The 7 Steps January
1. CONTEXT
Mindmap
anything you
know about thetopic, including
vocabulary. Do
some research
online to help.

Pirelli & Goodyear
Listening Questions 1
1. When was Pirelli founded and how old is the company now?
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2. QUESTIONS
2. Name 2 car manufacturers that have used Pirelli tires.

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3. When did Pirelli become Formula One’s sole tire supplier?

Read the listening
questions tocheck yourunderstanding.
Look up any new
vocabulary.

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4. What color markings do ultrasoft and wet tires use?
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5. Besides cars, what other vehicles does Pirelli make tires for?
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Listening Questions 2

3. LISTEN

1. How old is Goodyear turning this year?
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2. What is the name of the symbol that appears in their logo?

Listen and answer
the questions
using full
sentences. Circle
the number oftimes and % you
understood.

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3. Name 1 driver who won a title driving a car with Goodyear tires.
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4. What are blimps used for and when did Goodyear build their first one?
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5. Where did Goodyear tires go in 1970?
.

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Listening 1
2 3 4

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Listening 2
2 3 45%%%%%%

Discussion Questions
1. How much would you be willing to spend on a full set of tires foryour vehicle and what features do you consider important?
2. To what extent do you think consumers are influenced byadvertising? Does advertising influence your purchasing?

4. CHECK ANSWERS

Read through thetranscript andunderline theanswers. Checkthem against yourown answers.

TRANSCRIPT 1
Tires are one of the most important components of our cars and one company that’s been
making them for a very long time is Pirelli. The Italian tire manufacturer can trace its roots all theway back to 1872 when it was established in Milan. According to Pirelli, they have close to 20
manufacturing plants in more than 10 countries around the world.
If you ask a sports car enthusiast or racing fan to name a tire brand, one name they’ll likely give
you is Pirelli. Over the years the company has supplied tires to some of the most exciting
automobile companies in the world including Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche.
Whether it’s in a photo advertising their product, or at the side of a race track, their logo stands
out because of the “P” that goes all the way over the top of the name.

5. CHECK VOCABULARY
Read thetranscript andcircle any new
vocabulary youfind. Look themup and add themto your list.

In addition to cars, Pirelli also makes tires for motorcycles and commercial vehicles such astrucks and buses.

Stand out Recognizable

3344553344TRANSCRIPT 2
Another tire manufacturer that also has a lot of experience in the business is Goodyear, in factthey’re nearly as old as Pirelli. The Akron, Ohio based company was founded in 1898.

Another thing the two companies have in common is their impressive racing heritage. Jackie
Stewart, Mario Andretti, and Michael Schumacher are just a few examples of champions who
have won titles in cars with Goodyear tires.

Say the transcript
aloud at the sametime as the audio
without reading
it. Circle how
many times
below.

22Come outwithGoodyear also has a recognizable logo. If you take a look at it, you’ll see the words “Good” and“Year” are separated by a shoe with a wing on it that the company explains is called “Wingfoot”.

7. SHADOWING

1
1Component

1. This town is famous for its __________ listed buildings and architecture.
2. Japanese companies in the food industry often __________ limited edition
products to attract customers.
3. Many __________ are required for this system to work smoothly.
4. A lot of people try to obtain a variety of qualifications in order to__________ in front of potential employers.
5. Many companies invest heavily in their logo to make them more globally__________

Read thetranscript aloudat least 5 times,
focusing on
intonation andpronunciation.

22

HeritageFill-in the blanks with the appropriate word above:

6. READ ALOUD

1
1

Racing has been an important part of Pirelli’s history and since the 2011 season they’ve been
Formula One’s only tire supplier. If you watch an F1 race closely, you’ll notice that in addition tothe Pirelli name, the sides of the tires have colored markings. Different colors are used for
different types of tires, for example a set of ultrasofts are purple, mediums are white, and wets
are blue.

Goodyear is also famous for something quite unique – their blimps. In addition to being aneffective way to advertise their brand, blimps can also be used to provide aerial footage to TV
audiences of the sporting events happening below. The company came out with their first blimp
in 1912.

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And finally, one interesting bit of trivia about Goodyear. According to the company’s website, in1970 their tires became the first ones to reach the moon when they were used on a lunar
mission.