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The fluorescent lights of the British Library hummed, a steady drone that matched the anxiety thrumming in Leo’s chest. He flipped the page of his IELTS practice book, his eyes scanning the text titled: “The Scent of Sales: How Olfaction Influences Consumer Behaviour.”
Slot machine revenue increased dramatically when a distinct, pleasant scent was dispersed into specific gambling zones compared to unscented control days. 4. The Subconscious Trigger
The text described how the olfactory nerve links directly to the limbic system—the part of the brain responsible for emotion and memory—bypassing the rational, logical centers. It mentioned a specific study about a casino in Las Vegas that pumped a specific aroma into a slot-machine area, resulting in a 45% increase in revenue.
| No. | Statement | Answer | Paragraph / Explanation | |-----|-----------|--------|-------------------------| | 20 | Research has shown that smells associated with cleanliness can make people act in a more friendly and generous way. | | Paragraph 6: "environments were sprayed with scents linked with hygiene, such as citrus, individuals reported a desire to connect with others... more willing to give money to charity" | | 21 | The prefrontal cortex has a stronger effect on people who are more self aware. | NOT GIVEN | Paragraph 7: Mentions prefrontal cortex depends on self-awareness, but makes no comparison about "stronger effect" | | 22 | Smell has been used in some countries' legal systems in order to influence people to tell the truth. | NOT GIVEN | The passage never discusses legal systems or truth-telling in courts | | 23 | Personality and self awareness determine how the prefrontal cortex deals with input. | TRUE | Paragraph 7: "Its effect... is dependent upon each person's character and levels of self-awareness" | | 24 | Human behaviour can be influenced by smell when it is combined with other factors. | TRUE | Paragraph 8: "A persuasive argument or strategy would need to be added in order to influence their choices" | | 25 | The sense of smell is one of the most studied human senses. | NOT GIVEN | No comparison of research volume across senses is provided | | 26 | Smell can change buying decisions in any situation that a customer might be in. | FALSE | Paragraph 9: "the influence is contextual" and "dissipate once the surroundings have changed" | | 27 | The temporary influence of odour may inform the footwear we choose. | TRUE | Paragraph 5: "84% of participants... more likely to buy the running shoes in the room with the scent" | persuasion and smell ielts reading answers
These questions test your ability to distinguish between what is explicitly stated, what is contradicted, and what is simply not mentioned. Strategy: How to Approach the Answers To excel in this reading passage, keep these tips in mind:
Research suggests that citrus or clean scents can promote more pro-social, friendly behavior. Prefrontal Cortex and Self-Awareness (TRUE):
The ieltsboosting answer key notes which paragraph contains each answer (e.g., "the sixth paragraph" for Q20). Use this to verify your answers. The fluorescent lights of the British Library hummed,
A commercial rather than moral experiment was undertaken with footwear. Two identical pairs of branded running shoes were placed in two different rooms, one of which contained scent previously shown to create positive feelings and one which had no scent added. Eighty-four per cent of participants in the study reported back that they were more likely to buy the running shoes in the room with the scent. An interesting additional finding was that the study's participants estimated that the running shoes in the scented room were $10 more expensive.
The passage highlights how ambient odors are used for persuasion, influencing behavior, as supported by the Harvard Medical School Magazine explaining the link between scent and memory. Part 3: Matching Information/Researchers
Change the perception of the price, often leading to higher estimations in scented environments . The Subconscious Trigger The text described how the
Multiple-choice and sentence completion tasks usually follow the text's structure .
Evidence that mismatching a fragrance with a product can negatively impact sales.
