Episode 303
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Hi! I'm Georgiana, and I'm back with a new episode. I'm here to help you speak English fluently. And what do you need to speak fluently? You need to LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, and LISTEN. 🙂
It's completely free!
Ok, let's start!
What is Starbucks?
Starbucks is a company that sells coffee and other drinks. It started in the USA, and now there are Starbucks coffee shops in many countries worldwide.
How did Starbucks start?
Starbucks was first opened in 1971 by three partners in Seattle, Washington. At first, it only sold coffee beans that people could take home and brew. They didn't make drinks to sell in the store like they do now.
Why did it become popular?
In 1982, a man named Howard Schultz joined the company. He traveled to Italy and saw how popular coffee shops were there. They weren't only for coffee; they were also great places to relax and hang out with friends. So, Howard wanted to bring Italian-style coffee shops to the USA.
What happened next at Starbucks?
Howard's idea was a big success! People loved having a nice place to sit and enjoy coffee with friends. Starbucks began to make more drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos. They also started offering snacks and free Wi-Fi. Soon, more and more people were coming to Starbucks, and the company started opening more stores around the world.
Who goes to Starbucks?
Lots of different people go to Starbucks. Some go there for a coffee before work, while families and friends gather to chat and spend time together.
What makes Starbucks special?
The company tries to make its coffee shops cozy and comfortable. It plays music, and the chairs and tables are nice to sit at. People feel relaxed at Starbucks. Also, the cares about where its coffee comes from, and tries to buy coffee beans from places that pay the farmers a fair price.
What is the impact of Starbucks?
It has changed how people think about coffee. It's not just a drink but a part of daily life where people can relax and enjoy their time. Starbucks also showed how a simple idea, like making a coffee shop a comfortable place, can become very successful.
So, that's a bit about Starbucks and how it became a popular part of many people's lives.
How about you? Have you ever been to a Starbucks coffee shop?
Now, let’s practice.
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GRAMMAR MADE EASY
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story in two different points of view and notice how the grammar changes naturally.
| 01 |
First version Present and Future - Third Person |
In a small town in America, there is a Starbucks cafe. People often come here to enjoy warm drinks and talk with friends. A very special event will start at this cafe on one sunny morning.
A kind lady named Sarah drives to the Starbucks drive-thru. She orders her usual coffee and muffin. When it's time to pay, Sarah does something wonderful. She tells the barista, "I'd like to pay for the person behind me, too."
The barista is surprised but smiles and agrees. Sarah drives off, feeling joyful about her small act of kindness. She doesn't know it yet, but her kind gesture is the start of something amazing.
The next customer, Tom, is moved by what Sarah did and decides to also pay for the person behind him. This kindness continues with each person in line choosing to pay for the next one's order.
Word about this chain of kindness spreads fast throughout the town. Many people are inspired to join in. They come to Starbucks just to participate.
The kindness chain goes on for hours. Car after car, the drivers pay for the order of the person behind them. They honk their horns and wave, sharing in the happiness of giving.
Finally, after 379 people have joined, the chain ends with the 380th car. The person in this car learns their order was paid for, but they choose not to continue the chain. And that's okay.
At the end of the day, the Starbucks employees count how many orders have been paid for in advance. Nearly 400! It's a day they'll always remember.
| 02 |
Second version Conditional - Third Person |
In a small town in America, there would be a Starbucks cafe. People would often come here to enjoy warm drinks and talk with friends. A very special event would start at this cafe on one sunny morning.
A kind lady named Sarah would drive to the Starbucks drive-thru. She would order her usual coffee and muffin. When it was time to pay, Sarah would do something wonderful. She would tell the barista, "I'd like to pay for the person behind me, too."
The barista would be surprised but would smile and agree. Sarah would drive off, feeling joyful about her small act of kindness. She wouldn't know it yet, but her kind gesture would be the start of something amazing.
The next customer, Tom, would be moved by what Sarah did and decide to also pay for the person behind him. This kindness would continue with each person in line choosing to pay for the next one's order.
Word about this chain of kindness would spread fast throughout the town. Many people would be inspired to join in and come to Starbucks just to participate.
The kindness chain would go on for hours. Car after car, the drivers would pay for the order of the person behind them. They would honk their horns and wave, sharing in the happiness of giving.
Finally, after 379 people had joined, the chain would end with the 380th car. The person in this car would learn their order had been paid for, but they would choose not to continue the chain. And that would be okay.
As the day would end, the Starbucks workers would total the number of paid-forward orders. Nearly 400! It would be a day they would always remember.
What a wonderful story! And it's true! In 2018, at a Starbucks in Florida, something really special happened. One person decided to pay for the coffee of the person behind them. Then, that person kept the chain going, and it continued like that for 379 customers! Everyone kept being kind to the person behind them. This story became famous because it showed how people can help each other and bring happiness to others.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
coffee bean
the seed used to make coffee.
brew
prepare coffee or tea with hot water.
drive-thru
a service where customers order without leaving their cars.
barista
a person who prepares and serves coffee drinks.
latte
coffee made with espresso and steamed milk.
cappuccino
espresso with steamed milk and milk foam.
pay it forward
respond to kindness by helping another person.
chain of kindness
a series of kind actions passed from one person to another.
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