LESSON 4

IELTS VOCABULARY
BRANDS
Exercise 1: Find a word or phrase in the text that matches the definitions below.
1 The business or trade in a particular product. m………….

2 People who buy goods. c………….

3 The materials in which objects are wrapped before being sold. p………….

4 A new fashion or pattern of behaviour. t………….

5 When someone can be believed or trusted. c………….

6 Make someone do something by giving them a good reason to do it. p………….

7 A means of identifying a particular company. b………….

8 The things a company makes to sell. p………….

Luxury brands dominate both the cosmetic and skincare market. But consumers are looking
for more than just beauty in sophisticated packaging. Companies offering products with
healthy ingredients have set the trend in recent years. When consumers go shopping for
cosmetics, they want to know the products they are buying won't harm their skin. To gain
credibility, many cosmetic companies have persuaded dermatologists and pharmacists to
endorse their brands. The target customers of most skincare and cosmetic brands are women
between the ages of 20 and 50, a segment that is only expected to grow in the coming years.
Nevertheless, men are also looking for products to give their skin a healthy look. It is
estimated that men account for 1 per cent of the luxury cosmetics market, a niche which saw
a 50 per cent increase in sales in 2003-04. Besides men, teenagers are also trying to enhance
the health and beauty of their appearance. With such a broad client base, it is not surprising
that the industry shows no sign of slowing down.
2 Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) that best fits each space.

Let's look first at small businesses. It's estimated that 56% (1)……………. under before their
fourth year. Incredible! So, why do so many fail to (2) ……………. ? First of all, many
entrepreneurs don't have an adequate business plan, so they have no clear idea of how much
(3) ……………. will be required to keep their start-up going. So they start spending in a way
that unfortunately leads to (4) ……………. In other cases, people haven't kept enough
money in reserve to survive a time of market (5) ……………. Essentially, it's being
prepared for the unexpected, for uncontrollable (6) ……………. , such as energy rate
increases. What else (7) ……………. to failure? Well, no matter how excited you are about
your product, it's essential to (8) ……………. your expenses as much as you can. For
instance, there's no need to (9) ……………. expensive office space or to buy designer
uniforms. These kinds of unnecessary (10) ……………. should be avoided. What you need
to be (11) ……………. in is research, i.e. ensuring there is actually customer (12)
……………. for your product. Location is also vital. You need to check out the accessibility
of any (13) ……………. you're interested in. Is there parking or public transport? And how
about your (14) ……………. ? In other words, are there stores nearby that may threaten
your success? Finally, good customer service is essential. So, (15) ……………. the right
staff and provide the right kind of training, and it'll have a great impact on customer (16)
…………….and they'll return again and again.

1 A go B work C dive D fail

2 A bloom B accomplish C thrive D achieve
3 A savings B capital C currency D donation
4 A debits B debt C dues D sums
5 A downsizing B downshift C downfall D downtrends
6 A costs B fees C receipts D charges
7 A causes B results C produces D leads
8 A reduce B decline C diminish D lessen
9 A borrow B lease C owe D let
10 A overheads B bills C accounts D payments
11 A focusing B investing C following D spending
12 A choice B interest C opportunity D demand
13 A estate B domain C position D premises
14 A finances B marketing C competition D management
15 A hire B take C arrange D sign
16 A relationship B connection C loyalty D devotion
 IELTS READING
MATCHING HEADINGS
Passage 1
Vocabulary builder
Match the phrases and the definitions.
1. seek advice a. in direct relation to
2. in proportion to b. arriving
3. mulling over c. getting advice/ help
4. turning up d. effect on
5. peak periods e. taking some time to think about
6. influence f. busiest times
7. gain from g. take into consideration
8. take account of h. benefit from
9. try out i. test/ try using

The reading passage below has seven paragraphs A—G. Choose the correct heading for
each paragraph from the list of headings below.

List of Headings
i Increasing customer confidence
ii A benefit to retailers
iii The bigger picture of how Internet use changes consumer behaviour
iv Introducing a novel approach to purchasing
v The dangers for retailers
vi Retraining staff
vii Changing the face of the shop and the Internet site
viii A look at the sales figures
ix Encouraging online feedback from consumers

1 Paragraph A 5 Paragraph E
2 Paragraph B 6 Paragraph F
3 Paragraph C 7 Paragraph G
4 Paragraph D
 Wily, wire consumers
The Internet has empowered shoppers both online and offline
A The amount of time people spend researching, checking prices, visiting stores and seeking
advice from friends tends to rise in proportion to the value of the product they are thinking of
buying. A new car is one of the biggest purchases people make, and buyers typically spend
four to six weeks mulling over their choices. So why are some people now walking into car
showrooms and ordering a vehicle without even asking for a test drive? Or turning up at an
electrical store and pointing out the washing machine they want without seeking advice from
a sales assistant? Welcome to a new style of shopping shaped by the Internet.

B More people are buying products online, especially at peak buying periods. The total value
of e-commerce transactions in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2004 reached $18
billion, a 22% increase over the same period in 2003, according to the Department of
Commerce in Washington DC. But that just represents 2% of America's total retail market
and excludes services, such as online travel, the value of goods auctioned on the Internet, and
the 534 billion-worth of goods that individuals trade on eBay.

C If you consider the Internet's wider influence over what people spend their money on, then
the figures escalate out of sight. Some carmakers in America now find that eight out of ten of
their buyers have logged on to the Internet to gather information about not just the exact
vehicle they want, but also the price they are going to pay. Similarly with consumer
electronics, nowadays if a customer wants to know which flat-screen TV they should buy,
they are likely to start their shopping online - even though the vast majority will not complete
the transaction there.

