🔥The Power of Persuasion: Đề thi thật IELTS READING (IELTS Reading Recent Actual Test) - Làm bài online format computer-based, kèm giải thích từ vựng

READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 on pages 10 and 11.

The Power of Persuasion
A New Zealand restaurateur assesses some recent research from the USA

Some scientists peer at things through high-powered telescopes, others tempt rats through mazes, or mix bubbling fluids in glass beakers. Then there is Robert Cialdini, whose unorthodox research involves such mundane items as towels and chocolates. Nonetheless, Cialdini believes he is discovering important insights into how society works, because he is conducting research into why some people are more persuasive than others.

Cialdini hopes that, by applying a little science, we should all be able to get our own way more often. This is in part a personal quest with its origins in his own experience: Cialdini claims that for his whole life he has been easy prey for salespeople and fundraisers who have managed to persuade him to buy things he did not want or give to charities he had never heard of.

When he realised that traditional experiments on the psychology of persuasion were telling only a part of the story, Cialdini began to probe influence in the real world, enrolling in sales-training programmes. In this way, he believes he learned first-hand a great deal about how to sell automobiles from a car lot, insurance from an office, and even encyclopaedias door to door. Most recently, his research has involved the now-famous experiments with towels. Many hotels leave a little card in each bathroom asking guests to reuse towels and thus conserve water and reduce pollution. Cialdini and his colleagues wanted to test the relative effectiveness of different text on those cards. Could hotels best motivate their guests to co-operate simply because it would help save the planet, or were other factors more compelling?

To test this, the researchers redesigned the cards, replacing the environmental message with the simple (and truthful) statement that the majority of guests at the hotel had reused their towel at least once. Those guests who received this message were found to be 26% more likely to reuse their towel than those given the original message, and 74% more likely than those receiving no message at all.

This was just one study that has enabled Cialdini to identify his Six Principles of Persuasion. The phenomenon revealed by the towel experiment he calls "social proof": the idea that our decisions are influenced by what other people like us are doing. More perniciously, social proof is the force underpinning some people's anxiety not to be left behind by their neighbours, thus the desire for a bigger house or a faster car. A further principle, which he names "reciprocity," was tested in a restaurant by measuring how patrons would respond to after-dinner chocolates. When the chocolates were dropped individually in front of each diner, tips went up 14%. This is reciprocity in action: we want to return favours done to us, often without bothering to accurately calculate whether what we are giving is proportionate to what we have received.

Cialdini's research has established four more such principles. Scarcity is the idea that people want more of things they can have less of, a notion that advertisers ruthlessly exploit—"limit of four per customer". Parents can also make use of scarcity by telling their little ones that this is a very unusual chance, so they should seize it immediately. The principle of authority states that we trust people who know what they are talking about. Cialdini maintains that many professionals don’t display their credentials, fearing it is boastful or arrogant to publicise their expertise. The principle he labels "consistency" suggests that we want to act in ways that are consistent with undertakings we have already made. For example, if you are soliciting charitable donations, first ask colleagues if they think they will sponsor you. Later, return with a sponsorship form to those who said yes and remind them of their earlier undertaking. The final principle is likeness: we are more easily persuaded by those who seem similar to ourselves. In one study, people were sent survey forms and asked to return them to a named researcher. When the researcher falsely identified herself (e.g., Cynthia Johnson is sent a survey by Cindy Johansen), surveys were twice as likely to be completed.

Many of Cialdini's claims about persuasion are just that—highly persuasive—and I can readily see evidence for some of them in my own workplace. But Cialdini's experiments were conducted in the United States, and I wonder how well all of his findings can be applied here in New Zealand or elsewhere around the world. For instance, I do understand the general principle of "reciprocity," but cannot imagine New Zealand waiting staff using his cynical chocolate trick in their restaurants because the culture of tipping in this country is so different. But it is true that the way to a diner’s heart is to give them something they are not expecting in the way of service, and in this country, reciprocation would more likely take the form of a return visit to the restaurant and not a tip. It may be that age is also a factor and that different generations would react differently to, say, the "consistency" principle. I suspect that younger people in this country would respond quite positively to this sort of approach, whereas their parents might be put off by any hint of a hard sell. Perhaps in the end, we must accept that some of us are simply born with more persuasion skills than others and that we have less control over such matters than Cialdini might like to think.>> 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

Questions 27-31
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

1. What point is the writer making about Robert Cialdini in the first paragraph?
   A) He wants to change the way society operates.
   B) He uses a wide variety of research techniques.
   C) He has an unconventional approach to his work.
   D) He refuses to make use of animals in his experiments.

2. What is the writer doing in the second paragraph?
   A) Identifying a motivation for the research.
   B) Assessing one aspect of Cialdini's character.
   C) Questioning Cialdini's scientific research techniques.
   D) Applauding researchers who examine their own experiences.

3. What are we told about Cialdini's research methodology?
   A) It involved him taking courses of study.
   B) It was conducted in a laboratory.
   C) It was focused on one particular product.
   D) It was based on interviews with salespeople.

4. What was Cialdini's research question for the towel experiment?
   A) Is it more effective not to use a card?
   B) Does a simple message make any difference?
   C) Why is the threat of pollution so persuasive?
   D) Can hotels be persuaded to provide more towels?

5. The results of the towel experiment suggest that guests
   A) were disinclined to tell the truth about towel use.
   B) preferred not to receive a message with their towels.
   C) were more receptive to messages about other guests.
   D) responded more positively to an environmental message.

