkets. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'x' because Section C describes how Perriss started his career in supermarkets as a trolley boy and explains his various roles and progress over the years. It gives details about his first job and how he felt about it. Key points are him working in different roles and eventually becoming a manager. |
| Q31 | iv | 'That was hard work,' he says, 'long days, seven days a week, for about a year.' | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that it was difficult work and took a lot of time for Perriss to create the new ideas in the store. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'iv', which means that the section talks about showing a new way to set up a store. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iv' because section D describes how Perriss was in charge of launching new stores and trying new ideas, like having fresh pizza and a florist. This shows a different way of organizing a supermarket. |
| Q32 | vii | He examines the baking potato shelf and rejects three, one that has split virtually in half and two that are beginning to go green | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Perriss looks at the potatoes and does not accept the ones that are bad. This means he wants to sell only good potatoes. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the main focus of section E is making sure that the food and products sold in the store are of good quality. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vii' because in section E, Perriss checks the quality of food items in the store to ensure that they are fresh and good enough for customers. This shows that he cares about the quality of what they sell. |
| Q33 | v | This, he explains, is down to Morrisons' method of ordering, still done manually rather than by computer. Department heads know exactly how much they've sold that day and how much they're likely to sell the next, based on sales records and allowing for influences such as the weather | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the store's way of ordering products is done by hand, not using computers. The leaders know what they have sold each day and can guess how much they will sell later, depending on sales history and other factors like the weather. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Section F talks about how good predictions help the supermarket with the right amount of products. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'v' because in Section F, it describes how the store uses manual ordering based on sales records to predict how much they will sell. This helps reduce waste, meaning that they do not throw away too much food. Keywords to notice are 'method of ordering', 'sales records', and 'wastage'. |
| Q34 | iii | He recently held a 'talent' day, inviting employees interested in moving to a new job within the store to come and talk to him about why they thought they should be promoted, and discuss how to go about it | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Perriss had a special day for workers to share their wishes to get better jobs and help them understand what they need to do to grow in their careers. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the section talks about how Perriss helps his employees improve and grow in their jobs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iii Helping staff to develop' because section G describes how Perriss cares about his employees' progress. He held a 'talent' day to discuss with workers who want promotions and support their growth. |
| Q35 | vi | 'You have to do so much and there could be something wrong with every single one, every day,' he says. 'You've got to minimise those things and shrink them into perspective. You've got to love the job.' | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that Perriss understands how many tasks he has and knows that problems can happen every day. He believes it is important to solve these problems and enjoy his work. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Perriss works hard to make sure the supermarket runs well and everything is good for the customers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the section discussing how Perriss talks to staff and checks the counters and products in the store. He is focused on managing everything to ensure the store operates smoothly, showing he cares about keeping things organized and up to standard. |
| Q36 | FALSE | f they don’t look like they want help, they’ll be left alone. But if they’re standing looking lost and perplexed, a member of staff will approach them. Staff are expected to be friendly to everyone. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that staff should be nice to everyone but only help those who seem confused. If a customer looks okay, they do not need help. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE. This means that Perriss does not tell all staff to help every customer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because Perriss's approach focuses on offering help only to customers who need it. If customers look lost or confused, staff will help them, but if they don't, staff should leave them alone. This shows that not all customers are approached for help. |
| Q37 | TRUE | Sometimes he walks in at 6 am and thinks they're never going to be ready on time — but they always are | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that sometimes Perriss arrives early and worries that the store is not prepared to open for customers, but in the end, it always is ready. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Perriss sometimes feels concerned that the store might not be ready when customers come. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage says that sometimes Perriss thinks they are not going to be ready on time. This shows he does worry about the store being ready for customers. |
| Q38 | NOT GIVEN | This involved intensive training and assessment through the company's future store manager programme, learning how to analyse and prioritise sales. wastage, recruitment and many other issues. Perriss' first stop as store manager was at a store which was closed soon afterwards — though he was not to blame | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about Perriss's training and that his first store as manager closed after he started, but it does not say if he knew it would close before he became manager. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage does not tell us if Perriss knew the store would close when he became its manager. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage mentions that Perriss's first store as a manager closed soon after he started, but it does not say whether he knew it would close beforehand or not. |
| Q39 | FALSE | 'We had twenty-three people come through the door, people wanting to talk about progression,' he says | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that twenty-three employees came to speak with Perriss about how to get promoted, showing that he anticipated this interest and was not astonished by the number of staff wanting to learn about promotion. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE. This means that Perriss was not surprised by how many staff wanted to talk about promotion. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the passage says that twenty-three employees came to talk to Perriss about progression, and he expected such interest in promotions during the discussion. He mentioned, 'We had twenty-three people come through the door,' which indicates he was prepared for this and not surprised. |
| Q40 | NOT GIVEN | produce worth £4,200 is marked down for a quick sale, and only £400-worth is scrapped | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that they reduce the price of £4,200 worth of produce to sell it quickly, but only £400 worth of it is actually thrown away. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the passage does not provide enough information to say if produce worth £4,200 is thrown away every week. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage states that produce worth £4,200 is marked down for a quick sale, but it tells us that only £400-worth is actually scrapped. This means there is not enough information to confirm the £4,200 amount is thrown away. |