The Innovation of Grocery Stores- IELTS Reading Answer

In the Academic Reading practice passage, “The Innovation of Grocery Stores”, there are various question types. Each of these question types are asked in the IELTS Reading exam. So, the passage given in this practice test will help you enhance your reading and understanding capabilities.

Reading Passage

The Innovation of Grocery Stores

Questions 1-5

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1 How Clarence Saunders’ new idea had been carried out.

2 Introducing the modes and patterns of groceries before his age.

3 Clarence Saunders declared bankruptcy a few years later.

4 Descriptions of Clarence Saunders’ new conception.

5 The booming development of his business.

Questions 6-10

6 When Clarence Saunders was an adolescent, he took a job as a _________ In a grocery store.

7 In the new innovation of the grocery store, most of the clerks’ work before was done by _________

8 In Saunders’ new grocery store, the section where customers finish the payment was called _________

9 Another area in his store behind the public area was called the _________ Where only internal staff could access.

10 At _________ where customers were under surveillance.

Questions 11-13

11 Why did Clarence Saunders want to propel the innovation of grocery stores at his age?

A Because he was an enthusiastic and creative man.

B Because his boss wanted to reform the grocery industry.

C Because he wanted to develop its efficiency and make a great profit as well.

D Because he worried about the future competition from the industry.

12 What happened to Clarence Saunders’ first store of Piggly Wiggly?

A Customers complained about its impracticality and inconvenience.

B It enjoyed a great business and was updated in the first twelve months.

C It expanded to more than a thousand franchised stores during the first year.

D Saunders was required to have his new idea patented and open stores.

13 What was left to Clarence Saunders after his death in 1953?

A  A fully automatic store system opened soon near his first store.

B The name of his store the Piggly Wiggly was very popular at that time.

C His name was usually connected with his famous shop the Piggly Wiggly in the following several years.

D His name was painted together with the name of his famous store.

Reading Answer

1 Answer: D

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: The initial lines of paragraph D states that on September 6, 1916, Saunders launched the self-service revolution in the USA by opening the first self-service Piggly Wiggly store, at 79 Jefferson Street in Memphis, Tennessee, with its characteristic turnstile at the entrance. Customers paid cash and selected their own goods from the shelves. It was unlike any other grocery store of that time. We can deduce from these lines that in 1916, Saunders launched the first self-service Piggly Wiggly store, where the customers were allowed to wander around the store, choose their own products, check the price and pay the cash. This store was unlike any other grocery store in that period. Thus, we find a reference for the statement in paragraph D, so, the answer is D.

2 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: In paragraph A, it is mentioned that at the beginning of the 20th century, grocery stores in the United States were full-service. A customer would ask a clerk behind the counter for specific items and the clerk would package the items, which were limited to dry goods. If they want to save some time, they have to ask a delivery boy or themselves to send a note of what they want to buy to the grocery store. first and then go to pay for the goods later. These lines suggest that before Piggly Wiggly stores started offering full-time self-service, a customer would have to ask the clerk behind the counter for particular products, who would then pack the items, which were limited to dry goods. If the customers want to save time, they’ve to ask the delivery boy to send the note of what they want to buy to the grocery store first and then go to pay for the goods later. Thus, we find a reference for the statement in Paragraph A, so, the answer is A.

3 Answer: F

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: Paragraph F states that however, Saunders was forced into bankruptcy in 1923 after a dramatic spat which the New York Stock Exchange and he went on to create the “Clarence Saunders sole- the owner of- my- name” chain, which went into bankruptcy. These lines indicate that Saunders was forced into bankruptcy after a dramatic spat with the New York Stock Exchange in 1923. Thus, the answer is F.

4 Answer: C

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: Paragraph C states, “For his new “cafeteria grocery”, Saunders divided his grocery into three distinct areas: 1) A front “lobby” forming an entrance and exit and checkouts at the front. 2) A sales department, which was specially designed to allow customers to roam the aisles and select their own groceries. Removing unnecessary clerks, creating elaborate aisle displays, and rearranging the store to force customers to view all of the merchandise and over the shelving and cabinets units of the sales department were “galleries” where supervisors were allowed to keep an eye on the customers while not disturbing them. 3) And another section of his store is the room only allowed for the clerks which was called the “stockroom” or “storage room” where large refrigerators were situated to keep fresh products from being perishable.” We can deduce from these highlighted lines that the author has mentioned the description of Saunders’ new store in points 1- 3. The Piggly Wiggly store has a lobby for entrance, exit, and checkout, aisles for customers to roam around freely, minimal clerks, and many other distinctive features, unlike the store’s competitors. Thus, the statement can be found in Paragraph C, so, the answer is C.

