IELTS Reading Practice Test: The Farmers - Parade of history

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Bài đọc The Farmers – Parade of history

The Farmers! Parade of history

A. History of Farmers trading company: In 1909 Robert Laidlaw established mail-order company Laidlaw Leeds in Fort Street, Auckland. Then, branch expansion: purchase of Green and Colebrook chain stores; further provincial stores in Auckland and Waikato to follow. Opening of the first furniture and boot factory. In 1920, the Company now had 29 branches; the Whangarei store was purchased. Doors open at Hobson Street for direct selling to the public. The firm establishes London and New York buying offices. With permission from the Harbour Board, the large FARMERS electric sign on the Wyndham Street frontage is erected.

B. In 1935, if the merchandise had changed, the language of the catalogs hadn’t. Robert Laidlaw, the Scottish immigrant who established a century-old business, might have been scripting a modern-day television commercial when he told his earliest customers: Satisfaction, or your money back. “It was the first money back guarantee ever offered in New Zealand by any firm,” says Ian Hunter, business historian. “And his mission statement was, potentially, only the second one ever found in the world.” Laidlaw’s stated aims were simple: to build the greatest business in New Zealand, to simplify every transaction, to eliminate all delays, to only sell goods it would pay the customer to buy.

C. This year, the company that began as a mail-order business and now employs 3500 staff across 58 stores turns 100. Its centenary will be celebrated with the release of a book and major community fundraising projects, to be announced next week. Hunter, who is writing the centenary history, says “coming to a Farmers store once a week was a part of the New Zealand way of life”. By 1960, one in every 10 people had an account with the company. It was the place where teenage girls shopped for their first bra, where newlyweds purchased their first dinner sets, where first pay cheques were used to pay off hire purchase furniture, where Santa paraded every Christmas.

D. Gary Blumenthal’s mother shopped there, and so did he. The fondest memory for the Rotorua resident? “We were on holiday in Auckland… I decided that upon the lookout tower on top of the Farmers building would be a unique place to fit the ring on my new fiance’s finger.” The lovebirds, who had to wait for “an annoying youth” to leave the tower before they could enjoy their engagement kiss, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June.

E. Farmers, says Hunter, have always had a heart. This, from a 1993 North & South interview with a former board chairman, Rawdon Busfield: “One day I was in the Hobson Street shop and I saw a woman with two small children. They were clean and tidily dressed, but poor, you could tell. That week we had a special on a big bar of chocolate for one shilling. I heard the woman say to her boy, ‘no, your penny won’t buy that’. He wasn’t wearing shoes. So I went up to the boy and said,’ Son, have you got your penny? ‘He handed it to me. It was hot. He’d had it in his hand for hours. I took the penny and gave him the chocolate.”

F. Farmers was once the home of genteel tearooms, children’s playgrounds and an annual sale of celebration for the birthday of Hector the Parrot (the store mascot died, aged 131, in the 1970s his stuffed remains still occupy pride of place at the company’s head office). You could buy houses from Farmers. Its saddle factory supplied the armed forces, and its upright grand overstrung pianos offered “the acme of value” according to those early catalogs hand-drawn by Robert Laidlaw himself. Walk through a Farmers store today and get hit by bright lights and big brands. Its Albany branch houses 16 international cosmetics companies. It buys from approximately 500 suppliers, and about 30% of those are locally owned.

G. “Eight, 10 years ago,” says current chief executive Rod McDermott, “lots of brands wouldn’t partner with us. The stores were quite distressed. We were first price point focused, we weren’t fashion focused. “Remove the rose-tinted nostalgia, and Farmers is, quite simply, a business, doing business in hard times. Dancing with the Stars presenter Candy Lane launches a clothing line? “We put a trial on, and we thought it was really lovely, but the uptake wasn’t what we thought it would be. It’s got to be what the customer wants,” says McDermott.

