Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 02 Academic Reading Test 4 · Part 1 · Questions 1–13
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 - 13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
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 if it 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
Questions 1–6 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer of Reading Passage 1?
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
Questions 7–9 One Choice
Choose the appropriate letters A - D.
Questions 10–13 Summary Completion
Complete the summary using words from the box below.
NB There are more answers than spaces, so you will not use them all.
environmental research | honesty and openness | ethical spenders
politicians | social awareness | social record
armchair ethicals | environmentalists | consumers
political beliefs | financial constraints
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 & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | YES | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that a 'market research organisation' (a group that studies business and buying) found that more people want to 'buy' items that help the environment. This change is described as part of 'consumerism,' which refers to the activity of shopping and spending money. Answer Explanation: The answer 'YES' means the writer agrees that the study looks at business and shopping habits rather than government or voting activities. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'YES' because the text focuses on a report from a 'market research' group called Mintel. The findings discuss how people spend their money, what products they buy, and the 'mainstream market.' Keywords like 'shoppers,' 'consumerism,' and 'spending habits' show that the research is about buying things (commercial activity). While the text mentions that politicians might be wrong about what people care about, the actual research data being discussed is about the behavior of consumers in the marketplace. |
| Q2 | NO | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that even though there are money problems (financial pressures) and the economy is not doing well (recession), more people are choosing to buy goods that help the environment. Answer Explanation: The answer is NO because the text says people are buying green products even when they have money problems. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage explains that more people are buying green products 'despite' (even though there is) a 'recession' and 'financial pressures'. A recession is a time when the economy is bad and people usually have less money. Since people are buying these items even when they have less money, it is incorrect to say that being 'financially better off' (having more money) is what made them want to buy them. |
| Q3 | YES | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says a survey found that about 60% of people who shop look for environmentally friendly items and are happy to pay more money for them. Answer Explanation: The answer 'YES' means that most shoppers are willing to spend extra money to buy products that do not hurt nature. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'YES' because the passage mentions a study showing that 60 percent of shoppers were willing to pay more for green products in 1994. In English, a 'majority' means more than 50 percent. Since 60 percent is more than half, it matches the statement that most shoppers are prepared to pay more. |
| Q4 | NOT GIVEN | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Mintel is a group that does market research. Their report shows that many people are choosing to buy products that are good for the environment. However, it does not say that these people are influenced by Mintel's reports. Answer Explanation: The answer "NOT GIVEN" means that the text does not provide enough information to say if Mintel's research actually changes how people shop. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "NOT GIVEN" because the passage identifies Mintel as a "market research organisation" that studies and reports on existing shopping trends. While the text gives many details about what Mintel found regarding "green consumers" and their spending, it never states that the shoppers' behavior is a result of reading or being influenced by Mintel's findings. The research describes the behavior, but the text doesn't say it causes it. |
| Q5 | NO | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that the research collected data on 'manual workers' and 'older people.' This proves that the study did not focus only on professional or managerial groups; it included various types of workers and ages. Answer Explanation: The answer NO means that the statement is wrong according to the information in the reading passage. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the study (investigation) by Mintel was not limited to just one or two groups of people. While the text mentions that professional and managerial groups (bosses or people with high-level jobs) spend more on green products, it also clearly states that the research found growth among 'manual workers' (people who do physical work) and 'older people.' The author notes that environmental concern has spread across many different 'occupations' and 'consumer groups.' |
| Q6 | NOT GIVEN | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that results were compared between two specific years (1990 and 1994), but it does not specify how many times they did surveys or if they do them once every year. Answer Explanation: The answer is NOT GIVEN because the article does not mention how often Mintel carries out its surveys. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because while the text compares data from 1990 and 1994, it never uses words like 'annually', 'every year', or 'each year' to describe the frequency of Mintel's work. It is possible they do surveys every year, or every four years, or at random times; the passage simply does not give this information. Therefore, we cannot confirm if the statement 'Mintel undertakes market surveys on an annual basis' is true or false based on the provided text. |
| Q7 | B | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that shoppers who care about the environment are still a very important and growing group. Because interest is still high, it suggests that leaders who think the environment is no longer important are wrong about how the public feels. Answer Explanation: The answer means that many more people are interested in helping the environment than politicians and leaders expected. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the passage explains that some politicians believe environmental issues are old news ('yesterday's issue'). However, the research shows that the number of people wanting to buy 'green' or eco-friendly products is actually growing ('continue to flourish'). This means interest is much more common or 'widespread' across different groups of people than the politicians realized, leading them to be wrong about what the people want ('misjudging the public mood'). |
| Q8 | B | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Mintel is a group that does market research, which means they study how and why people spend their money. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies Mintel as a company that collects and studies information about what people buy and how they shop. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the passage directly describes Mintel as a 'market research organisation.' Market research is the process of gathering information about consumers' needs and preferences through tools like surveys. The passage mentions that Mintel's work is based on a 'survey' of 'nearly 1,000 consumers,' which confirms its role as a business survey organization. |
| Q9 | C | Another 26 per cent are 'armchair greens'; they said they care about environmental issues but their concern does not affect their spending habits | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that people in the 'armchair greens' group say they care about nature, but they continue to buy the same things they always have instead of choosing green products. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to a specific type of shopper who says they care about the environment but does not actually change what they buy to reflect that care. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the Mintel survey's categories for shoppers. The text explicitly describes 'armchair greens' as people who express worry or 'concern' for environmental problems, yet this feeling 'does not affect' how they spend money. This means they are not 'actively supporting' environmental principles through their purchases. |
| Q10 | honesty and openness | Companies will have to be more honest and open in response to this mood | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that because people care about ethics, businesses will have to change their behavior and start being more truthful with their customers. Answer Explanation: The answer means being truthful and not hiding information about how a business operates. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer "honesty and openness" is used because the Mintel report predicts that shoppers are becoming more interested in ethical issues, such as fair trade. Because shoppers care about these things, the text explicitly states that businesses will be forced to be more "honest and open" and provide a "greater degree of honesty" regarding their policies and history. |
| Q11 | consumers | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that in the future, people who buy things (consumers) will think more about how products are made and what companies do. Because of this, companies will need to be more honest with these buyers. Answer Explanation: The answer "consumers" refers to the people who buy products or use services. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "consumers" because the text highlights that people who buy goods are increasingly interested in "ethical" concerns and the "history of the products." This awareness among shoppers makes it necessary for companies to be more truthful. The text specifically mentions that "consumers" will look into company policies, showing that this group is growing more aware of moral or ethical issues when they spend money. |
| Q12 | armchair ethicals | the number of 'armchair ethicals' has risen from 28 to 35 per cent | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that between two surveys, the amount of people described as 'armchair ethicals' grew from 28 percent to 35 percent. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to a group of people who care about moral or social issues but do not actually change their shopping habits or spend their money differently because of those concerns. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found by looking for a specific group that has increased in size according to the data. The summary mentions a 'growth' (increase) in a certain group within the most recent survey. The passage confirms this by stating that the group known as 'armchair ethicals' has 'risen' (grown) from 28 percent to 35 percent. This increase in numbers supports the idea that more people are becoming aware of ethical issues. |
| Q13 | social record | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that people are starting to care about things like fair trade and the history of how companies behave toward others. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the history of a company's actions regarding how they treat people, follow fair rules, and impact society. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is chosen because the passage mentions that "ethical" concerns are becoming very important to shoppers. One specific ethical issue mentioned is the "social record of businesses," which implies that companies must be careful about their past behavior and reputation if they want to keep their customers. |