Author Archive: admin

Kimberly Clark to lay off 5,000 employees

2018年4月30日

Kimberly Clark to lay off 5,000 employees

By Stribrohorak (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons Pre-reading questions: What are some common reasons for firing employees? Why do employees quit their job? Vocabulary: lay off [ley awf] (phrasal verb) to end someone’s employment The firm had to lay off some of their workers. stiff competition [stif kom-pi-TISH-uhn] (noun) strong competition from rivals You’ll be facing a lot of stiff competition at the games. worldwide [WURLD-WAHYD] (adjective) happening all over the world Our company has 2,000 employees worldwide. birthrate [BURTH-reyt] (noun) the number of births in a year or place Low birthrate is a big problem for some countries. budget cut [BUHJ-it kuht] (noun) the act of…
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Intermediate

Kimberly Clark to lay off 5,000 employees

2018年4月30日

Kimberly Clark to lay off 5,000 employees

By Stribrohorak (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons Pre-reading questions: What is your dream job? Is it easy to find a job in your country? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary: lay off [ley awf] (phrasal verb) to end someone’s employment They had to lay off the workers one by one. expense [ik-SPENS] (noun) an amount of money spent to buy something Food is my biggest expense. profit [PROF-it] (noun) money that remains after paying all expenses The company gained more profit this year. factory [FAK-tuh-ree] (noun) a building where products are made using machines There is a big car factory in my hometown. employee [em-PLOI-ee] (noun) someone who…
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Beginner

Teenager dies due to caffeine overdose

2018年4月30日

Teenager dies due to caffeine overdose

Vocabulary: cardiac arrhythmia [KAHR-dee-ak uh-RITH -mee-uh] (noun) irregular heartbeat Cardiac arrhythmia is a serious health hazard. county [KOUN-tee] (noun) largest political division in most states in the US We are moving to Orange County, California. patron [PEY-truh n] (noun) a person who is a loyal customer of a product or service She is a well-known patron of innovative products. instantaneous [in-stuhn n-TEY-nee-uh s] (adjective) immediate effect or response The school got an instantaneous response from the board. overdose [OH-ver-dohs] (noun) too much drug intake at a given time Drug overdose is fatal. A 16-year old high school student collapsed and died after consuming a large bottle of Mountain Dew, a…
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Expert

Teenager dies due to caffeine overdose

2018年4月30日

Teenager dies due to caffeine overdose

Pre-reading questions: What do you usually have for breakfast? Do you enjoy drinking coffee in a cafe? Why or why not? Vocabulary: educate [EJ-oo-keyt] (verb) to teach someone We should educate our children about taking care of the environment. caffeinated [KAF-uh-ney-tid] (adjective) containing caffeine This caffeinated cake tastes really good. consume [kuhn-SOOM] (verb) to eat or drink up I consumed a lot of water after the basketball game. stimulant [STIM-yuh-luh nt] (noun) a chemical substance that increases activity The football player used the stimulant to increase his energy. fatal [FEYT-uhl] (adjective) causing death Heart attack is a fatal disease. Coffee is the most popular stimulant for stressed people around the…
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Intermediate

Teenager dies due to caffeine overdose

2018年4月30日

Teenager dies due to caffeine overdose

Pre-reading questions: Do you drink coffee? Why or why not? How many cups of coffee do you drink in a day? Vocabulary: softdrink [sawft dringk] (noun) soda I bought two liters of softdrinks on my way home. energy drink [EN-er-jee dringk] (noun) drink that gives you energy That energy drink from the convenience store is expensive. county coroner [KOUN-tee KAWR-uh-ner] (noun) a person who certifies someone’s death The county coroner came to clarify the victim’s death. caffeine [ka-FEEN] (noun) a product found in most coffee There is a coffee without caffeine. moderation [mod-uh-REY-shuh n] (noun) not eating or drinking too much of something Please eat oily food in moderation. A…
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Beginner

Didi Chuxing set to start in Brazil

2018年4月11日

Didi set to start in Brazil

Pre-reading questions: Do you like riding a taxi? Why or why not? Which is better, riding a taxi or a bus? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary: app [ap] (noun) a company that offers the same service as another company My favorite app is Line because it is useful. rival [RAHY-vuhl] (noun) someone or something that is competing with another person or thing McDonald’s is Mos Burger’s biggest rival. invest [in-VEST] (verb) to use money to make more money The company invested money on television ads. spend [spend] (verb) to use money to pay for something Jenny spends a lot of money for new clothes. beat [beet] (verb) to defeat a…
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Beginner

Didi Chuxing set to start in Brazil

2018年4月11日

Didi set to start in Brazil

Pre-reading questions: What are the different modes of transportation in your country? What mode of transportation do you prefer? Vocabulary: ride-hailing [rahyd HEYL-ing] (adjective) mode of transportation similar to a taxi but done through an app Ride-hailing apps are becoming more popular. investor [in-VEST-uhr] (noun) a person who commits capital to a business The investors brought success to her restaurant. expansion [ik-SPAN-shuhn] (noun) process of making a business grow McDonald’s expansion in Kyoto has been all over the news. spark [spahrk] (verb) to cause something to happen The article sparked happy memories for me. rivalry [RAHY-vuhl-ree] (noun) a situation in which teams compete with one another Didi Chuxing, a Chinese…
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Intermediate

Didi Chuxing set to start in Brazil

2018年4月11日

Didi set to start in Brazil

Vocabulary: merger [MUR-jer] (noun) an arrangement in which two or more companies or organizations join together The merger of the Cranberry Co. with Apples Co. surprised everybody. monopolize [muh-NOP-uh-lahyz] (verb) a business obtains exclusive control of an industry The company has monopolized the market. ride-hailing [RAHYD heyl-ing] (adjective) transportation from a taxi service usually booked through an app Ride-hailing services have improved our daily commute. formidable [FAWR-mi-duh-buh-l] (adjective) inspiring fear or respect by being impressively large, powerful or excellent Cranberry Co. has built a formidable reputation for quality products. war chest [WAWR ches] (noun) a fund for a specific purpose such as acquisition McDonald’s is known to have a huge…
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Expert