DoorDash Offers $17 Billion to Buy Instacart, Potentially Reshaping Grocery Delivery

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   When was Instacart founded?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. 2010
   2. 2012
   3. 2013
   4. 2017
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   2012

   The narration identifies the year when Instacart began operating.

   Instacart, founded in 2012, specializes in grocery and convenience-store delivery in the United States and Canada.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which business did DoorDash originally begin with?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Restaurant delivery
   2. Grocery manufacturing
   3. Electronic repairs
   4. Retail consulting
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Restaurant delivery

   The narration contrasts DoorDash’s original focus with its later expansion.

   DoorDash began as a restaurant delivery company in 2013 but has expanded into areas including pet food and electronics.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How many additional stores could Instacart users access?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. 5,000
   2. 15,000
   3. 50,000
   4. 600,000
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   50,000

   The narration gives a specific estimate of the possible expansion in store access.

   Instacart users would gain access to 50,000 additional stores on DoorDash’s platform.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What could happen to Instacart’s independent-contractor shoppers?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They could continue their work as before
   2. They would all become government employees
   3. They would transfer to retail consulting
   4. They would stop fulfilling grocery orders
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They could continue their work as before

   DoorDash says shoppers could continue fulfilling orders under the proposed arrangement.

   DoorDash also says the Instacart name and app would remain, while the company’s roughly 600,000 independent-contractor shoppers could continue fulfilling orders as before.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   According to Randall Sargent, what does greater consolidation generally create?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. More choices for grocers
   2. Risks for consumers
   3. Lower membership fees for everyone
   4. Faster regulatory approval
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Risks for consumers

   Sargent directly connects consolidation with potential consumer risks.

   Randall Sargent, a grocery and retail consultant at Oliver Wyman, said that greater consolidation generally creates risks for consumers.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What reason did Tony Xu give for supporting the combination?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It could help local grocers compete with larger businesses
   2. It would eliminate all delivery competition
   3. It would move Instacart operations overseas
   4. It could guarantee lower prices for every customer
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It could help local grocers compete with larger businesses

   Xu argued that the arrangement could strengthen local grocers’ competitive position.

   Tony Xu, DoorDash’s co-founder and CEO, said the combination could help local grocers compete with larger businesses.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the expected completion window if approvals are granted?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Late 2026 only
   2. The end of 2027 or early 2028
   3. The middle of 2028 only
   4. Before the end of 2025
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The end of 2027 or early 2028

   The narration gives a conditional timeline spanning late 2027 and early 2028.

   If it receives those approvals, the companies expect it to be finalized by the end of 2027 or in early 2028.

What to review next

Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.

Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?

The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.