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READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 on pages 6 and 7.

Farmers - An iconic chain store in New Zealand reaches a milestone

A. The chain of stores known as Farmers began one hundred years ago as a mail order company. Today the Farmers chain employs 3,500 staff across 58 branches, making it the most venerable institution of its type in New Zealand. Coming to Farmers once a week has become woven into the fabric of New Zealand culture,' says business historian Ian Hunter. By 1960, one in every ten people had an account with the company. It was not only a shop but also hosted the largest annual parade in the country, the Santa parade each Christmas time. Gary Blumenthal, whose family have been customers for three generations, understands well the role Farmers have played in New Zealand culture. 'We were on holiday in Auckland,' he explains, 'and I decided that the lookout tower on top of the Farmers building would be a unique place to fit the ring on my new fiancee's finger.' The couple has been married for 50 years.

• IELTS TUTOR giải thích cấu trúc khó (gạch dưới) trong đoạn này:
  • , making it : ở đây có rút gọn mệnh đề quan hệ mà trong các khoá học IELTS ONLINE 1 kèm 1 của IELTS TUTOR hay nhắc học viên  
    • IELTS TUTOR viết lại câu này viết dễ hiểu hơn sẽ là: Today, the Farmers chain is the oldest and most respected institution of its kind in New Zealand, with 3,500 employees spread across 58 branches.  
• IELTS TUTOR giải thích một số từ vựng:
  • account (n)  >> Cách dùng từ "account" tiếng anh

B. Farmers' longevity can be attributed to the philosophy fostered by Robert Laidlaw, the Scottish immigrant who established the business. Right from the outset, Laidlaw guaranteed customer satisfaction, and those who were not entirely happy with a purchase would receive a full refund with no questions asked. This was certainly the first time such a guarantee had been made by a New Zealand retailer and was probably one of the first worldwide. Laidlaw believed that the scheme could work if he ensured that every product sold was of the highest quality relative to its price.

• IELTS TUTOR giải thích cấu trúc khó (gạch dưới) trong đoạn này:
  • relative ở đây có rút gọn mệnh đề quan hệ với tính từ 
    • IELTS TUTOR viết lại câu này viết dễ hiểu hơn sẽ là: Laidlaw thought the plan would succeed if he made sure that every product sold was really good compared to its price. 
• IELTS TUTOR giải thích một số từ vựng:
  • outset (n) ban đầu 
  • of the highest quality: chất lượng cao nhất >> Cách dùng tính từ"quality"tiếng anh

C. Another important aspect of the Farmers' philosophy was to internationalize the New Zealand market. By the time the Hobson Street store opened in 1920 in order to sell directly to customers for the first time, Laidlaw had established buying officers in New York and London so as to offer his customers the latest designs. This was a bold move in those days and won Farmers a devoted following. It's also true that whoever you speak to regarding Farmers in the early years, whether managers or workers, they all emphasize how the company represented a large family. Everyone employed by Laidlaw felt they were building something that would ultimately be to the benefit of the whole country. For example, to mark the centenary celebrations, 58 Farmers' stores around the country announced the neighborhood charities they would raise funds for everything from guide dog services to volunteer fire brigades will benefit.

D. Farmers has always had a heart, according to former board chairman Rawdon Busfield. 'One day I was in the Hobson Street store and a woman came in with two small children- they didn't have a lot of money, you could tell. That week we had a special on, a big bar of chocolate for a shilling... But the boy only had a penny. I took the penny and gave him the chocolate.' However, not everything has stayed the same. Farmers was once home to genteel tea rooms, children's playgrounds, and an annual sale to celebrate the birthday of Hector the Parrot- who came to embody the store in the eyes of many shoppers and who died, aged 131, in the 1970s. You could buy houses from Farmers, and its saddle factory supplied the armed forces. In fact, although the company has grown considerably over the years, today it sells a narrower assortment of products than in the past.

E. Walk through a Farmers store today and you'll see big changes. Its most recent branch in the suburb of Albany is filled with bright lights and big brands. The branch sells cosmetics from 16 different international companies and buys from approximately 500 suppliers, of which about 30 percent are locally owned. 'Eight or ten years ago,' says current chief executive Rod McDermott, 'lots of brands wouldn't partner with us. We weren't in trouble as such, but we could have been doing much better because we were focused too much on price and not on fashion. The reorientation of the last decade has seen a great improvement.'

F. Farmers almost didn't pull through one economic crisis. In the mid 1980s, business was booming and the company had stores throughout the country. Then, with sales topping $375 million, it was taken over by Chase Corporation. Lincoln Laidlaw, the son of the company's founder, remembers the dark days following the stock market crash of 1987 and the collapse of the Chase Corporation. The business was being divided up,' he says, 'and I believe that the original culture of the store was dispelled and it hasn't been recovered. That's a shame, but the business is still strong. 'For a few turbulent years the stores were controlled first by a consortium of Australian banks, and later a local corporation. In 2003, it went back into 'family' ownership with the purchase by the James Pascoe Group owned by an established New Zealand retail family. Brand power has made Farmers profitable again, according to McDermott. 'And now we're becoming the brand we used to be... It's like the rebirth of an icon.

• IELTS TUTOR giải thích cấu trúc khó (gạch dưới) trong đoạn này:
  • topping: có rút gọn mệnh đề quan hệ 
  • IELTS TUTOR viết lại câu này viết dễ hiểu hơn sẽ là:  After making more than $375 million in sales, Chase Corporation took over the company. 
• IELTS TUTOR giải thích một số từ vựng:
  • dispel (v) >> Cách dùng động từ"dispel"tiếng anh

QUESTIONS 14-18

Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

14. a mention of the company being sold

15. a reference to how the range of goods for sale has become more limited

16. an example of an innovative offer made by the company's founder

17. a description of a romantic event on the shop's roof

18. a description of the latest store in the chain

QUESTIONS 19-22

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet.

19. Farmers was set up as a/an......... business before it became a chain.

20. Robert Laidlaw set up.......... overseas so he could sell up-to-date fashions.>> IELTS TUTOR hướng dẫn PHÂN TÍCH ĐỀ THI 30/5/2020 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 (kèm bài sửa HS đạt 6.5)

21. According to employees, Farmers was like a/a.....................

22. Farmers held a/an..............once a year in honour of the company's famous pet.

QUESTIONS 23-26

Look at the following people (Questions 23-26) and the list of ideas below.

Match each person with the correct idea, A-F.

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.

List of Ideas

A The character of the company has changed for the worse.

B The store is selling more local products than in the past.

C The company believes in offering lower prices than their competitors.

D The staff has always believed in generosity.

E The store is an integral part of the local way of life.

F The store needed to change its approach to business.

List of people

23. Ian Hunter .....

24. Rawdon Busfield .....

25. Rod McDermott ....

26. Lincoin Laidlaw....

P2 - Farmers
14. F
15. D 16. B
17. A
18. E>> Form đăng kí giải đề thi thật IELTS 4 kĩ năng kèm bài giải bộ đề 100 đề PART 2 IELTS SPEAKING quý đang thi (update hàng tuần) từ IELTS TUTOR
19. mail order
20. buying offices
21. large family 22. sale
23. E
24. C
25. F
26. A