Business English Bits Issue 102
The 10-min homework newsletter that supports your advanced business and English language learning...
Good morning to you all and a warm welcome to this Tuesday’s issue of Business English Bits.
Today we’ll be having a look at a CNBC report on the economic sentiment of US consumers. It has been interesting to note that while some economic indicators have recently been improving fast, for example lower inflation and unemployment rates, US consumers are still feeling some negativity regarding the financial situation of their country. As consumer spending makes up* two thirds of US GDP**, economic sentiment weighs heavily on the financial performance of many companies in the States and further afield***.
*To Make up (pv) - To compose or constitute a whole
**GDP - Gross domestic product
***Further afield (ph) - Longer distances away
So what causes this disconnect between a countries GDP performance and how people feel about the economy? The CNBC report sets out that big purchases like TVs and furniture are actually reducing in price, but that consumers don’t notice the change as they have no fixed price in mind. However, when people go to supermarkets and see prices still rising, they come away with a lousy* feeling as they remember the ‘fair’ old price as a reference.
*Lousy (adj) - Awful
Focus on some key new verb from the video ….
1. VIDEO: CNBC - (11min) - Why Many Americans Still Feel Bad About The Economy Despite Strong Data
Key Words - (Smth = Something; Sb=Someone)
Pulse (n) - Central point of energy and organisation in an area or activity
Pervading (adj) - spread through all parts of smth
Visceral (adj) - Instinctive
At odds (ph) - State of disagreement
Poll (n) - Survey
To Match up (pv) - To be the same or similar
To Hover (v) - To stay in the same position without change
To Reap rewards (col) - To enjoy the benefits of smth
To Underpin (v) - To support or strengthen
Stubbornly (adv) - Difficult to move, change, or deal with
Salient (adj) - Prominent
To Hammer away (pv) - To keep repeating smth
To Chalk up to (pv) - To consider smth as being caused by smth else
Bleak (adj) - Gloomy
To Come to grips with smth (ph) - Make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation
To Diminish (v) - To reduce or be reduced in size or importance
Incumbent (n) - Current holder of an office or position
Bumpy ride (col) - To have a difficult time
Word of the Day … Guess the missing key word. Answer given below with examples!
Some new phrasal verbs to review …
Word of the Day Answer:
Onboard (Noun) - Getting new employees up to speed
Examples:
“The goal is to get new employees onboarded as quickly as possible.”
“We are extremely happy to have onboarded such a dedicated new team.”
Have a nice Tuesday and see you tomorrow for the phrasal verb test …
Kevin