2.3/2.

4 TEST
Name No. _______ Class: _________ Date ___________

LISTENING
1. Listen to the text about sustainable influencers and choose the most
[track 16]
suitable option to complete each sentence.

1.1 The sustainability movement has become popular worldwide because

a. our society has finally become aware of the waste production problem.
b. nowadays people are paying more attention to unethical industrial practices.
c. there’s the urge to put an end with industrial practices that are harmful to the
environment.

1.2 Consumers’ choices

a. are forcing fashion brands to innovate and produce safe and eco-friendly items.
b. are still directed to fast fashion.
c. lead brands to create innovative products.

1.3 Sustainable influencers

a. are playing a vital role as far as the environment is concerned.
b. are endorsing products they genuinely like.
c. use their tastes and beliefs to inspire their followers to behave like them and try more
sustainable products.

1.4 Brands are

a. driving consumers to be more authentic.
b. expected to be authentic.
c. expected to follow social trends.

2. Watch the creators of JOA, a designer label, talking about

fashionable upcycling. Say if the following statements are
true (T) or false (F).

a. JOA use items that thrift shops can no longer trade to make
unique and fashionable garments.

b. When you buy one of these bomber jackets, you are

contributing to reducing energy consumption.

c. For many sustainable brands, it’s imperative to solve the

problem of waste before producing new fabrics.

d. JOA upcycled bomber jackets are garments that may carry

a story and have sentimental value.

e. Getting your clothes fixed and exchanging garments with

your friends help you embrace a sustainable lifestyle.
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 READING
Read the text carefully.

THE PARADOX OF THE “SUSTAINABLE INFLUENCER”

One cannot scroll on social media without the
bombardment of ads and influencer-promoted
product posts pushing fast fashion hauls onto
unassuming consumers.
5 Influencer marketing has become increasingly
popular online, and is expected to become more
powerful, driving the latest trends, and therefore
the purchases of many individuals. Influencer
marketing has grown with the expanded use of
10 social media, and therefore, brands have begun to
utilize this form of advertising more frequently,
many having their own “influencer relations” department or specialist. Influencers are an
extremely effective method of marketing because of the perceived trust between follower
and influencer.
15 With that being said, increased discussion of sustainability online due to ongoing
environmentally-friendly trends has produced a new type of influencer: the Sustainable
Influencer. The sustainable influencer is someone who participates in influencer
marketing that specifically promotes products that are considered to be sustainable, ethical,
and/or
20 eco-friendly. However, while sustainable influencers are vocal in promoting sustainably
and ethically-produced products, they run amiss in a number of ways.
Sustainable influencers often promote brands that do not put sustainability into practice.
Since sustainability has become a trend, especially among fashion brands, greenwashing*
has become more prominent within influencer-based advertising. With the right
25 sustainability jargon, even the most unethical brands can seem as though they have good
intentions for the environment and for garment makers. Sustainable influencers are (or can
be) paid to promote a product or brand in a particular way, which can promote
greenwashing. Granted, not all sustainable influencers promote greenwashed products, but
monetary incentives involved with influencer work can cause many to overlook a brand’s
30 true practices, which are often abhorrent.
In addition to the intentional or accidental promotion of non-sustainable products, most
sustainable influencers ultimately make their living off of the promotion of consumerism,
which in practice is not sustainable. The excessive consumption of clothing goods has led
to the current state of waste in the fashion industry.
35 Even if a garment or product is produced sustainably and ethically, it is still possible to
over-consume. The overconsumption of ethical goods does not contribute to a more
sustainable future, and the only way for a “slow” fashion future to exist is to slow down all
aspects of production, which includes the consumption of clothing goods. The irony isn’t
lost that many sustainable influencers perpetuate the idea that individuals need to buy more
40 clothing or items to achieve a fashionable lifestyle worth photographing and hashtagging.
As consumers, it is important to remember that products promoted by sustainable
influencers are not guaranteed to be what they claim to be. After all, the most sustainable
items are the items of clothing that already live in someone’s closet, not the clothing in
sustainable influencer posts.
*
Greenwashing is the use of generic, sustainably-minded verbiage in brand advertising in order to create an

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 ethical or sustainable facade.
https://remake.world (adapted; accessed in January 2022)

1. Identify the two main reasons that make influencer marketing so successful
nowadays.
a. It is cheaper and easier for a brand to advertise its products/services.
b. It is based on a closer relationship between the one who buys and the one who advertises.
c. It stimulates people to consume the most up-to-date goods.
d. It is the most effective way to expand a brand’s name online.

