# Doctoring sales: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 6, Test 4, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 6, Test 4, Reading Passage 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | v | The last rep offered me a trip to Florida. What do you have? |
| 2 | vi | the freedom to give a physician $200 to prescribe her new product |
| 3 | iii | so are doctors to blame for the escalating extravagance of pharmaceutical marketing? |
| 4 | ix | Salespeople provide much-needed information and education to physicians. |
| 5 | i | but it doesn't make me prescribe their medicine |
| 6 | vii | the availability of samples led them to dispense and prescribe drugs that differed from their preferred drug choice |
| 7 | x | And patients are the ones who pay |
| 8 | NO | a budget that could buy lunches and dinners for a small country |
| 9 | YES | Selling pharmaceuticals is a daily exercise in ethical judgement. |
| 10 | NO | are primary sources of drug education for healthcare givers |
| 11 | YES | Rarely do patients watch a doctor write with a pen that isn't emblazoned with a drug's name |
| 12 | NOT GIVEN | Free samples of new and expensive drugs might be the single most effective way of getting doctors and patients to become loyal to a product. |
| 13 | YES | pharmaceutical companies have every right to make a profit |

## Why these answers are right

**1. v.** Paragraph A tells of a doctor who greets the sales rep by asking what she has, since the last rep offered him a trip to Florida. This single scene illustrates what doctors expect from drug companies, so heading v fits.

**2. vi.** Paragraph B lists what a typical rep can offer, including the freedom to give a physician $200 for prescribing a new drug and $1,000 honoraria for attending lectures. These cash payments are financial incentives, so heading vi matches.

**3. iii.** Paragraph C asks whether doctors are to blame for the escalating extravagance of drug marketing, or whether the industry should set the limits. This question of who is responsible for growing promotions is heading iii.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/doctoring-sales/answers).

[Practice Doctoring sales](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/doctoring-sales)