Question

extract from an article about master perfumers by scott sylvare gary marr entered the perfume trade without the customary sense of romance. in the 1970s, he was playing bass guitar in a band when, in need of some money, he took a job mixing chemicals. he had never heard of a “nose”, but he had a knack for remembering chemicals and his employer, a fragrance company, offered to train him to make scents of his own. marr is a master perfumer at firmenich, a swiss company that is one of the fragrance industry’s big four, firms. fine fragrance is the most prestigious work these companies do – they create scents for the perfumes sold by designer brands – and they do plenty besides, demanding assignments of the everyday side of the business, a vast and, in many ways, more care or body care – the fragrances have to be harmonious, round fragrances. whereas you come easy, said marr. “it is all about making nice, harmonious, round fragrances when they hit water, but also slide off immediately so your tableware does not leave your food smelling of perfume, bleach can be made to smell nice, but it also tends to destroy everything it touches. perfume is far more present in our lives than is often acknowledged. the substances we use to clean our homes and our bodies are perfumed, as are plant fertilisers and, it is widely accepted, the electronics manufactured by apple. airlines, shops and hotels perfume their air; so do cinemas with the artificial scented by popcorn. the fragrance and flavour industry brings in an estimated $30 billion each year. firmenich claims that its products reach more than half the world’s population every day. it is a common misconception, in marr’s view, that one must have a refined nose to be a perfumer. sensitivity comes with training. (early on, he noticed the sharpening of his sense of smell on the motorway. he found he could tell, with his windows closed (whether a driver in front of him was smoking even if the driver’s windows were closed too) whether a driver’s roses are exactly alike, for example, some people must smell what their clients smell. most critical is he is occasionally obliged to design products he enjoys the same scents as his clients. despite scents, an artificial raspberry aroma, offensive to the point of pain, “it actually hurts my nose,” he told me. responses to odour vary by person and by culture. europeans are largely indifferent to maple syrup and repelled by concord grapes and root beer, all of which tend to love. familiarity is a strong predictor of approval. southern europeans north americans of lavender in their laundry products. americans like laundry products that are advertised as lavender, but smell like vanilla. recently, i visited marr at firmenich’s laboratories in new jersey. amongst the buildings is a factory manufacturing all sorts of fragrances, and i was met in the car park by a cloud of sweet and rich, perhaps initially of pine freshener, but then seemed to morph into something of entrance, the smell reminded me of a candle shop at christmas. companies are constantly adjusting the perfumes in their products. they are engaged in a permanent, low-grade perfumery war. among the many (from the material: (i) identify the statement made by firmenich that highlights the economic ‘reach’ of these products 1 (ii) identify the two statements that highlight the financial importance of this industry. do not repeat material offered in 2(i)(i). 1 2 2 (iii) identify three pieces of information indicating that it is a lengthy task to create a perfume. 1 2 3 2 (a) identify the two stages required when testing different versions of magna in the laboratory 1 2 1

Explanation:

(f)(i)

The statement is found in the text where Firmenich notes the widespread presence and reach of scented products across daily life and large industries.

(f)(ii)

The two financial statements are the annual revenue of the fragrance industry and Firmenich's large global consumer reach, both highlighting the industry's economic scale.

(f)(iii)

The three points are: a perfumer must have a trained, refined sense of smell; they must match scents to client needs; and they may have to create products they personally dislike.

(g)

The two stages are implied by the text's description of perfume companies first out-testing competitors' scents, then using that data to adjust their own products.

Answer:

(f)(i)

1. Firmenich claims that its scented products reach more than half the world's population every day.
2. The fragrance and flavour industry brings in an estimated $30 billion each year.

(f)(ii)

1. The fragrance and flavour industry generates an estimated $30 billion annually.
2. Firmenich's scented products reach over half of the global population daily.

(f)(iii)

1. A perfumer needs a highly trained, refined sense of smell (sensitivity to scents is learned through training).
2. A perfumer must tailor scents to match client preferences, even if their own sense of smell differs (e.g., some clients like scents the perfumer does not).
3. A perfumer may be required to create products they personally dislike (e.g., Marr has to design artificial scents he finds offensive).

(g)

1. First, out-test a competitor's scent.
2. Second, adjust their own perfume products based on the test results.