Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a rival
    • ex. To beat their rivals, the shop reduced its prices for one week.
  2. a refresher
    • ex. A fruit refresher is the perfect drink for a summer afternoon at the beach.
  3. crafted
    • ex. This isn't a normal soda from a machine. It is a crafted drink made with real honey.
  4. foam
    • ex. You can make milk foam at home by shaking a jar of milk very fast.
  5. a beverage
    • ex. Most cinemas do not allow outside beverages because they want you to buy drinks at the snack bar.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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McDonald’s started selling six new drinks in US restaurants on May 6 as fast food companies compete for more customers. The fast-food restaurant is following rivals like KFC, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell, which have improved their drink menus to compete with coffee and drink companies such as Starbucks and Dutch Bros. The company hopes the new products will increase afternoon sales between regular meal times.

The new menu includes three refreshers and three crafted sodas. Customers can choose flavors like mango pineapple with strawberry boba or blackberry passion fruit with dried dragon fruit pieces. McDonald’s also started selling a Dr. Pepper with vanilla flavor and cold foam on top. The company said many customers enjoy colorful drinks and see beverages as a way to show their personal style.

The drinks may also help McDonald’s earn more money because special beverages cost more than normal soft drinks or coffee. The company is creating a new “beverage specialist” job in its 14,000 US restaurants. Workers in this role will focus on making drinks. McDonald’s has also tested special drink stores called CosMc’s in recent years.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

New Drinks on the McDonald’s Menu

  • McDonald’s is selling new, colorful drinks, such as mango pineapple with strawberry boba or blackberry passion fruit with dried dragon fruit pieces, to compete with coffee and drink companies like Starbucks. What do you think about McDonald’s adding drinks like boba and fruit refreshers to their usual menu? Discuss.
  • McDonald’s also tested a special drink store called CosMc’s. Would you prefer to go to a regular McDonald's restaurant or a special store that only sells drinks like CosMc’s? Why? Discuss.
  • Would you like to see the new drinks at the McDonald’s in your own city or country? Why or why not? Discuss.

Beverage Specialist Job

  • McDonald’s is creating a new "beverage specialist" job in its 14,000 U.S. restaurants. What do you think of McDonald's creating this new role? Discuss.
  • What do you think are the skills needed for a beverage specialist? Discuss.
  • Would you want to become a beverage specialist? Why or why not? Discuss.