H. He acknowledges retailers suffer in a recession: “We’re celebrating 100 years because we can and because we should.” Farmers almost didn’t pull through one economic crisis. By the mid 1980s, it had stores across the country. It had acquired the South Island’s Calder Mackay chain of stores and bought out Haywrights. Then, with sales topping $375 million, it was taken over by Chase Corporation. Lincoln Laidlaw, now aged 88, and the son of the company’s founder, remembers the dark days following the stock market crash and the collapse of Chase. “I think, once, Farmers was like a big family and all of the people who worked for it felt they were building something which would ultimately be to their benefit and to the benefit of New Zealand… then the business was being divided up and so that kind of family situation was dispelled and it hasn’t been recovered.” For a turbulent few years, the stores were controlled, first by a consortium of Australian banks and later Deka, the Maori Development Corporation and Foodland Associated Ltd. In 2003, it went back to “family” ownership, with the purchase by the James Pascoe Group, owned by David and Anne Norman, the latter being the great-granddaughter of James Pascoe, whose first business interest was jewelry.

I. “Sheer power of the brand,” says McDermott, “pulled Farmers through and now we’re becoming the brand it used to be again.” Farmers was the company that, during World War n, topped up the wages of any staff member disadvantaged by overseas service. Robert Laidlaw, a committed Christian who came to his faith at a 1902 evangelistic service in Dunedin concluded his original mission statement with the words, “all at it, always at it, wins success”. Next week, 58 Farmers stores across the country will announce the local charities they will raise funds for in their centenary celebration everything from guide dog services to hospices to volunteer fire brigades will benefit. Every dollar raised by the community will be matched by the company. “It’s like the rebirth of an icon,” says McDermott.

Bài tập

Questions 1-5

The reading Passage has nine paragraphs A-I

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-I, in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1. Generosity offered on an occasion.

2. Innovation of offer made by the head of the company.

3. Fashion was not its strong point.

4. A romantic event on the roof of farmers.

5. Farmers were sold to a private owned company.

Questions 6-10

Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet.

6. Farmers was first founded as a 6. in Auckland by Mr Laidlaw.
7. Farmers developed fast and bought one 7. then.
8. During overseas expansion, Farmers set up 8. in cities such as London.
9. Farmers held a 9. once a year for the well-known parrot.
10. In the opinion of Lincoln Laidlaw, Farmers are like a 10. for employees, not just for themselves but for the whole country.

Questions 11-13

Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with opinions or deeds below.

Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

A. Lincoln Laidlaw
B. Rod McDermott
C. Ian Hunter

11. Product became worse as the wrong aspect was focused.

12. An unprecedented statement made by Farmers in New Zealand.

13. Character of the company was changed.

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Giải chi tiết The Farmers – Parade of history

Giải thích đáp án chi tiết

Questions 1- 5: Dạng MATCHING PHRASES

Cách làm:

B1: Đọc list các cụm từ đề bài cho, xác định organizing words & content words

B2: Scan từ khóa trong các đoạn văn và tìm ra nét nghĩa tương đồng

B3: Hoàn thành đáp án với các kí tự A, B, C … ám chỉ từng đoạn văn

Note

Làm dạng bài này cuối cùng, sau khi đã hiểu được nội dung chính cả bài

Một số đoạn văn có thể chứa 2 mẩu thông tin

1. Generosity offered on an occasion.

Đoạn E nói về việc cựu chủ tịch của Farmers (Rawdon Busfield) trong một lần gặp 1 người mẹ với 2 đứa trẻ nhỏ, thì đã mua cho bé trai một thanh socola.

→ Đáp án là E

Đoạn E:

Farmers, says Hunter, have always had a heart. This, from a 1993 North & South interview with a former board chairman, Rawdon Busfield: “One day I was in the Hobson Street shop and I saw a woman with two small children. They were clean and tidily dressed, but poor, you could tell. That week we had a special on a big bar of chocolate for one shilling. I heard the woman say to her boy, ‘no, your penny won’t buy that’. He wasn’t wearing shoes. So I went up to the boy and said,’ Son, have you got your penny? ‘He handed it to me. It was hot. He’d had it in his hand for hours. I took the penny and gave him the chocolate.”

2. Innovation of offer made by the head of the company

Đoạn B có đề cập đến thông tin Robert Laidlaw (người sáng lập công ty), đã đưa ra một đề xuất về chính sách hoàn tiền “Satisfaction, or you money back”.

