Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping Reading Answers contains 3 questions which are to be answered in 20 minutes. Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping Reading Answers consists of three types of questions that include choosing the correct option, and yes/no/not given. Candidates are required to choose one correct answers with relevance from the passage. For yes/no/not given, candidates are required to answer questions with relevance from the passage by identifying keywords. Candidates must read the IELTS reading passage, identify keywords, and recognize synonyms to answer the question. In the IELTS Reading Section, the candidates are presented with different question styles with specific instructions. It is important that candidates abide by the word limit as well as answer accurately for what is asked.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Question

Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping Reading Answers

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 organization, says that despite the 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 percent in 1990 to around 60 percent in 1994. On average, they will pay 13 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 that 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 percent 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.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
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

The research findings report commercial rather than political trends.
Being financially better off has made shoppers more sensitive to buying 'green'.
The majority of shoppers are prepared to pay more for the benefit of the environment according to the research findings.
Consumers' green shopping habits are influenced by Mintel's findings.
Mintel have limited their investigation to professional and managerial groups.
Mintel undertakes market surveys on an annual basis.

(Guide: 3 answer options are provided - Yes, No, Not given. Candidates need to study the passage properly to identify which information is correct and which is not. In case any information is not given, they will mark the same)

Question 1:

Answer: Yes: Paragraph B
Supporting Sentence: “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”
Keywords: Report, social record
Explanation: A report by Mintel was put forth stating that despite the recession and financial pressures people are conscious while buying hostile things. They prefer buying things which are environmentally friendly. A green ripple has swept through consumerism. A recently published report states that the process of buying things consciously would continue. This will repeat itself with 'ethical concerns'. This will incorporate positive actions like free trade with the third world and the social record of businesses. This will ensure companies can deal honestly and openly in response to this scenario.

Question 2:

Answer: No: Paragraph B
Supporting Sentence: “A report from Mintel, the market research organization, 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.”
Keywords: Recession, want to buy
Explanation: There is no such case where financially better off is buying more environmentally friendly products. Even during the period of recession people are choosing to go for environment-friendly goods.

Question 3:

Answer: Yes: Paragraph C
Supporting Sentence: “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.”
Keywords: Green products, to pay more
Explanation: According to the survey undertaken by Mintel's displays that a higher proportion is willing to pay more when buying green products. The percentage on average is 13. Among all the group’s women, managerial and professional groups account more for buying green products.

Question 4: Not Given

Question 5:

Answer: No: Paragraph C
Supporting Sentence: “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”
Keywords: Percentage, women
Explanation: According to the survey undertaken by Mintel displays that a higher proportion is willing to pay more when buying green products. The percentage on average is 13. Among all the group’s women, managerial and professional groups account more for buying green products. Apart from them, those belonging to the age group between 35-44 also pay more heed while buying green products.

Question 6: Not Given

Questions 7-9

Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.

Politicians may have 'misjudged the public mood' because …
They are pre-occupied with the recession and financial problems.
There is more widespread interest in the environment agenda than they anticipated.
Consumer spending has increased significantly as a result of 'green' pressure.
Shoppers are displeased with government policies on a range of issues.
What is Mintel?
An environmentalist group
A business survey organisation
An academic research team
A political organisation
A consumer expressing concern for environmental issues without actively supporting such principles is...
An 'ethical spender'.
A 'very dark green' spender.
An 'armchair green'.
A 'pale green' spender.

(Guide: In this question type, candidates need to first concentrate on the list of headings as mentioned from A-D and choose the correct option)

Question 7:

Answer: B: Paragraph A
Supporting Sentence: “This suggests that politicians who claim environmentalism is yesterday's issue may be seriously misjudging the public mood.”
Keywords: Politicians, misjudging
Explanation: Research in Britain exhibits that there are record numbers of green consumers that continue to accelerate in numbers. Green consumers are flourishing as a considerable group amongst shoppers. This conveys that politicians who neglect environmental concerns are going wrong. They have long been bruising aside environmental issues that are seriously misleading them. They are unable to judge the public mood. They failed to take environmental concerns in their policies and that proved to be their major fallout.

Question 8:

Answer: B: Paragraph B
Supporting Sentence: “A report from Mintel, the market research organization, …”
Keywords: Mintel, market research
Explanation: The report of Mintel was based on an observation about consumers’ choices when it comes while buying things. It is the market-based organization that undertook such research.

Question 9:

Answer: C: Paragraph E
Supporting Sentence: “ Another 26 per cent are 'armchair greens'; they said they care about environmental issues but their concern does not affect their spending habits”
Keywords: Issues, spending habits
Explanation: According to Mintel's report, 26% of consumers are labeled as 'armchair greens' as they cared about environmental issues but their skepticism has not influenced their spending habits.

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____

environmental research
armchair ethicals
honesty and openness
environmentalists
ethical spenders
consumers
politicians
political belief
social awareness
financial constraints
social record

(Guide: In this question type, candidates will need to fill the blanks from the multiple choices provided. One will see more blanks than the ones provided, therefore, skimming through the passage is required)

Question 10:

Answer: Honesty and Openness: Paragraph B
Supporting Sentence: “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.”
Keywords: Honest, open
Explanation: With the increase in the number of green consumers, companies are forced to deal honestly and more open in response.

Question 11:

Answer: Consumers: Paragraph C
Supporting Sentence: “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.”
Keywords: Survey, 1000
Explanation: According to Mintel's survey based on nearly 1000 consumers, it was found that there is a high proportion of people looking for green products are willing to pay more for that.

Question 12:

Answer: Armchair Ethicals: Paragraph F
Supporting Sentence: “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.”
Keywords: number, risen
Explanation: There has been an acceleration in the number of 'armchair ethicals' from 28% to 35%.

Question 13:

Answer: Social Record; Paragraph F
Supporting Sentence: “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.”
Keywords: Entire history, policies
Explanation: Hughes asserts that in the 21st century, consumers will be encouraged to ponder upon the entire history of the products and services they buy, encompassing the policies of the companies that provide them and this will require a considerable degree of honesty with consumers.