Questions 32-36
Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-I, below.
Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet.

The six principles of persuasion
Cialdini's towel experiment demonstrated the principle he named social proof, which can result in competitive material. His research using chocolates suggests that people don't always assess the ______ of transaction. A further principle recommends that advertisers and parents should claim that something is a ______ to be more persuasive. The authority principle is often ignored when some professionals are concerned their actions might be considered ______. He similarly suggests that people will give more to charity if they can be reminded of ______. Lastly, even something like a ______ has been shown to result in more surveys being completed.

A) Rare opportunity
B) Social obligation
C) True qualification
D) Scarcity
E) Likeness
F) Consistency
G) Social proof
H) Reciprocity
I) Authority

Questions 37-40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet, write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. The writer sees evidence of the reciprocity principle in his own family.
2. Persuasion may operate in different ways in different countries.
3. New Zealand diners are likely to leave tips if they are given chocolate.
4. Older New Zealanders would be more attracted to consistency.

1. Persuasion

• Definition: The act of convincing someone to do or believe something.
• Vietnamese: Sự thuyết phục.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Cialdini believes he is discovering important insights into how society works because he is conducting research into why some people are more persuasive than others."
• Translation: Cialdini tin rằng ông đang khám phá những hiểu biết quan trọng về cách xã hội vận hành vì ông đang nghiên cứu lý do tại sao một số người thuyết phục hơn những người khác.

2. Mundane

• Definition: Ordinary or not interesting.
• Vietnamese: Bình thường, không thú vị.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "His unorthodox research involves such mundane items as towels and chocolates."
• Translation: Nghiên cứu phi chính thống của ông bao gồm các vật dụng bình thường như khăn tắm và sô-cô-la.

3. Unorthodox

• Definition: Different from what is usual or accepted.
• Vietnamese: Không chính thống.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "His unorthodox research involves such mundane items as towels and chocolates."
• Translation: Nghiên cứu phi chính thống của ông bao gồm các vật dụng bình thường như khăn tắm và sô-cô-la.

4. Fundraiser

• Definition: A person or event that collects money for a cause.
• Vietnamese: Người hoặc sự kiện gây quỹ.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Salespeople and fundraisers who have managed to persuade him to buy things he did not want."
• Translation: Những người bán hàng và gây quỹ đã thuyết phục ông mua những thứ ông không muốn.

5. Reciprocity

• Definition: The practice of exchanging things for mutual benefit.
• Vietnamese: Sự có qua có lại.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "This is reciprocity in action: we want to return favors done to us."
• Translation: Đây là hành động có qua có lại: chúng ta muốn đáp lại những ân huệ mà người khác dành cho mình.

6. Scarcity

• Definition: A situation in which something is not easy to find or is limited in amount.
• Vietnamese: Sự khan hiếm.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Scarcity is the idea that people want more of things they can have less of."
• Translation: Sự khan hiếm là ý tưởng rằng con người muốn nhiều hơn những thứ mà họ có ít.

7. Authority

• Definition: The power or right to give orders or make decisions.
• Vietnamese: Quyền uy, thẩm quyền.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The principle of authority states that we trust people who know what they are talking about."
• Translation: Nguyên tắc thẩm quyền nói rằng chúng ta tin tưởng những người biết họ đang nói về điều gì.

8. Consistency

• Definition: The quality of always behaving in the same way.
• Vietnamese: Sự nhất quán.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The principle he labels 'consistency' suggests that we want to act in ways that are consistent with undertakings we have already made."
• Translation: Nguyên tắc ông đặt tên là 'sự nhất quán' gợi ý rằng chúng ta muốn hành động theo cách nhất quán với những cam kết chúng ta đã thực hiện trước đó.

9. Undertaking

• Definition: A promise or agreement to do something.
• Vietnamese: Lời hứa, cam kết.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Ways that are consistent with undertakings we have already made."
• Translation: Cách thức phù hợp với những cam kết mà chúng ta đã thực hiện.

10. Pernicious

• Definition: Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual way.
• Vietnamese: Nguy hại, độc hại.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "More perniciously, social proof is the force underpinning some people's anxiety."
• Translation: Nguy hại hơn, bằng chứng xã hội là lực thúc đẩy sự lo lắng của một số người.

11. Compelling

• Definition: Convincing or requiring attention.
• Vietnamese: Hấp dẫn, thuyết phục.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Could hotels best motivate their guests to cooperate simply because it would help save the planet, or were other factors more compelling?"
• Translation: Liệu các khách sạn có thể khuyến khích khách hợp tác chỉ vì điều đó giúp bảo vệ hành tinh, hay các yếu tố khác hấp dẫn hơn?

12. Credentials

• Definition: Documents or proof showing someone is qualified for something.
• Vietnamese: Chứng chỉ, bằng cấp.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Many professionals don't display their credentials, fearing it is boastful."
• Translation: Nhiều chuyên gia không thể hiện chứng chỉ của mình vì sợ bị coi là khoe khoang.

13. Cynical

• Definition: Distrustful of human sincerity or integrity.
• Vietnamese: Hoài nghi, tiêu cực.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "New Zealand waiting staff using his cynical chocolate trick in their restaurants."
• Translation: Nhân viên phục vụ ở New Zealand sử dụng chiêu trò sô-cô-la mang tính tiêu cực của ông trong nhà hàng.

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