Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. brand recognition
    • ex. Strong brand recognition helped the business attract new customers.
  2. handwritten
    • ex. She sent me a handwritten birthday card.
  3. an organizer
    • ex. The event organizers asked everyone to arrive 30 minutes early.
  4. a keepsake
    • ex. We bought a small keepsake to remember our trip.
  5. honorary
    • ex. He was named an honorary member of the organization.

Article

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

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Personal items once owned by the man who started KFC, Colonel Harland Sanders, were sold at a public auction in July. His black bow tie, cash register, and many other items were offered for sale. Then, his former home and another restaurant were put up for auction a week later. Sanders helped build global brand recognition for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and remained the famous face of the company after his death in 1980.

The highest sale was Sanders’ 1964 notebook, which sold for $30,000 (¥ 4,700,000). It included a handwritten list of herbs and spices that was once part of a court case with KFC. The company later said the list did not match its secret recipe and was likely for another recipe. Auction organizer Bill Menish called the notebook, “What a keepsake.”

Another popular item was Sanders’ clip-on black bow tie, which sold for $8,000 (¥ 1,200,000). The tie, along with his white suit, glasses, and beard, became part of his famous image. A 1955 certificate naming him an honorary Kentucky Colonel also sold for $23,000 (¥ 3,600,000).

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

Photo Credits: The Associated Press

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Auction

  • Personal items of Colonel Harland Sanders were recently sold at an auction. If your favorite celebrity or personality auctioned off his/her personal items, would you participate in it? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Sometimes people discover that an old item they own is actually worth a lot of money. If you found out that something in your home could sell for thousands of dollars at an auction, would you sell it or keep it? Why? Discuss.
  • If you were to participate in an auction, what kind of item would you be interested in (ex. keepsakes, things that you may be able to use)? Discuss.

Brand Recognition

  • How popular is KFC in your country (ex. there are several restaurants in the city)? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how important is brand recognition? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what are some good ways to increase brand recognition? Discuss.