Business English Bits Issue 99
The 10-min homework newsletter that supports your advanced business and English language learning...
Hello to you all from a wet morning Madrid and welcome to this Saturday’s issue of Business English Bits.
We have a slight change of tack* for today’s issue where we are focusing on a mammoth** engineering project being undertaken in Saudi Arabia. More often than not, huge infrastructure schemes subsequently lead to substantial developmental opportunities and economic returns, down the line.***
*Change of tack (ph) - To think afresh; Change of attitude
**Mammoth (adj) - Enormous, huge
***Down the line (ph) - At a later date
WSJ Youtube channel brings us a fresh report on the rapid progress being made on $22B Riyadh Metro transit* project. In what would normally take decades to complete, the brand new** 109 mile metro/subway network will allow the city to gear up** for two huge events, the 2030 Expo exhibition and the football World Cup of 2032. The engineering feat* will also help the country showcase* the steps it has taken to modernise state and society.
*Transit (n) - Passage from one place to another
**Brand new (col) - Completely new
***To Gear up (pv) - To prepare
**** To Showcase (v) - To show the best qualities of smth
*****Feat (n) - Extraordinary act or achievement
The WSJ report sets out the payoffs* of having a modern public transport network, alongside the financial and practical challenges the scheme has encountered.
*Payoff (n) - Result that rewards you for your effort or work
Focus on some key new verbs from the video ….
1. VIDEO: WSJ - (9min) - Saudi Arabia’s Race to Build a $22B Railway in the Desert
Key Words - (Smth = Something; Sb=Someone)
Clout (n) - Power
Quest (n) - Long search for something
Flashy (adj) - Attracting attention by being bright, expensive, large, etc
To Render (v) - To cause to become
Vibe (n) - Distinctive feeling; Atmosphere
To Grant (v) - To give, agree to give, or do smth for sb
Car-centric (adj) - Giving privilege to private automobile
Forefront (n) - Position of greatest importance
Wary (adj) - Very cautious
To Turbocharge (v) - To inject extra force and energy into smth
Front runner (cn) - Favourite; Best positioned
To Envision (v) - To conceive as a possibility
To Bore (v) - To make a hole
To Weave around (pv) - To move between and around certain things
Crackdown (n) - Action by an authority to stop smth
To Funnel (v) - To channel
Gravitation (n) - Force that attracts all objects towards one another
To Enlist (v) - To secure support and aid; Employ in advancing an interest.
Downside (n) - Disadvantage
To Mask (v) - To conceal smth
Backbone (n) - Most important part of smth
To Ditch (v) - To get rid of
To Transpire (v) - To come about, happen, or occur
Word of the Day … Guess the missing key word. Answer given below with examples!
Some new idioms to review …
Word of the Day Answer:
Downturn (Noun) - Decline in economic, business or other activity
Examples:
“Hundreds of staff lost their jobs at the firm during the economic downturn.”
“Figures show strong evidence of a downturn in the real estate market.”
ANSWERS TO WEDNESDAY’S PHRASAL VERB TEST …
Have a fantastic weekend, and see you next Tuesday ….
Kevin