The costs of brand loyalty
Read The costs of brand loyalty and check the IELTS Reading answers. A Londoner with a sudden urge for giant African snails could do worse than head to the bustling marketplace in Brixton, a part of south London that is home to many people from Africa. Markets like Brixton market that eater to migr…
Passage preview
A Londoner with a sudden urge for giant African snails could do worse than head to the bustling marketplace in Brixton, a part of south London that is home to many people from Africa. Markets like Brixton market that eater to migrants are testament to the fact that people often retain very strong preferences for the kinds of food they grew up eating. Just ask the expatriate Britons who flock to 'Tea and Sympathy' in New York's Greenwich Village for pots of Marmite, a yeast- based spread whose delights baffle other nationalities (and many of their own compatriots).
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- abolish verb
To formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution; to nullify or void a rule.
The government decided to abolish the old tax system in favor of a more modern and transparent structure.
- composition noun
The way in which a whole is made up; the nature of a mixture's ingredients or constituent parts.
Changes in global trade can rapidly alter the composition of food products available in local grocery stores.
- detrimental adjective
Tending to cause harm; damaging or injurious to health, progress, or the functioning of a system.
Lack of access to clean water has a detrimental effect on the long-term development of rural communities.
- hinder verb
To create difficulties for someone or something, resulting in delay or obstruction of progress or development.
High levels of national debt can severely hinder a country's ability to invest in essential public infrastructure.
- implication noun
The conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated; a likely consequence.
The discovery of the new resource has significant economic implications for the future of the entire region.
- instinctive wariness noun
A natural, non-learned tendency to be cautious or suspicious of potential threats or unfamiliar environmental stimuli.
Children often display an instinctive wariness when trying new foods, a trait likely developed for survival.
- internal barrier noun
A restriction or obstacle that exists within a specific country, preventing the free movement of goods or trade.
Reducing every internal barrier to trade is essential for promoting economic growth in large, geographically diverse nations.
- irreversible adjective
Not able to be undone or altered; a state that cannot be returned to its original condition.
Deforestation can cause irreversible damage to biodiversity, leading to the permanent loss of many unique plant species.
- magnitude noun
The great size or extent of something; a quantitative measure used to express the scale of an effect.
Economists were surprised by the magnitude of the shift in consumer spending following the changes in trade policy.
- predisposition noun
A liability or tendency to suffer from a particular condition or act in a specific ingrained way.
Studies suggest that humans have a biological predisposition to prefer sweet flavors over bitter ones from birth.
- prevalence noun
The fact or condition of being common, widespread, or predominant within a particular area or time.
The high prevalence of digital devices in classrooms has fundamentally changed the way students engage with information.
- testament noun
Something that serves as clear sign or evidence of a specified fact, event, or quality's truth.
The enduring popularity of traditional markets is a testament to the cultural importance of ethnic cuisines in cities.
Answers with explanations
- 27. D
The question addresses the writer's **purpose** in the first paragraph. The correct option correctly identifies the focus on how adults enjoy eating **food from their childhood**, matching the passage's point that people retain preferences for foods they "grew up eating." The distractors fail because multiculturalism and market availability are merely contextual examples, not the core thesis regarding psychological brand/food loyalty.
- 28. C
The correct option states migrants bought **only some of the brands** popular in the new state. This perfectly matches the text, which explains migrants consumed local favorites but "bought fewer than longtime residents." The distractors are incorrect: the text never states migrants were poorer, returned home to buy food, or were uniquely sensitive to price increases.
- 29. D
The correct option observes that **economists fail to understand** all the effects of trade. This is directly supported by the excerpt stating Atkin's data shows "something many economists do not take into account" regarding traditional foods no longer being the cheapest. The distractors are false assumptions: trade doesn't make food hard to find, cause migration, or inherently improve food quality.
- 30. D
The correct option connects the choice of India to its varying **weather patterns** resulting in regional crops. The text explicitly cites India's "large number of climatic zones where different specialised crops are grown." The distractors misrepresent the reason: trade barriers, cheap food, or cultural variations are not the explicit reasons cited by the author for selecting India as the case study.
- 31. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims that brand loyalty is **greater in some states** than in others. While the passage mentions "clear local patterns in consumption" across 38,000 households, it never compares the *strength* or *intensity* of brand loyalty between different specific states. Because this comparative information is completely missing from the text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 32. NO
The statement claims differences in shopping habits **increased** in the first 20 years. The passage explicitly contradicts this, stating that the gap "faded the longer a person lived in their new state" and took "20 years to halve in magnitude." Because "halve" means decrease, not increase, the statement directly opposes the author's claims. Answer: NO.
- 33. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims first brands **only hold their advantage** if supported by **advertising**. While the passage previously mentions advertising cannot explain the strength of brand loyalty, and notes that first brand benefits "last longer than might be assumed," it never states a dependency or conditional requirement that advertising is necessary to hold this advantage. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 34. NO
The statement claims Atkin chose India because trade was **unrestricted**. The passage directly contradicts this, stating there is a "prevalence of internal barriers to trade" meaning regions are "only partially open to trade." Because the text explicitly notes trade barriers exist rather than being unrestricted, the statement opposes the factual evidence. Answer: NO.
- 35. YES
The statement claims that if a region focuses on certain foods, their **cost remains comparatively low**. The passage directly supports this, explicitly stating that "foods a region specialises in producing are instead cheaper in that region." The concepts of "focuses on" (specialises) and "remains comparatively low" (cheaper) align perfectly with the author's claims. Answer: YES.
- 36. B
The summary blank requires a noun reflecting a greater variety of foods resulting from trade. The text mentions a "greater choice of types of food." From the option list, **range (B)** is the exact synonym for "choice of types" and fits perfectly into the phrase "a wider range of foods."
- 37. F
The blank requires a noun indicating a change in calorie intake. The text states people should technically "boost their calorie intake." The word **increase (F)** is the direct synonym for "boost" and fits the grammatical structure "a corresponding increase in the amount of calories."
- 38. I
The blank requires a noun showing stubborn dietary habits. The text explains consumers "keep buying" familiar foods despite expense. The noun **insistence (I)** captures this persistent, stubborn behavior, properly completing the phrase "people's insistence on continuing to eat..."
- 39. A
The blank requires a noun related to dietary health problems. The text refers to a high prevalence of "undernutrition." The contrasting term from the list that fits the phrase "adequate [blank] is already a problem" is **nutrition (A)**, correctly capturing the core health issue.
- 40. C
The blank requires a noun representing a country's future advancement. The text warns that malnutrition could "hinder the development of their country." The word **progress (C)** is a direct synonym for "development" and logically completes the summary's final warning about long-term national impact.