Advanced Listening NPR Podcast: Marketplace Morning Report, Wednesday, February 1, 2012 A) VOCABULARY MATCHING a) Super PAC 1) political

action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation 2) An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public 3) a stock market index (a stock market index = a method of measuring a section of the stock market) 4) The process of taking possession of a mortgaged property as a result of someone's failure to keep up mortgage payments. 5) Poor condition of a building or structure due to neglect. 6) An oversupply 7) any of various devices used for clearing away snow

b) IPO

c) Dow Jones Industrial

d) foreclosure

e) disrepair f) glut g) snow plow

B) COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS 1) What was the trouble with W Span? [it disappeared] 2) What investment bank is leading Facebooks IPO? [Morgan Stanley] 3) What does going public mean? [(FB is going) to sell its stock to the public for the first time to raise money (to raise the most money they need to reach the most people, which is why they need an investment bank)] 4) What does Heidi Moore mean by they run interference? [Sport Idiom: American football: To handle problems for another person or to clear the way for another. In American football, a player who runs interference interferes or obstructs opponents to let the ball carrier advance. AHDI dates the usage to the mid-20th century.] 5) On Wall Street yesterday, what did the Dow close at? [12632]

6) _________ in every _________ homes had a foreclosure filing last year, and more than ________________ homes have been lost to foreclosures in the last __________ years. [one, 69, 4 million, 5] 7) What should you do if you have kept up with your mortgage payments, but your neighbours have been foreclosed on and their house is in disrepair? [1) find out who owns the home (the bank) 2) banks responsibility to maintain the home 3) call local real estate agent to find out who owns the house 4) pester the bank to maintain 5) organize a neighbourhood watch 6)make sure youre protected] 8) Should you take care of the foreclosed property to keep the value of your home up? [yes] 9) Why did the Seattle Head of Transportation lose his job in 2008? [because the clean up of the snow storm was so bad] 10) What does Atlantic Magazine say Seattle might have too much of? [snow plows] 11) How much more snow does Chicago get than Seattle? [5 times more snow] Business English Podcast 143 INT Meetings: Teleconferences (Part 1) This is the first in a two-part Business English Pod series on teleconferences meetings that take place over the phone. Nowadays, we have virtual teams interacting across the globe in virtual meetings without having to leave the office. Teleconferences offer a host of advantages, including minimal travel and meetings costs. However, teleconferences do have their challenges, especially since participants cannot see each other. Its helpful for people to introduce themselves, use their names and their colleagues names when speaking, minimize background noise, and speak slowly and clearly. In these two episodes, well learn vocabulary associated with teleconferences. Well also learn ways to professionally and tactfully handle any issues that come up. Today, well listen to Craig and Elsa. Craig is a new hire at StarCom, a computer and printer manufacturer. Hes fresh from university and needs to learn how to do a teleconference, so he asks for help from Elsa, who works in HR. 1) What types of equipment are needed for a teleconference? [phone, landline, headset, conference bridge] 2) What is a conference bridge? [links all the phone lines] 3) What is the purpose of a passcode? [gets you access to the conference call] 4) What can you say if you dont understand someone (like if someone is eating and you cant understand them) a. What? b. Excuse me, Im having trouble hearing you

c. What was that again? d. Im afraid Im hearing something in the background what did you say? 4) What main problem do Elsa and Craig talk about that can often occur during a teleconference? [background noise] 5) Why does Craig make a joke? [to make the situation more easy going] 6) What does get the hang of something mean? [get better at something once you know the basics 7) What does catch on mean? [an idiom that means to understand] 8) What are some things you can say to put someone at ease? a. Dont do that b. Throw it away c. Dont be discouraged d. Not bad for your first try e. we all felt nervous at first f. thats not quite right, do it over again 9) Why would you use a headset? [to keep your hands free] 10) Who is the person in charge of the call? [the host] 11) What is a hosting service? [a company that provides teleconference services] 12) What is Phone Connect? [a hosting service] 13) Who is going to host the teleconference next week? [Barbara] 14) What did the man accidentally delete? [email with the passcode] 15) List ways you can informally explain a short, sequential process a) First, then b) First step, next, after that c) After, then 16) Why is the roll call important? [to know who is on the line] 17) List ways you can identify yourself in a roll call: a) Say nothing b)Tina here c) Whats up? This is Rob d) This is Jim from accounting 18) Background noise: What is it best to be? [polite, straightforward] Should you explain that there is a problem with the sound in a specific way? [no, general] What are some examples of how to do this politely? a) Could you speak up please? b) Speak louder! c) Im sorry for the noise c) Stop talking so quietly [last five minutes of recording is student practice]