Straightforward Intermediate Second edition © Macmillan Publishers Limited 20121   

Straightforward    Business

9a MonopoliesSpeaking & Vocabulary: markets & monopolies1 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

• What monopolies exist in your country (eg electricity, gas, trains, the post office)? Do these monopolies abuse their power to increase prices?

• Do you think that state-owned enterprises, such as health services or pension funds (which are often monopolies) should be privatized? Why or why not?

2 Complete the text with words from the box. Use a dictionary if necessary.

acquisition antitrust cartels free competitors merger price-fixing

In a (1) market, competition between companies results in fair prices for the consumer. At least, that is the theory. In reality, one company becomes stronger than its (2) and can dominate the market. The (3) of smaller firms by larger, more successful companies, the (4) of two companies, or the formation of (5) (where firms agree to cooperate) can also result in a situation where the free market no longer exists, and (6) becomes possible. American (7) laws and European regulations try to stop monopolies and try to maintain a competitive market.

3 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

• Think of an industry in your country. Who are the main competitors? Does one firm dominate this market?

• Do you know of any mergers or acquisitions that have taken place recently?

• Do you know of any examples of price-fixing in your country?

4 Work in pairs. Do you agree with the statements? Explain your reasons.

• There is no real freedom without a free market.• There is no such thing as a truly free market.

Reading1 You are going to read a blog post called ‘Pie and 

chips? Not at the Olympics®!’ Do not read the article yet. The words and phrases in the box are key words from the post. What do you think the post will be about?

traditional English food monopoly McDonald’s® fast food outlets English press unacceptable

2 Now read the post to check and answer the questions.

1 How close were your guesses in exercise 1?2 What does the writer think about the monopoly?3 What is the writer’s attitude towards traditional

English fast food?

3 Read the post again and answer the questions.

1 Why does the writer think that some visitors to the Games will want to eat chips?

2 Are chips the same as French fries?3 In which two places can you eat French fries/

chips at the Games?4 Explain the phrase ‘up in arms’ (paragraph 3) in

your own words.5 How many reasons does the writer give for the

English press’s unhappiness about the monopoly?6 Explain the phrase ‘pie in the sky’ (paragraph 4)

in your own words.7 Why does the writer wish the reader ‘good luck’

(paragraph 5)?

4 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

• Whose attitude (the English press or the writer’s) do you sympathize with more?

• Do you think that there should be fast food monopolies at international sporting events? Why or why not?

Straightforward Intermediate Second edition © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012   2

Straightforward    Business

  Monopolies  9a

Grammar: articles & determiners1 Choose the correct words to complete the text.

Everyone needs (1) the / – water – for (2) a / – washing, cleaning and drinking. In (3) the / a city where I live, like most cities around (4) the / – world, (5) – / any consumers do not have (6) some / any choice about who they buy their water from. You buy it from (7) a / – privatized water company, and there aren’t (8) the / any competitors. (9) Some / – prices are very high and (10) the / some people, especially (11) any / – old people, find it very hard to pay (12) an / the annual bill.

2 Correct the six mistakes in the dialogue.

A: Have you made a progress with the acquisition of the bottling company?

B: Yes. We’ve made some offer and things are looking good. But we have problem with the antitrust commission.

A: If we have the problems at all with them, get in touch with the legal department immediately.

B: OK, I will. I have any time this afternoon, and I’ll get the paperwork organized then.

A: Good. Do that. I’ll have a word with Nigel. He has some experience of dealing with any antitrust people.

If you’re a visitor to the London Olympic® Games and you’re feeling hungry, you may want to try some traditional English food. What could be more typical of English food than chips? The English eat chips with everything: fish and chips, pie and chips, chicken and chips – even pasta and chips. Traditional English chips from the chip shop are fat and soggy, and the English eat them with salt and vinegar. They are similar to French fries, which are usually thin and crisp, but they’re not the same!

Unfortunately for the gastronomic tourist, you won’t find any English chips at the Games. The Games’ main sponsor, McDonald’s®, has negotiated a monopoly on the sale of chips / French fries at all the food outlets of the Games. (Fish and chip shops are an exception, but if you want to try English chips there, you’ll have to buy some fish as well.) So, no pie and chips or sausage and chips in any of the Olympic food outlets.

The English press is up in arms about the McDonald’s® monopoly. It’s outrageous, they say, that a part of English culture is banned from the event. It’s unacceptable that a sporting event is used to promote fast food at a time when obesity rates are rising. And why, they ask, is it

Glossarypie n meat, vegetables or fruit cooked in a pastry casegastronomic adj related to cooking and foodoutlet n a shop where a product is soldoutrageous adj shocking or unreasonableobesity n being too fat

Pie and chips? Not at the Olympics®! By Philippe Prindl | Business | Last updated July 18th117 comments | Comment on this article

3 Listen to your teacher to check your answers.

Use the …• to refer to something because you have already

mentioned it or it is defined by the context of the sentence.

… a part of English culture is banned from the event … (= the event that was mentioned earlier)

• to refer to something when it’s the only one in the context. The fuss is hard to understand … (= we know which fuss we’re talking about)

Use zero article to talk about things in general. What could be more typical of English food than chips?

Use a / an …• to talk about things in general. It’s unacceptable that a sporting event …• to introduce new information or to refer to something for

the first time. The Games’ main sponsor has negotiated a monopoly …• to refer to one of a group of things. If you’re a visitor to the Olympic Games …

Use some and any to describe an unspecified number or quantity. Note that some is common in positive sentences, and any in negative sentences and questions. … try some traditional English food You won’t find any English chips ...

Use any in positive sentences to show that the quantity is not important. You can go to any chip shop in the city.

  See Language ReFerence page 94

necessary to award exclusive contracts to big business, anyway?

For an observer like me from a different part of the world, the fuss is hard to understand. The idea that a big event like the Olympic® Games could take place without any fast food outlets is naïve, to say the least. The organizers of the Games need to make as much money as they can, and monopolies are a way of doing it. Believing the opposite is, as the English say, just pie in the sky.

If you really want to have a taste of some traditional English fast food, you can go to any chip shop in the city. Buy some soggy chips, cover them in salt, drown them in vinegar, and do your best to finish the packet. Good luck!