• • Allocate 15 minutes: 5 minutes for skimming paragraphs A–D, 10 minutes for solving questions.
• • Guide students to underline exact textual evidence rather than relying on general memory or assumptions.

• • Skim the 4 paragraphs (A–D) first to locate the main theme of each section before looking at the items.
• • Watch out for synonym traps; ensure True/False/Not Given answers rely strictly on explicit facts in the passage.

Academic Reading • 240 words

The Hidden Cost of Plastic Money

IELTS Academic Format • Level B1

A

Do we spend more when we pay by card? Drazen Prelec and Duncan Simester, researchers at MIT, ran an experiment with students.

B

The students bid in an auction for tickets to a Boston Celtics basketball game. Half of them were told they would pay in cash. The other half were told they would pay by credit card.

C

The credit card group bid more than twice as much as the cash group. Prelec explained that paying by card makes paying feel less painful.

D

The study was published in 2001 in the journal Marketing Letters under the title "Always Leave Home Without It". The experiment used students, so the result may not be the same for everyone.

1

The cash group bid more than twice as much as the credit card group.

____ TRUE ____ FALSE ____ NOT GIVEN

2

The original commercial retail price of the Boston Celtics tickets was exceptionally expensive.

____ TRUE ____ FALSE ____ NOT GIVEN

3

What can be inferred from paragraph C about why participants using credit cards bid substantially more money?

____ A. They received discounted rates on sports tickets from card providers. ____ B. Paying by card made paying feel less painful for them. ____ C. University students systematically earn more money when carrying plastic cards. ____ D. They wanted to guarantee winning the auction regardless of ticket value.

4

Which statement best reflects the discussion regarding the limitations of the MIT study?

____ A. The researchers falsified the average dollar values reported in the journal. ____ B. Sealed auctions are completely invalid tools for measuring economic decisions. ____ C. The result may not be the same for everyone. ____ D. The participants refused to attend the basketball match after bidding.

5

Recognition that the findings may not reflect the spending patterns of the general public

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

6

A comparison of how much the cash group and the credit card group bid

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

7

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