SESSION 24: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 24: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are True (T) or False (F):

a. Luxury goods makers are going to start selling expensive roses.

b. Richer people are now opening their wallets.

c. LVMH sold lots of goods because of sales in Asia and the USA.

d. Sales of wallets and other leather goods outsold alcoholic drinks.
e. LVMH executives started beating a drum at the news of the figures.
f. A statement said LVMH will use its history for new designs.
g. The company’s watches are selling very well following a trade show.
h. Company executives aren’t being overly confident about the future.

1.2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. despite ........... a. because of
2. jump .............. b. upturn
3. due to ............ c. senior managers
4. particularly ...... d. increase
5. rate ............... e. positive
6. executives ....... f. remarked
7. upbeat ............ g. above all
8. commented ...... h. in spite of
9. cautious .......... i. guarded
10. recovery ........ j. pace

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from this article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. the downturn in the ................ a. about the future
2. people with money ................. b. quarter sales
3. an 11% jump in first ................. c. of 8 per cent
4. the stronger figures were due ..... d. upbeat at the news
5. a slower rate ......................... e. innovations
6. Executives were very ............... f. world economy
7. the success of its latest ............. g. of watches
8. their new line ........................ h. to spend
9. The group was cautious ............. i. recovery
10. the strength of the economic .... j. to a rise in demand


1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

PARTICULARLY - QUARTER - DEMAND - DESPITE - RATE - SPEND - ROSE - FIGURES

Times are good for luxury brands ____________ the downturn in the world economy. It seems people with money to ____________ are now spending. LVMH, which has the brands Louis Vuitton, Dior and Moët-Chandon champagne, has reported an 11% jump in first ____________ sales. The Paris-based company said sales rose to just over $6bn in the first three months of the year. Analysts say the stronger ____________ were due to a rise in ____________ in Asia and a recovery in U.S. and European markets. Sales of watches, jewellery and expensive drinks were ____________ high. Wines and spirits sales ____________ by 18% while watches and jewellery went up by 33%. Other goods such as bags, wallets and designer clothes increased at a slower ____________ of 8 per cent.

CAUTIOUS - ORDERS - SUCCESS - LINE - GOODS - RECOVERY - UNBEAT - TREND

LVMH is the world's largest luxury ____________ group. Executives were very ____________ at the news. They said: "Louis Vuitton continues to deliver an exceptional performance, sustained worldwide by the growth of its historic lines and by the ____________ of its latest innovations." They spoke about the positive ____________ in their drinks sales, saying “the champagne business benefited from a renewal in ____________ from distributors”. They also commented on the popularity of their new ____________ of watches: "The success of the new products presented at the Basel Watch Fair this year confirmed the momentum of LVMH brands," a statement said. The group was ____________ about the future, saying the group was still "taking into account the uncertainty of the strength of the economic ____________ ".