D The Internet is moving the world closer to perfect product and price information. The
additional knowledge it can provide makes consumers more self-assured and bold enough to
go into a car dealership and refuse to bargain. As a result, the process of shopping is
increasingly being divorced from the transaction itself. Consumers might surf the web at
night and hit the shops during the day. Visiting bricks-and-mortar stores can provide the final
confirmation that the item or group of items that they are interested in is right for them.

E Far from losing trade to online merchants, stores that offer the sorts of goods people find
out about online can gain from this new form of consumer behaviour. This is provided they
offer attractive facilities, good guarantees and low prices.
F Merchants who charge too much and offer poor service, however, should beware. The
same, too, for shaky manufacturers: smarter consumers know which products have a good
reputation and which do not, because online they now read not only the sales blurb but also
reviews from previous purchasers. And if customers are disappointed, a few clicks of the
mouse will take them to places where they can let the world know.

G Some companies are already adjusting their business models to take account of these
trends. The stores run by Sony and Apple, for instance, are more like brand showrooms than
shops. They are there for people to try out devices and to ask questions of knowledgeable
staff. Whether the products are ultimately bought online or offline is of secondary
importance. Online traders must also adjust. Amazon, for one, is rapidly turning from being
primarily a bookseller to becoming a mass retailer, by letting other companies sell products
on its site, rather like a marketplace. Other transformations in the retail business are bound to
follow.
Passage 2
Vocabulary builder
1. notion (n)
2. theoretical /ˌθɪəˈretɪkl/ (adj)
3. conceive /kənˈsiːv/ (v)
4. comprehensive
/ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv/ (adj)
5. arise - arose – arisen (v)
6. viable /ˈvaɪəbl/ (adj)
a. connected with the ideas and principles, rather
than with practice and experiment
b. including all, or almost all, the items, details,
facts, information...that may be involved.
c. an idea, a belief or an understanding of something
d. that can be done; that will be successful =
feasible
e. to form an idea, a plan, etc. in your mind
f. the number of people or things in

a place when compared with the size of

the place.
7. density /ˈdensəti/ (n) g. to start to exist, happen, develop
8. automobile /ˈɔːtəməbiːl/ (n) h. be the first to do, discover or use something new.
9. pioneer /ˌpaɪəˈnɪə(r)/ (v) i. a car

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

List of headings
i The future of urban planning in America
ii Conflicting ideas through the history of urban planning
iii Urban planning has a long and varied history
iv Financial problems helped spread an urban planning concept
v The background to one particular planned community
vi Political change obstructs progress in urban planning
vii An urban plan to reduce traffic
 Planned communities: garden cities
A The notion of planning entire communities prior to their construction is an ancient one. In
fact, one of the earliest such cities on record is Miletus, Greece, which was built in the 4th
century BC. Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, various planned communities
(both theoretical and actual) were conceived. Leonardo da Vinci designed several cities that
were never constructed. Following the Great Fire of London in 1666, the architect
Christopher Wren created a new master plan for the city, incorporating park land and urban
space. Several 18th-century cities, including Washington D.C., New York City, and St
Petersburg, Russia, were built according to comprehensive planning.

B One of the most important planned city concepts, the Garden City Movement, arose in the
latter part of the 19th century as a reaction to the pollution and crowding of the Industrial
Revolution. In 1898, Ebenezer Howard published the book To-Morrow: A Peaceful Path to
Real Reform in which he laid out his ideas concerning the creation of new economically
viable towns. Howard believed that these towns should be limited in size and density, and
surrounded with a belt of undeveloped land. The idea gained enough attention and financial
backing to lead to the creation of Letchworth, in Hertfordshire, England. This was the first
such 'Garden City'. After the First World War, the second town built following Howard's
ideas, Welwyn Garden City, was constructed.

C In the early 1920s, American architects Clarence Stein and Henry Wright, inspired by
Howard's ideas and the success of Letchworth and Welwyn, created the city of Radburn, New
Jersey. Conceived as a community which would be safe for children, Radburn was
intentionally designed so that the residents would not require automobiles. Several urban
planning designs were pioneered at Radburn that would influence later planned communities,
including the separation of pedestrians and vehicles, and the use of 'superblocks', each of
which shared 23 acres of commonly held parkland.

D In America, following the stock market crash of 1929, there was great demand for both
affordable housing and employment for workers who had lost their jobs. In direct response to
this, in 1935 President Roosevelt created the Resettlement Administration, which brought
about a total of three greenbelt towns: Greenbelt, Maryland; Greenhills, Ohio; and Greendale,
Wisconsin. These towns contained many of the elements of the Garden City Movement
developments, including the use of superblocks and a 'green belt' of undeveloped land
surrounding the community.
Choose the correct letter A - D
1 In Paragraph A, what is the main point that the writer makes?
A Some urban designs are better in theory than in practice.
B The urban-planning concept itself is not restricted to modern times.
C Urban planning should be carried out by professionals.
D Some planned ancient cities are more successful than modern ones.
2 According to the second paragraph, the Garden City Movement
A came just before the Industrial Revolution.
B was held back by a war and a lack of funds.
C resulted in cities that were larger than they had been before.
D was designed to combat problems caused by modernisation.
3 What was one aim in designing the city of Radburn?
A to create something totally different from cities elsewhere.
B to reduce the danger for families living in the area.
C to make sure people could park their cars close to their home.
D to increase green spaces by designing houses with gardens.
4 What do the towns of Greenbelt, Greenhills and Greendale all have in common?
A The residents were affected by the stock market collapse.
B The towns were built for the wealthiest people in America.
C The towns were each surrounded by natural parkland.
D They were all constructed in the same year.