→ Đáp án là B

Đoạn B:

B. In 1935, if the merchandise had changed, the language of the catalogs hadn’t. Robert Laidlaw, the Scottish immigrant who established a century-old business, might have been scripting a modern-day television commercial when he told his earliest customers: Satisfaction, or your money back. “It was the first money back guarantee ever offered in New Zealand by any firm,” says Ian Hunter, business historian. “ […]

3. Fashion was not its strong point

Đoạn G có đề cập đến thông tin nói về việc ban đầu Farmers không tập trung vào thời trang (nói cách khác: thời trang không phải điểm mạnh của doanh nghiệp này)

→ Đáp án là G

Đoạn G:

G. “Eight, 10 years ago,” says current chief executive Rod McDermott, “lots of brands wouldn’t partner with us. The stores were quite distressed. We were first price point focused, we weren’t fashion focused. […]

4. A romantic event on the roof of Farmers.

Đoạn D có đề cập đến thông tin về một cặp đôi đính hôn ở trên nóc của tòa nhà Farmers.

→ Đáp án là D

Đoạn D:

D. Gary Blumenthal’s mother shopped there, and so did he. The fondest memory for the Rotorua resident? “We were on holiday in Auckland… I decided that upon the lookout tower on top of the Farmers building would be a unique place to fit the ring on my new fiance’s finger.” The lovebirds, who had to wait for “an annoying youth” to leave the tower before they could enjoy their engagement kiss, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June.

5. Farmers was sold to a private owned company.

Đoạn H có đề cập đến Farmers được tiếp quản bởi một công ty tư nhân là tập đoàn Chase

→ Đáp án là H

Đoạn H:

Farmers almost didn’t pull through one economic crisis. By the mid 1980s, it had stores across the country. It had acquired the South Island’s Calder Mackay chain of stores and bought out Haywrights. Then, with sales topping $375 million, it was taken over by Chase Corporation. Lincoln Laidlaw, now aged 88, and the son of the company’s founder, remembers the dark days following the stock market crash and the collapse of Chase.

Question 6 – 10: Dạng SENTENCE COMPLETION

Cách làm:

Bước 1: Đọc kĩ câu hỏi và gạch chân từ khóa, khoanh tròn giới hạn từ

Bước 2: Xác định từ loại và loại thông tin cần điền trong chỗ trống (VD: noun – a person)

Bước 3: Scan từ khóa đã xác định trong đoạn văn

Bước 4: Điền vào chỗ trống, kiểm tra lại giới hạn từ & ngữ pháp

6. Farmers was first founded as a ________ in Auckland by Mr Laidlaw

Từ cần điền là một danh từ (do đứng sau mạo từ a), danh từ này chỉ thông tin về việc doanh nghiệp Farmers ban đầu được thành lập với vai trò là gì bởi ông Laidlaw.

→ Đáp án là mail-order company

Đoạn A:

A. History of Farmers trading company: In 1909 Robert Laidlaw established mail-order company Laidlaw Leeds in Fort Street, Auckland.

7. Farmers developed fast and bought one ________ then.

Từ cần điền là một danh từ (do đứng sau từ lượng từ: one), danh từ này chỉ một cái gì đó mà Farmers đã mua.

→ Đáp án là chain store

Đoạn A:

[…] Then, branch expansion: purchase of Green and Colebrook chain stores; further provincial stores in Auckland and Waikato to follow. Opening of the first furniture and boot factory. In 1920, the Company now had 29 branches; the Whangarei store was purchased.

8. During overseas expansion, Farmers set up ________ in cities such as London.

Từ cần điền là một danh từ (do cấu trúc: set up + sth), danh từ này chỉ đến cái gì đó mà Farmers đã thiết lập ở các thành phố (VD: London) trong quá trình mở rộng của mình.

→ Đáp án là buying offices

Đoạn A:

[…] Then, branch expansion: purchase of Green and Colebrook chain stores; further provincial stores in Auckland and Waikato to follow. Opening of the first furniture and boot factory. In 1920, the Company now had 29 branches; the Whangarei store was purchased. Doors open at Hobson Street for direct selling to the public. The firm establishes London and New York buying offices. [..]

9. Farmers held a ________ once a year for the well-known parrot.

Từ cần điền là một danh từ (do đứng sau mạo từ a), danh từ này chỉ một cái gì đó mà Farmers đã tổ chức mỗi lần 1 năm cho 1 con vẹt nổi tiếng.

