What Is It Like To Run A Large Supermarket? — IELTS Reading Answers

Section A

“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”

Section A matches viii: staff leave alone shoppers who don't want help but approach anyone 'standing looking lost and perplexed', a policy on offering assistance.

Section B

“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”

Section B matches ii: the store opens at 7 am, so staff must be there at 6 am 'to make sure it's clean, safe and stocked up', the early preparation.

Section 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”

Section C matches x: Perriss 'has worked in supermarkets since 1982', starting as a trolley boy on £76 a week and loving the variety.

Section D

“All Morrisons’ managers from the whole country spent three days there to see the new concept.”

Section D matches iv: 'All Morrisons' managers from the whole country spent three days there to see the new concept', a launch visited by managers.

Section E

“He examines the baking potato shelf and rejects three, one that has split virtually in half and two that are beginning to go green”

Section E matches vii: he 'examines the baking potato shelf and rejects three' that were split or greening, checking produce quality.

Section F

“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”

Section F matches v: ordering is 'still done manually rather than by computer', with department heads tracking daily sales, a manual stock system.

Section G

“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”

Section G matches iii: his 'talent' day invited employees keen on 'moving to a new job within the store' to discuss why they should be promoted.

Section H

“'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.'”

Section H matches vi: he admits 'there could be something wrong with every single one, every day', describing the pressures of the job.

Perriss encourages staff to offer help to all customers.

“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.”

If customers 'don't look like they want help, they'll be left alone', so staff do not offer help to everyone, contradicting the statement.

Perriss is sometimes worried that customers will arrive before the store is ready for them.

“Sometimes he walks in at 6 am and thinks they're never going to be ready on time — but they always are”

Sometimes at 6 am 'he thinks they're never going to be ready on time', showing he worries customers may arrive before the store is prepared.

When Perriss first became a store manager, he knew the store was going to close.

“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”

The store 'was closed soon afterwards', but the passage never says Perriss knew it would close when he arrived as manager.

Perriss was surprised how many staff asked about promotion on the ‘talent’ day.

“'We had twenty-three people come through the door, people wanting to talk about progression,' he says”

The text reports that 'twenty-three people came through the door' wanting to discuss progression, but it never mentions Perriss being surprised.

On average, produce worth £4,200 is thrown away every week.

“produce worth £4,200 is marked down for a quick sale, and only £400-worth is scrapped”

Produce worth £4,200 is 'marked down for a quick sale', while only '£400-worth is scrapped', so the £4,200 figure is not thrown away.