EPISODE 160
LEVEL A2

READING COMPREHENSION

The world’s largest banana company

The two biggest banana companies of the world , US-based Chiquita and Fyffes of Ireland have agreed to work together and become the largest supplier of bananas. The new company , called Chiquita Fyffes will have its headquarters in the US but will work out of Dublin because of tax reasons. The new banana company is worth one billion dollars on the world’s stock exchanges will sell products worth over $4 billion a year. Each partner will hold about half of the shares. Chiquita Fyffes is expected to trade 16 billion bananas every year, about 14% of the world’s banana market.
According to spokesmen of both companies the aim of the merger is to save over 40 million dollars in costs. Apart from bananas the new company also deals with pineapples and other kinds of fruit. It will have a total of over 32,000 employees.
Fyffes was founded in 1929 and soon became Europe’s largest importer of bananas. Chiquita dates back to the end of the 19th century and helped the fruit become popular in America. For customers around the world there will, however, be no change, as the two companies will still market their own brands.

 

Exercise 1

Match the expressions in bold in the text with their definitions:

1. __________ = what someone wants to do or achieve
2. __________ = where the company’s seat (office) is
3. __________ = type of product that has a special name or design
4. __________ = started, created
5. __________ = the main building of a company
6. __________ = to promote your product
7. __________ = when two companies join to become one
8. __________ = part of a company that investors can buy and sell
9. __________ = person who is a representative of a company and informs the public about it
10. __________ = place where you buy and sell shares of companies
11. __________ = to buy and sell products
12. __________ = company that delivers a certain product

 

Exercise 2

Combine the expressions from both columns to form collocations as in the text:

1. to work millions
2. to sell popular
3. to hold products
4. to save shares
5. to become your brand
6. to market together

 

I know English idioms!

The topic of this lesson’s reading text is bananas. Who doesn’t like bananas. And who hasn’t gone bananas at least once in their lifetime. What does it mean? Let’s study the sentence:
 She’ll go bananas if when you tell her that she won’t manage the new project.
So, as it can be understood, “to go bananas” means “to become extremely angry or excited”.
How often do YOU go bananas and for what reasons? 

 

Phrasals, phrasals…

A sentence from this lesson’s text reads: “Chiquita dates back to the end of the 19th century
which can be understood as “Chiquita datuje się na koniec XIX wieku”. The sentence uses the phrasal verb “to date back” whose meaning is “to exist for(or since) particular time in the past. Let’s see it in one more example:
 The tradition is very old and dates back to medieval times.

 

Grammar corner

Here’s another sentence from this lesson’s text: “Chiquita Fyffes is expected to trade 16 billion bananas every year (…)”, where the underlined phrase can translate as “Oczekuje się, że…”

Try and say these sentences in English using the structure “to be expected to”:
1. Oczekuje się, że nasza firma sprzeda w tym roku więcej usług.
Our company …
2. Oczekuje się, że zostaną liderami branży.
They …
3. Oczekuje się, że dopniemy wszystkich terminów.
We …

 

GLOSSARY

largest – największy
based – ulokowany
to agree – ustalić
supplier – dostawca
headquarters – siedziba główna
tax – podatek
reason – powód
worth – wart
billion – miliard
stock exchange – giełda
to hold – posiadać
share – udział, akcja
expected – spodziewany
to trade – sprzedawać
according to – zdaniem, według
spokesman – rzecznik
both – obydwie
aim – cel
merger – fuzja
to save – zaoszczędzić
costs – koszty
to deal with – zajmować się
soon – wkrótce
to date back – datować się (na)
customers – klienci
however – jednakże
to market – promować
brand – marka

 

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>>Answers

ANSWER KEY
Ex.1
1. aim = what someone wants to do or achieve
2. -based = where the company’s seat (office) is
3. brand = type of product that has a special name or design
4. founded = started, created
5. headquarters = the main building of a company
6. market = to promote your product
7. merger = when two companies join to become one
8. share = part of a company that investors can buy and sell
9. spokesman = person who is a representative of a company and informs the public about it
10. stock exchange = place where you buy and sell shares of companies
11. trade = to buy and sell products
12. supplier = company that delivers a certain product

Ex.2
1. to work together
2. to sell products
3. to hold shares
4. to save millions
5. to become popular
6. to market your brand

Grammar corner
1. Our company is expected to sell more services this year.
2. They are expected to become leaders of the industry.
3. We are expected to meet all deadlines.

 

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