→ Đáp là celebration

Đoạn F:

F. Farmers was once the home of genteel tearooms, children’s playgrounds and an annual sale of celebration for the birthday of Hector the Parrot (the store mascot died, aged 131, in the 1970s his stuffed remains still occupy pride of place at the company’s head office). […]

10. In the opinion of Lincoln Laidlaw, Farmers is like a ________ for employees, not just for themselves but for the whole country.

Từ cần điền là một danh từ (do đứng sau mạo từ a), với các nhân viên, Farmers giống như một điều gì đó không chỉ cho bản thân của họ mà còn cho cả đất nước.

→ Đáp án là family

Đoạn H:

[…]

Lincoln Laidlaw, now aged 88, and the son of the company’s founder, remembers the dark days following the stock market crash and the collapse of Chase. “I think, once, Farmers was like a big family and all of the people who worked for it felt they

were building something which would ultimately be to their benefit and to the benefit of New Zealand… then the business was being divided up and so that kind of family situation was dispelled and it hasn’t been recovered.

Question 11-13: Dạng MATCHING NAMES

Cách làm:

Bước 1: Đọc list các tên riêng đề bài cho

Bước 2: Xác định vị trí các tên riêng trong đoạn văn

Bước 3: Scan 2-3 dòng trước và sau tên riêng để tìm ra thông tin liên quan

Bước 4: Đối chiếu với list thông tin đề bài cho và nối

Note: Một số tên riêng có thể nối với nhiều hơn 1 đáp án

11. Product became worse as the wrong aspect was focused.

Theo bài đọc, Rod McDermott nói rằng ban đầu Farmers tập trung vào giá cả, chứ không phải vào thời trang.

→ Đáp án là B. Rod McDermott

Đoạn G:

G. “Eight, 10 years ago,” says current chief executive Rod McDermott, “lots of brands wouldn’t partner with us. The stores were quite distressed. We were first price point focused, we weren’t fashion focused. “Remove the rose-tinted nostalgia, and Farmers is, quite simply, a business, doing business in hard times. Dancing with the Stars presenter Candy Lane launches a clothing line? “We put a trial on, and we thought it was really lovely, but the uptake wasn’t what we thought it would be. It’s got to be what the customer wants,” says McDermott

12. An unprecedented statement made by Farmers in New Zealand.

Theo bài đọc, Ian Hunter nói rằng tuyên bố của Robert Laidlaw (chủ của Farmers) về việc hoàn tiền – “nếu không hài lòng thì trả tiền” – là một tuyên bố chưa từng có tiền lệ

→ Đáp án là C. Ian Hunter

Lưu ý:

Nhiều bạn có thể nhầm sang đáp là A Lincoln Laidlaw (vì nhìn thấy từ Laidlaw trong đoạn “Laidlaw stated aims were simple”.
→ tuy nhiên cần chú ý rằng: Robert Laidlaw và Lincoln Laidlaw là 2 người hoàn toàn khác nhau.

Đoạn B:

In 1935, if the merchandise had changed, the language of the catalogs hadn’t. Robert Laidlaw, the Scottish immigrant who established a century-old business, might have been scripting a modern-day television commercial when he told his earliest customers: Satisfaction, or your money back. “It was the first money back guarantee ever offered in New Zealand by any firm,” says Ian Hunter, business historian. And his mission statement was, potentially, only the second one ever found in the world.” Laidlaw’s stated aims were simple: to build the greatest business in New Zealand, to simplify every transaction, to eliminate all delays, to only sell goods it would pay the customer to buy.

13. Character of the company was changed.

Thông tin ở đoạn H chỉ ra rằng, Lincoln Laidlaw nói rằng Farmers giống như 1 gia đình, nhưng sau đó thì nó bị chia rẽ và không còn tính chất gia đình như vậy nữa.

→ Đáp án là A. Lincoln Laidlaw

Đoạn H:

[…] Lincoln Laidlaw, now aged 88, and the son of the company’s founder, remembers the dark days following the stock market crash and the collapse of Chase. “I think, once, Farmers was like a big family and all of the people who worked for it felt they were building something which would ultimately be to their benefit and to the benefit of New Zealand… then the business was being divided up and so that kind of family situation was dispelled and it hasn’t been recovered.”

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