BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS

Success is certain with simplified

supply chains
b.
Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
1. prompted 7. missing
Time: Approximately 90 minutes
2. platform 8. thousands
3. efficiency 9. episode
Business topic: Production, supply chain,
planning, customer satisfaction, agility 4. numerous 10. shortage
5. amended 11. explode
Business language: Industries and related 6. sensible 12. expertise
words, phrases with up and down
3. Understanding the article
Activities: Key words, understanding the
text, business language, reading a script, Key:
discussion, scenario a.

Groups: One-to-one, small groups, large 1. False. The author of the article thought Amazon
groups, whole class (had) lost her books, but they were sitting in a
warehouse.
2. True
3. True
Overview: This article discusses how supply 4. False. Doctors have warned that problems
chains are overly complex, and how problems
with medical supplies could be a real danger
with supply caused by the current pandemic
for patients.
have been worsened and need to be rectified
to avoid unexpected issues in future. 5. True
6. True
7. True
8. True
1. Warmer 9. True
10. False. American and European governments are
a.  Put the students in pairs and ask them to discuss trying to establish a more central/centralised
the questions. When all students have finished their approach to supply (chain) databases.
discussions, ask for feedback from the class. Make a
note of benefits and disadvantages of having many 4. Business language
contributions and ask the class to vote for their top
benefit and top disadvantage. a.  Students fill in the table with the correct words.

2. Key words Key:

finance dairy technology medical
Key: coin barn communicate clinic
a.
cheque cheese monitor dose
1. thousands 7. platform funding cow online injection
Intermediate

2. episode 8. sensible withdraw cream website medicine

3. amended 9. numerous
4. shortage 10. expertise
5. explode 11. prompted
6. efficiency 12. missing
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022. 1

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC
T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS

5. Business language 7. W
 ider business theme – Improving
efficiency
Key:
a. a.  Put the students into pairs and ask them to read
the scenario involving a university café. Tell them
1. d 4. e to try and think of resolutions to the problems and
2. a 5. b improve efficiency so that the café runs well. Tell them
3. f 6. c that there may be multiple solutions to each of the
problems and to think of as many solutions as they
b.  Put students in groups of three. Tell them they are can. Prompt if necessary with the following examples:
going to read a script involving three colleagues (problem 1) They could reduce the portion sizes so
who are meeting for a team-building day outside the less food is wasted; (problem 2) they could advertise
office. Ask them to choose (or asign to them) one jobs in the café and see if university students want
of the following parts: Mark, Pandora, or Svetlana. to work for them when they don’t have lectures;
Tell them to complete the conversation as they read (problem 3) they could provide smaller tables so more
the script using the phrases in Activity 5a. When all people can fit in the café.
groups have finished the task, ask the whole class to
provide the answers. When students have finished, ask each pair to provide
a solution to one of the problems. Write the solutions
Key: on the board and elicit further answers for any
1. broken down problems that require a greater number of responses.
2. bring costs down Provide further discussion by asking the class which
3. shut down of the solutions they think would be the most difficult
4. given up to implement and which would be the easiest.
5. bottom-up
6. by up to

6. Discussion questions

a.  Ask students to read the questions and then begin

a group discussion. Make a note of their answers
and summarise before moving on to the next
question. Provide further discussion: Which other
types of supply chain have been affected by the
virus? Has there been a shortage of staff in certain
industries? What could be done to attract more staff
to these roles?
Intermediate

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022. 2

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC
T
O
H
AN
•P
C