2. Find synonyms for the following words in paragraph 4.

a. obvious ____________________
b. language ____________________
c. immoral ____________________
d. rewards ____________________
e. ignore ____________________

3. Say who or what the highlighted words in the text refer to.
a. their (line 12) ____________________
b. they (line 20) ____________________
c. they (line 24) ____________________
d. they (line 41) ____________________

4. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) and find evidence in
the text to support your answer.

a. Advertising has invaded our online life. T F

T F
b. The rise of the Internet favoured the spread of influencer marketing.

T F
c. Driven by financial reasons, some sustainable influencers choose to ignore the
production methods behind the brand.

T F
d. Most sustainable influencers make a living encouraging unsustainable practices.

T F
e. Purchasing sustainable products avoids excess of consumption.

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 USE OF LANGUAGE
1. Complete the text with words from the box. There are two extra words.

influencers • followers • conscious • assess • popular • products • target

trending • mindset • approach • brands • credibility
marketing • meaningfulness

A shift in priorities: influencers are starting to adopt a purpose

Beauty, fashion, travel, and superfoods have been a. _________________ topics on social
media platforms like Instagram and YouTube for some time and are still b. _________________
now. But for many young users in particular, merely c. _________________ a nice lifestyle is not
enough.
A more d._________________ approach to buying and consuming products, sustainable vacation
options, and fair fashion alternatives are the current e._________________ that even major
influencers cannot ignore. The trend toward f. ______________, whether in an environmental,
social or political sense, is being well received by users in the form of clicks and shares. To
maintain their
g. _________________ purpose-driven influencers and eco-influencers carefully
h. ______________ the products, brands and companies that they present to their i.
______________. j. ________________ that want to live up to this new level of awareness should
therefore also present themselves authentically and transparently. The k. ________________
group’s power is forcing brands to rethink their l.________________ in a meaningful direction.
https://dmexco.com (adapted; accessed in January 2022)

2. Complete the second sentence, so that it is similar in meaning to the first, including
the word given. Use between two and five words.
a. The planet is suffering the consequences of overconsumption. (price)
The planet is ________________________________________________ overconsumption.

b. There are few second-hand shops in the city. (not)

There _______________________________________________ shops in the city.

c. She had the hardest task to reveal the information to the CEO. (break)
She had the hardest task ______________________ to the CEO.

d. They don’t have any interest in adopting green practices. (no)

They ________________________________ in adopting green practices.

e. The marketers should have given me the latest information on the sales. (posted)
The marketers should have ________________________________ on the sales.

f. If you buy a house that is not energy-efficient, you should monitor consumptions and expenses.
(track)
If you buy a house that is not energy-efficient, you should__________________________ and
expenses.

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g. We need to face the problem and deal with what went wrong. (terms)
We need to face the problem and _______________________________________ went wrong.

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 3. Rewrite the following sentences starting as shown.

a. We hired some companies to do the clean-up operations for us.

We ________________________________________________________________ for us.

b. The Ecoalf foundation provides an example of the circular economy in action.

An example _________________________________________________________.

c. The foundation has turned marine debris into top-quality thread and reintroduced it as
consumer goods.
Marine debris _______________________________________________________.

d. The Internet connection will be repaired tomorrow.

We _______________________________________________________________.

e. The British Fashion Council made sustainable fashion a core part of its events.
Sustainable fashion __________________________________________________.

f. We should embrace a shift in our mindset in order to reduce our carbon footprint.
In order to reduce our carbon footprint, a shift _____________________________.

g. Your feed is being brightened up by the influencer’s colourful photos.

The influencer’s colourful photos _______________________________________.

WRITING

You have purchased a pair of jeans from a so-called

sustainable online shop. When the item arrived, the
label didn’t match the specifications on the website, and
you found that the product was not an eco-friendly one.
Write a complaint email in order to return the item and
get a full refund. Don’t forget to mention your
disappointment caused by their misleading advertising.

Write no less than 160 words.

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