These Invasive Species are Ruining the Retail Ecosystem- IELTS Reading Answers

The Reading Module of the IELTS can be the top-scoring category with diligent practice. To achieve the best results in this section, you must understand how to approach and answer the different Question types in the Reading Module.

By solving and reviewing Sample Reading Questions from past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your Reading skills are up to the mark.

The Academic passage, These Invasive Species are Ruining the Retail Ecosystem, is a reading passage that appeared in an IELTS Test. Try to find the  –  These Invasive Species are Ruining the Retail Ecosystem IELTS reading answers to get an idea of the difficulty level of the passages in the actual reading test.

The question types found in this passage are:

• Matching Information (Q. 1-4)
• Sentence Completion (Q. 5-8)
• True/False/Not Given (Q. 9-13)

If you want to revise how to solve Matching Information questions for IELTS Reading, Check the video below. 

Reading Passage

These Invasive Species are Ruining the Retail Ecosystem

A  Invasive species often triumph as a result of good intentions gone wrong. Take Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), introduced to Britain by enthusiastic Victorian gardeners who thought it an ornamental delight that doubled as cattle feed. But from just a scrap of root no bigger than a pea it could grow through tarmac, pavements, and brick walls. A century later, its spread is considered such a threat that planting or dumping knotweed is a crime, knotweed is so hated because it suffocates other plants, replacing them with an unproductive, leafy monotony.

Then there is the Nile perch (Lates niloticus), branded one of the world’s worst invaders by conservationists. It is a freshwater fish that can grow to huge proportions. Again, with good intentions, it was introduced in 1954 to Lake Victoria, straddling Tanzania. Kenya, and Uganda. Since then, it has helped push over 200 well-established local fish species to extinction. Like the Nile perch, the cane toad (Bufo marinus) eats almost anything it gets its mouth around. Introduced for pest control, it turned out to be noisy, fast spreading, and a greater pest itself.

B  As it is in nature, so it is in the economy. Big superstores and chain retailers were allowed to spread by planners, town councils, and governments in awe of big business. But then it started to go wrong. The chains became the economic equivalent of invasive species: hungry, indiscriminate, often antisocial and destructive. When no one was paying much attention, the superstores and cloned shops grew to dominate and suffocate the economic ecosystem.

They passed through planning regulations as easily as knotweed pushes through tarmac, devoured smaller and independent retailers with as much reflection as the Nile perch cleansing Lake Victoria of competition. They were often introduced to provide a specific service but outgrew their habitats until their cash till song could be heard on every street corner, forecourt, round about, and out of town shopping centre. Neither in balance, nor even a boom bust cycle with other similar, local species of shop; they began permanently to displace them.

C  Natural scientists use a whole new term to describe the current epoch of comprehensive global human interference in ecosystems. Our time, they say, should be called the “Homogocene” to describe the way that distinctiveness and difference are being eroded. A combination of the creep of invasive species and habitats destroyed by development is driving a mass extinction. The World Conservation Union warns that such invasions are leading to the irretrievable loss of native biodiversity. Typical characteristics of an invasive species include the absence of predators, hardiness, and a generalist diet. Whatever the reason for their arrival and proliferation, invasive species tend to cause a disruption of the ecosystem that is catastrophic for native species.

D  The big, centralised logistical operations of the supermarkets are likewise driving the homogenisation of business, shopping, eating, farming, food, the landscape, the environment, and our daily lives. In the process, Britain is being sucked into a vortex of US-style, chain-store-led. clone retailing, both in towns and in soulless “big box” out-of-town shopping parks — what they call in the US, with its associated suburban sprawl, the “dead zone”.

They are spreading in the way “invasive species” spread in nature, lacking checks and balances, killing off diversity and “native” (in other words, local) species. Tesco is not the only guilty party (think of McDonald’s. Starbucks, and Gap), but it is possibly the largest driving force. With around 2.000 stores in Britain, almost one third of the grocery market, and rapid international growth, city analysts believe the brand has the land and resources in place already to double its UK floor space. Can anything stop it?

E Bear in mind those characteristics of an invasive species: the absence of predators (real commercial competition or effective regulators to hold them back); hardiness (the legions of corporate lawyers, financial leverage, and endless commercial cost cutting); and a generalist diet (supermarkets will sell virtually anything, and chain stores operate according to a low common denominator). If you want diversity in your world rather than one kind of plant in your garden, one kind of fish in your lake and only one type of venomous, croaking toad under your shed, then you have to manage for that outcome. When we garden, we hold back aggressive, opportunistic plants in order to keep space open for a celebration of variety and colour.