5 Answer: E

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: In the 3rd line of Paragraph E, it is stated that Piggly Wiggly ballooned to nearly 1,300 stores by 1923. Piggly Wiggly sold $100 million – worth $1.3 billion today – in groceries, making it the third-biggest grocery retailer in the nation. These lines suggest that Piggly Wiggly had reached nearly 1,300 stores by 1923. It is worth $1.3 billion today, making it the third-biggest grocery retailer in the USA. Thus, the answer is E.

6 Answer: Clerk

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: The initial lines of paragraph B states that in 1885, a Virginia boy named Clarence Saunders began working part-time as a clerk in a grocery store when he was 14 years old, and quit school when the shopkeeper offered him full-time work with room and board. These lines indicate that Saunders started working part-time as a clerk in a grocery store when he was just 14 years old. Therefore, when Saunders was an adolescent, he took a job as a clerk in a grocery store. Thus, the answer is clerk.

7 Answer: customers/ shoppers

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 3

Answer explanation: The 3rd line of paragraph D illustrates that Customers paid cash and selected their own goods from the shelves. It was unlike any other grocery store of that time. Inside a Piggly Wiggly, shoppers were not at the mercy of shop clerks. They were free to roam the store, check out the merchandise and get what they needed with their own two hands and feet. We can understand from these lines that with the introduction of the grocery store, shoppers could roam around the store, check out the merchandise, select their goods, check the prices, and buy the products as per their requirements. It was unlike any other grocery store of that time before the shop clerks used to do all the jobs. Thus, the new innovation of the grocery store, most of the clerks’ work before was done by customers. Hence, the answer is customers/ shoppers.

8 Answer: lobby

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: In paragraph C, it is mentioned that for his new “cafeteria grocery”, Saunders divided his grocery into three distinct areas 1) A front “lobby” forming an entrance and exit and checkouts at the front. These lines suggest that Saunders divided it into three distinct areas for his Piggly Wiggly store. He designed a lobby section for entrance payment and exit process. Thus, the answer is Lobby.

9 Answer: stockroom

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: In Paragraph C, it is mentioned, “And another section of his store is the room only allowed for the clerks which were called the “stockroom” or “storage room” where large refrigerators were situated to keep fresh products from being perishable.” These lines suggest that there was another section in the store called the stockroom, that was used to keep refrigerators to keep fresh products from being perishable. Thus, the answer is stockroom.

10 Answer: galleries

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: Paragraph C states that removing unnecessary clerks, creating elaborate aisle displays, and rearranging the store to force customers to view all of the merchandise and over the shelving and cabinets units of the sales department were “galleries” where supervisors were allowed to keep an eye on the customers while not disturbing them. These lines indicate that at Piggly Wiggly store supervisors used galleries to keep an eye on the customers while not disturbing them. Thus, the answer is galleries.

11 Answer: C

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 4

Answer explanation: The 4th line of Paragraph B states that During his years working in the grocery stores, he found that it was very inconvenient and inefficient for people to buy things because more than a century ago, long before there were computers, shopping was done quite differently than it is today. We can deduce from these lines that when Saunders used to work at the grocery store, he felt that it was very inconvenient and inefficient for shoppers to buy things, he came up with an unheard-of solution that would revolutionize the entire grocery industry. Thus, the answer is C.

12 Answer: B

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: The introductory lines of paragraph E states that Piggly Wiggly and the self-service concept took off. Saunders opened nine stores in the Memphis area within the first year of business. These lines reveal that the concept of self-service and Piggly Wiggly stores took off, with Saunders opening nine stores in the Memphis area in the first year of business. Therefore, the first store of Piggly Wiggly enjoyed the great business, updating itself in the first twelve months. Hence, the answer is B.

13 Answer: C

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph G

Answer explanation: Paragraph G states that Until the time of his death in October 1953, Saunders was developing plans for another automatic store system called the Foodelectric. But his name was well-remembered along with the name Piggly Wiggly. These lines indicate that after his death in October 1953, his name was well-remembered along with the store’s name Piggly Wiggly. Thus, his name was usually connected with his famous shop the Piggly Wiggly in the following several years. Hence, the answer is C.

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