Business Vocabulary
A company that sells the same kind of product as yours.
competitor
An oral summary should be shorter than this percent of the original.
25%
“His car is outside, so he ___ be at home.” (almost 100% sure)
must
In “advertising revenues for Facebook — it makes more money”, this word is the synonym of revenues.
money
When one company buys another, it is called an ___.
acquisition
The first tip: begin by explaining this (the speaker, when and where you saw the talk).
context
“That ___ be Tom. He’s in Paris.” (it is impossible)
can’t
The last step when guessing a word’s meaning from context.
confirming your guess with a dictionary
In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen ___ Microsoft. (past tense of “to found”)
founded
True or false: you should give your opinion in an oral summary.
False. Talk only about the content, in your own words.
Name two modal verbs that show less certainty (about 50%).
might, may
What does “make inferences” mean?
Understanding ideas that are not said directly, by using prior knowledge and noticing the speaker’s implications.
A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term goal.
strategy
Give one phrase to introduce a supporting detail.
“One of the key points in the lecture was…” / “The speaker mentioned…”
Why do we use modal verbs to express present possibility?
To show how certain we are about an action or situation.
Why is finding synonyms in context useful?
You don’t need a dictionary every time, and you understand the speaker’s meaning faster.
Explain the difference between a merger and an acquisition.
Merger = two companies join into one. Acquisition = one company buys another.
Name three tips for giving an oral summary.
Any three: explain the context • give the main idea • add supporting details and examples • no opinion • use your own words
Rewrite with a modal: “Maybe the competitor is launching a new product.”
“The competitor might / may / could be launching a new product.”
Give a synonym of “brilliant” in: “Elon Musk is a brilliant businessperson.”
smart / clever / talented