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Young Americans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals Level 1 l Elementary 1 Key words Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. sales rival din ers chain consumer 1. A ___________________ is a group of businesses such as shops, hotels or restaurants that all belong to the same company. (para 1) 2. A ___________________ is someone who buys products and services. (para 1) 3. ___________________ means the total number of things that a company sells. (para 1) 4. ___________________ are people who eat at a restaurant. (para 4) 5. A ___________________ company competes against another similar company. (para 4) slime expand tric ky sceptical queue 6. ___________________ is a thick, wet, unpleasant substance. (para 6) 7. A ___________________ is a line of people waiting for something. (para 9) 8. A ___________________ problem is one that is difficult to solve. (para 10) 9. A ___________________ person has doubts about something that other people think is true or right. (para 10) 10. To ___________________ means to get bigger. (para 11) 2 Find the information Find the following information in the text as quickly as possible. 1. By how much did sales fall in China? 2. How many McDonald’s restaurants have health inspectors closed in Russia? 3. What percentage of McDonald’s restaurants are in the US? 4. What has been the increase in prices at McDonald’s since 2009? 5. How long does a chicken McWrap take to make? 6. How many new restaurants is McDonald’s expecting to open by the end of 2014? E• L ©N EMWacSm LiEllSanS OPuNbSli s/ hYeorus nLgt dA 2m0e1r4icans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals / Elementary •PHCOATN OBFE CRDOOOMP WINWALEOBBSAIDTEED Young Americans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals Level 1 l Elementary Big Macs go cold as young Americans 7 McDonald’s has always had a reputation for fast service at low prices. But, since it introduced $2 drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals items on its dollar menu, people think it is more Jennifer Rankin expensive than its rivals and many consumers 26 October, 2014 complain that service is slower. 8 But Mary Chapman at food analysts Technomic 1 McDonald’s is the world’s biggest burger chain said that it wasn’t fair to say that McDonald’s was and a symbol of American consumer capitalism. more expensive than its rivals. “Prices have gone But, these days, the golden arches of McDonald’s up but they haven’t gone up as quickly as the are not looking so golden. The company has got rest of the fast-food chains in the US.” Prices at much bigger since 2003 but, now, the numbers McDonald’s have increased by 4.8% since 2009, of customers are falling. McDonald’s says that its much less than the fast-food average (up 19.4%). worldwide sales have fallen by 3.3%. 9 But people are right when they complain that 2 The company has problems almost everywhere. the queues are longer. McDonald’s has a bigger In China, sales fell by 23%. In Europe, sales fell menu than some other restaurants, with more by 4%, mostly because of problems in Ukraine complicated items – its chicken McWrap takes and the anti-western mood in Russia. Health 60 seconds to make. “I think it is worth waiting inspectors have investigated around 200 of but the guy behind me who wants his double McDonald’s 450 restaurants in Russia and they cheeseburger for a dollar might not,” have closed ten restaurants. said Chapman. 3 But the worst crisis is in the US, where 10 McDonald managers are promising to improve McDonald’s has around 40% of its restaurants. people’s opinions about its food in the US. Almost 60 years since Ray Kroc opened his first Thompson has promised more organic food and restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, consumers are “build your own burgers”. But, to reduce queues, losing their appetite for a Big Mac and fries. he also wants to introduce simpler menus. How 4 Sales have fallen every month for 12 months can the company have simpler menus and, at in the US. Many younger diners are eating at the same time, a larger selection of fillings? rival companies such as Chipotle Mexican Grill. “They want to simplify the menu but also offer The number of 19-to-21-year-olds who visit ‘build your own burgers’ – that sounds tricky,” McDonald’s once a month has fallen by 13% said consumer expert Mark Kalinowski. Only four since 2011. out of McDonald’s 14,000 US restaurants have tested “build your own burger”, he said. “Right 5 Another problem is that McDonald’s hamburgers now, we are sceptical; we would like to see were recently named the worst in America in a more detail.” poll of more than 32,000 American diners – they said they would rather eat a burger at Five Guys, 11 Sales are falling but McDonald’s continues to Smashburger or Fuddruckers. Many people also expand around the world: by the end of 2014, believe that McDonald’s is less healthy than it expects to open 1,400 new restaurants. most of its rivals, especially Chipotle. Chipotle Kalinowski thinks that McDonald’s sales will uses antibiotic-free meat and “locally sourced, continue to fall but he thinks it will be number one seasonal” ingredients. for many years. 6 McDonald’s asked customers for their opinions © Guardian News and Media 2014 in the US in October. Someone asked “Have you First published in The Observer, 26/10/14 ever used pink slime in your burgers?” – ‘pink slime’ is the beef filler that is used for dog food. McDonald’s stopped using this meat product in 2012 but McDonald’s Chief Executive Don Thompson said the company still had to improve people’s opinions about the freshness and quality of its ingredients. E• L ©N EMWacSm LiEllSanS OPuNbSli s/ hYeorus nLgt dA 2m0e1r4icans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals / Elementary •PHCOATN OBFE CRDOOOMP WINWALEOBBSAIDTEED Young Americans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals Level 1 l Elementary 3 Comprehension check Match the beginnings and endings to make statements about the text. 1. Sales are falling but McDonald’s … a. … are in the United States. 2. Mark Kalinowski thinks that McDonald’s … b. … a reputation for fast service at low prices. 3. Around 40% of McDonald’s restaurants … c. … continues to expand around the world. 4. Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s restaurant … d. … introduce ‘build your own burgers’. 5. McDonald’s has always had … e. … almost sixty years ago. 6. McDonald’s is planning to … f. … will be number one for many years. 4 Chunks Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. build own burgers your 2. service prices fast low at 3. worth is waiting it 4. more we see would to detail like 5. quality its of ingredients the 6. 2014 by of end the 5 Two-word phrases Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. fast a. queue 2. low b. selection 3. long c. menu 4. simpler d. service 5. larger e. ingredients 6. seasonal f. prices E• L ©N EMWacSm LiEllSanS OPuNbSli s/ hYeorus nLgt dA 2m0e1r4icans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals / Elementary •PHCOATN OBFE CRDOOOMP WINWALEOBBSAIDTEED Young Americans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals Level 1 l Elementary 6 Word stress Put these words from the text into two groups depending on their stress. healthy menu golden believe expert reduce expand rival expect around A 0 o B o 0 7 Discussion Do you eat in McDonald’s? Why? Why not? E• L ©N EMWacSm LiEllSanS OPuNbSli s/ hYeorus nLgt dA 2m0e1r4icans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals / Elementary •PHCOATN OBFE CRDOOOMP WINWALEOBBSAIDTEED Young Americans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals Level 1 l Elementary KEY 1 Key words 5 Two-word phrases 1. chain 1. d 2. consumer 2. f 3. sales 3. a 4. diners 4. c 5. rival 5. b 6. slime 6. e 7. queue 8. tricky 9. sceptical 6 Word stress 10. expand A 0 o B o 0 2 Find the information golden expand rival reduce 1. 23% healthy expect 2. ten expert around 3. 40% menu believe 4. 4.8% 5. 60 seconds 6. 1,400 3 Comprehension check 1. c 2. f 3. a 4. e 5. b 6. d 4 Chunks 1. build your own burgers 2. fast service at low prices 3. it is worth waiting 4. we would like to see more detail 5. the quality of its ingredients 6. by the end of 2014 E• L ©N EMWacSm LiEllSanS OPuNbSli s/ hYeorus nLgt dA 2m0e1r4icans drop McDonald’s for tastier rivals / Elementary •PHCOATN OBFE CRDOOOMP WINWALEOBBSAIDTEED