Self study 6 Task Vocabulary Exercise There are many idioms from sport used in business, particularly when talking about competition. Complete the idioms below with the nouns in the box. Which sports do you think they come from?

Exercise 1. Reread the article's headline and first three paragraphs and find the prepositions that go with these verbs.
1 stir up (headline) 2 replace by (lines 6-7) 3 lose out to (line 12) 4 focus on (line 23) 5 take on(line 31)


Exercise 2. Match the verbs and prepositions in Exercise 1 (1-5) with the meanings (a-e).
a) to not get something because someone else gets it instead lose out to
b) to compete or fight against someone take on
c) to give all your attention to a particular thing focus on
d) to take something else's place replace by
e) to deliberately cause problems stir up
Task 3. Grammar


Exercise 1. Match the phrasal verbs with take (1-5) with the meanings (a-e).
1 be taken aback a) grow rapidly
2 take off b) give employment to
3 take on c) be surprised
4 take out d) gain control of a company
5 take over e) arrange (of money)


1.C 2.A 3.B 4.E 5.D


Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with an appropriate form of take and a preposition.
1 We were going to taken on five new staff next month, but then the economy
crashed.
2 They pretended it was a merger, but it feels like we were taken over.
3 We were taken aback when the president announced his resignation.
4 It is very difficult to take out a loan these days.
5 After the new product launch, sales are expected to take off.
Task 4. Writing
Answer the questions in written form.
1 Do you think that McDonald's strategy will be successful?
2 How do you think Starbucks will respond?
Write your own opinion (150 words)
Starbucks and McDonalds are both fast food restaurants operating various outlets across the globe. With the hotel industry in the maturity stage of its life cycle, both companies have to adopt effective differentiation strategies to ensure growth in their current markets and also expand in possible new market.
Comparing the two giant companies may seem insensible but as matter of fact they do have a lot in common. Both chains promise customer satisfaction achieved by developing good customer rapport rather than just selling their commodities.
The fast food restaurant industry is highly saturated with Starbucks having less market share when compared to McDonalds. To stay competitive, the industry does affect the strategies which each restaurant will adopt. Differentiation is an effective competitive strategy which both Starbucks and McDonalds have employed.
This is where the issue of commodity versus experience provision comes in. As a commodity provider; the restaurants focus on making their products readily available at low prices. The customer may be attracted by the low price even when the service or rather the experience they get from the particular restaurant is not good.
On the other hand, experience providers will concentrate on creating customer value even when the prices of their commodities are high. In marketing, customers are the king and to develop a good customer relationship, the business needs to create value through experience provision.
Customers are said to be the best advertisers and if they are served well, then brand loyalty is created hence growth. An experiential marketer makes the customer feel special; they add value to the commodity such that the customer can justify any extra dollar that they spend.
McDonalds offers a wide variety of products at low prices as compared to Starbucks. McDonalds differentiates itself as a commodity provider although the unhealthiness of the meals it offers acts as its major disadvantage. On the other hand, Starbucks concentrates on both strategies.
The company has put more effort in selling its coffee and at the same time making the whole experience for the customer unforgettable. According to a certain customer “Starbucks is a place to sit down and have a conversation or have an informal meeting with a rich tasting high quality coffee in a unique environment.” For this reason, the chain has attracted all manner of customers including students and employees and any other person who loves enjoying a cup of coffee.
Task 5. Presentation
Make a presentation (8-12 slides) on the topic: Famous business competitions.