ngothaonhi001 3/13/2025 8:18:29 PM

A SECRET JOB IN THE RETAIL TRADE

I am in a supermarket, doing my best to look like any other shopper browsing the shelves. My opinion on this trip is to buy something I fancy from the bakery, which means I’ll have to interact with the person at the counter. I’m hoping to pass off the handwritten notes I’m carrying as a shopping list, because no one must know why I am here. I have to keep my identity secret because I am a mystery shopper.

(I) My job involves visiting five to ten different stores a day and scoring them on, among other things, their appearance and cleanliness. (II). With the €20 I am given to spend at each store, I purchase the obligatory item that enables me to assess the service I receive at the checkout. (III). Adding the value of my purchase to the €225 I make in a typical day of eight hours of visits and two hours filing reports, I earn more than enough to live on. (IV).

However, assignments paying as well as mine are becoming few and far between due to the soaring demand in my line of work. Retailers increasingly need to maintain standards so as to offer consumers a quality shopping experience and keep them from turning to the internet. However, to date, there are more than half a million mystery shoppers registered in the UK, making competition for jobs very fierce. Today it isn’t only other shoppers I hide my identity from; even my friends and family don’t know who I work for.

Question 6. Where in paragraph 2 does the following sentence best fit? “This feedback helps retailers improve their services and maintain customer satisfaction

        A. (IV)        B. (I)        C. (II)        D. (III)

Question 7. The phrase “pass off” in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by the____.

        A. pretend        B. make up        C. throw away        D. hand out

Question 8. The word “them” in paragraph 2 refers to ______.

        A. the stores        B. mystery shoppers        C. the shelves        D. the consumers

Question 9. Which of the following is NOT a reason why mystery shopping has become more competitive?

A. There is rising competition due to high demand for mystery shoppers.

B. More than half a million mystery shoppers are registered in the UK.

C. The number of stores has been declining.

D. Retailers are increasingly focused on providing a good shopping experience.

Question 10. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?

A. The writer talks about how the demand for mystery shoppers has decreased over time.

B. The writer describes their relationship with their friends and family.

C. The writer explains why mystery shopping has become more competitive and how they keep their job a secret.

D. The writer talks about the importance of online shopping for retailers.

Question 11. The word “soaring” in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______.

        A. declining        B. growing        C. rising        D. increasing

Question 12. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. There are only a few mystery shoppers registered in the UK.

B. The writer makes enough money to live comfortably from mystery shopping.

C. The writer spends €225 on purchases every day.

D. Mystery shoppers usually reveal their identity to the store staff.

Question 13. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence: “Retailers increasingly need to maintain standards so as to offer consumers a quality shopping experience and keep them from turning to the internet”?

A. Retailers must uphold high standards to keep customers satisfied and prevent them from shopping online.

B. Consumers are turning to the internet because retailers are not maintaining their standards.

C. Retailers are focused on improving their online shopping services to attract more customers.

D. Retailers have decided to lower their standards due to competition from online stores.

Question 14. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Mystery shoppers are required to reveal their identities at the end of each visit.

B. The job of a mystery shopper is highly predictable and steady.

C. The growing competition among mystery shoppers is making it harder to find high-paying assignments.

D. Mystery shoppers are paid based on how many stores they visit each day.

Question 15. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. The passage focuses on the writer’s personal relationship with their friends and family and how they avoid discussing their job as a mystery shopper.

B. The writer explains how they manage to make a significant income by shopping for other people and filling reports on store managers.

C. The passage describes how the retail industry is declining due to the rise of online shopping, with mystery shoppers becoming less important.

D. The writer discusses their experience working as a mystery shopper and the challenges of keeping their identity secret while evaluating stores.

35. Cụm Chuyên môn số 3 - Đắk Lắk (Tốt nghiệp THPT 2025 môn Tiếng Anh)