F  Like it or not (and it is something about which most policy makers and economists are in deep denial), weakly regulated markets give free rein to economic invasive species and hence tend towards monopoly. This is the great modern economic irony. Advocates of free markets argue against checks and balances to counter the power of big business, but in doing so ultimately destroy the possibility of markets that could meaningfully be called free, or, rather, “open”.

They resist anti-monopoly regulation in the name of providing consumer choice, and in the process they ultimately destroy it. In some important ways, we are returning to an earlier phase of corporatism. Henry Ford told customers they could have any colour of car, as long as it was black. The scale and seriousness of Tesco’s ambition mean that, before long, unless we recognise what is happening and have regulators up to the job, one day we will be able to shop anywhere we like, as long as it is Tesco.

Questions 1-4

1 The suggestion that the government should legislate to control invasive species of a corporate nature

2 Examples of the problems with the spread of specific invasive species in nature

3 A description of how invasive species in nature are different from other ones

4 Examples of companies that can be considered invasive species

Questions 5-8

Japanese knotweed was used for decoration and as 5…………………

“Homogocene” is the word used by natural scientists to describe the 6………. we are living in.

7……………………, plenty of money, and cost-cutting increase the strength of big supermarkets.

The article suggests that 8……………. allow economically invasive species to do what they want and eventually lead to monopolies.

Questions 9-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

9 The Nile perch was introduced to Lake Victoria as a source of food for local people.

10 Planning regulations have been ineffective against big supermarkets.

11 Supermarkets in Britain sell a limited range of products.

12 Chain stores only sell low-quality goods.

13 The writer is against the domination of big supermarkets.

These Invasive Species are Ruining the Retail Ecosystem Reading Answer Explanation

Now that you have checked your answers with the Answer key, read further for the explanation part of the reading answer.

1 Answer: F

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: In the given location, it is given that “Like it or not (and it is something about which most policy makers and economists are in deep denial), weakly regulated markets give free rein to economic invasive species and hence tend towards monopoly.”. This line of Paragraph F points out that since most policy makers and economists are in denial that weakly regulated markets are allowing economic invasive species to monopolize, it is the duty of the government to control it through proper regulations. Hence, the answer is F.

2 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: In the specified paragraph, it is given that “Take Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), introduced to Britain by enthusiastic Victorian gardeners who thought it an ornamental delight that doubled as cattle feed…Then there is the Nile perch (Lates niloticus), branded one of the world’s worst invaders by conservationists…Like the Nile perch, the cane toad (Bufo marinus) eats almost anything it gets its mouth around.”. It proves that the first paragraph provides examples of problems with the spread of specific invasive species in nature (Japanese knotweed, Nile perch and cane toad). Hence, the answer is A.

3 Answer: C

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: In the mentioned paragraph, it is stated that “Typical characteristics of an invasive species include the absence of predators, hardiness, and a generalist diet. Whatever the reason for their arrival and proliferation, invasive species tend to cause a disruption of the ecosystem that is catastrophic for native species.”. It can be concluded that in this paragraph the writer explains the features that make the invasive species different from the others in nature, like hardiness, generalist diet, catastrophic to native species, etc. Hence, the answer is C.

4 Answer: D

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: In the indicated paragraph, it is stated that “They are spreading in the way “invasive species” spread in nature, lacking checks and balances, killing off diversity and “native” (in other words, local) species. Tesco is not the only guilty party (think of McDonald’s. Starbucks, and Gap), but it is possibly the largest driving force.”. Based on this reference, it can be inferred that the fourth paragraph provides examples of companies that can be considered invasive species, like Tesco, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Gap. Hence, the answer is D.

5 Answer: cattle feed

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 2

Answer explanation: In the mentioned line, it is stated that “Take Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), introduced to Britain by enthusiastic Victorian gardeners who thought it an ornamental delight that doubled as cattle feed.”. In other words, Japanese knotweed was used for decorations (ornamental delight) and cattle feed. Hence, the answer is ‘cattle feed’.

6 Answer: epoch

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1- line 2

Answer explanation: Through a reference line like, “Natural scientists use a whole new term to describe the current epoch of comprehensive global human interference in ecosystems. Our time, they say, should be called the “Homogocene”…”, it can be concluded that the term “Homogocene” is the word used by natural scientists to describe the epoch we are living in. Hence, the answer is ‘epoch’.

7 Answer: corporate lawyers/lawyers

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1

Answer explanation: In the mentioned portion, it is reported that “Bear in mind those characteristics of an invasive species…hardiness (the legions of corporate lawyers, financial leverage, and endless commercial cost cutting)…”. It can be concluded that factors like corporate lawyers, plenty of money (financial leverage) and cost-cutting (endless commercial cost cutting) enable big supermarkets to increase their strength. Hence, the answer is ‘corporate lawyers/lawyers’.

8 Answer: weakly regulated markets

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 1

Answer explanation: In the quoted line, it is stated that “Like it or not (and it is something about which most policymakers and economists are in deep denial), weakly regulated markets give free rein to economic invasive species and hence tend towards monopoly.”. This statement indicates that weakly regulated markets are the reason allowing economic invasive species to do what they want (give free rein) and eventually lead to monopolies. Hence, the answer is ‘weakly regulated markets’.

9 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: N.A.

Answer explanation: Although there is a reference that the Nile perch was introduced to Lake Victoria (Then there is the Nile perch (Lates niloticus)… was introduced in 1954 to Lake Victoria, straddling Tanzania. Kenya, and Uganda.), there is no mention of whether it was done as a source of food for local people. Hence, the answer is Not Given.

10 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 2-line 3

Answer explanation: In Paragraph B, it is mentioned that “Big superstores and chain retailers were allowed to spread by planners, town councils, and governments in awe of big business. But then it started to go wrong.”. It shows that even though big superstores were allowed to spread by planners (planning regulations), in the end, it became ineffective (started to go wrong). As the statement agrees with the information, the answer is True.

11 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1

Answer explanation: In Paragraph E, it is noted that “…and a generalist diet (supermarkets will sell virtually anything, and chain stores operate according to a low common denominator).”. Based on the reference, it can be said that the statement that supermarkets in Britain sell a limited range of products contradicts the information that they sell everything. Hence, the answer is False.

12 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: N.A.

Answer explanation: Although it is given that chain stores operate according to a low common denominator in Paragraph E, there is no mention of the quality of products they sell. Hence, the answer is Not Given.

13 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Whole Passage

Answer explanation: Throughout the passage, the writer points out various points against the monopolization of the big supermarkets through comparison with natural invasive species, reasons for the monopoly, etc. Hence, the answer is True.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the above Reading Passage

Let us check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in the ‘These Invasive Species are Ruining the Retail Ecosystem’ Reading passage.

Matching Information/Features: 

Matching Information/Features is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to match a list of features to the correct people, places, or things in a passage.

To answer matching features questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the features first: This will give you an idea of the types of information that you are looking for in the passage.
• Read the passage quickly: This will give you a general understanding of the content of the passage.
• Match the features to the people, places, or things: As you read the passage, look for the information that matches each feature.
• Check your answers: Once you have matched all of the features, double-check your answers to make sure that they are correct.

Sentence Completion:

Sentence Completion is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to fill in a gap in a paragraph with a word or phrase from the passage.

To answer sentence completion questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the sentences carefully: This will give you an idea of the type of word or phrase that is missing.
• Scan the passage for the keywords: The keywords in the sentence can help you to identify the correct word or phrase.
• Read the sentence with the missing word or phrase: This will help you to see how the word or phrase fits into the sentence.
• Check your answer: Once you have filled in the gap, make sure that your answer makes sense in the context of the sentence.

True/False/Not Given: 

True/False/Not Given questions are a type of IELTS Reading question that requires you to identify whether a statement is true, false, or not given in the passage.

• True statements are statements that are explicitly stated in the passage.
• False statements are statements that are explicitly contradicted in the passage.
• Not Given statements are statements that are neither explicitly stated nor contradicted in the passage

To answer True/False/Not Given questions, you need to be able to understand the passage and identify the key information. You also need to be able to distinguish between statements that are explicitly stated, contradicted, and not given.

Great work on attempting to solve the reading passage! To crack IELTS Reading in the first go, Try solving more of the recent IELTS reading passages here.

Also check: 

• IELTS Reading Tips and Techniques to Increase your Reading Speed
• How to Do Short Answer Type of Questions in IELTS Reading? | IELTSMaterial.com
• Emigration to the US, How bugs hitch-hike across the galaxy, Finding out about the world from television news – Reading Answers
• What Cookbooks Really Teach Us, Is There More To Video Games Than People Realize?, Seed Vault Guards Resources For The Future – IELTS Reading Answers
• It’s Only a Cockroach Reading Answers