Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

• Mickey Mouse – is a comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks and voiced by Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Company celebrates his birth as November 18, 1928. Walt Disney got the inspiration for Mickey Mouse from his old pet mouse he used to have on his farm. “Mortimer Mouse” had been Disney’s original name for the character before his wife, Lillian convinced him to change it, and ultimately Mickey Mouse came to be.

• Donald Duck – is a cartoon character from The Walt Disney Company. Donald’s most famous personality trait is his easily provoked and occasionally explosive temper.

• According to the Disney canon Donald’s full name is Donald Fauntleroy [`fOntlərOı] Duck. Donald’s birthday is officially recognized as June 9, 1934. Donald’s voice, one of the most identifiable voices in all of animation, was performed by voice actor Clarence “Ducky” Nash up to his death in 1985. It was largely this semi-intelligible speech that would cement Donald’s image into audiences’ minds and help fuel both Donald’s and Nash’s rise to stardom.

• astounding [ə`staundıŋ] – extremely surprising or shocking.

• animator [`ænımeıtə] – someone who makes animated films or cartoons.

• annual revenue [`ænjuəl `revənju:] – the money that is received by a business within a period of one year usually from selling goods or services.

• theme park – an outdoor area containing amusements, such as games of skill and big machines to ride on, which are sometimes all based on a single subject (e.g. space travel).

Debbi Fields [`debi fi:əldz]. As a young, 20 year old housewife with no business experience, Debbi Fields started Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery. With a recipe [`resəpi] for chocolate chip cookies, this young woman became the most successful cookie company owner. She later renamed, franchised, then sold Mrs. Field’s Cookies.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

• recipe [`resəpi] – a set of instructions for cooking or preparing a particular food;

• franchise [`frænt∫aız] – a right that somebody buys from a company that allows them to do particular business activities, such as selling the company’s goods and services in a particular area;

Henry Ford [`henri `fO:d] (1863-1947) – a US businessman and engineer. At 16, Henry Ford left home to apprentice as a machinist [mə`∫i:nıst]. He started making cars in 1896. Ford’s first major success, the Model T, allowed Ford to open a large factory. He later started Ford Motor Company to manufacture automobiles. Ford developed the idea of the assembly line (= system in which each worker is responsible for one small part of the process of making something), and this made it possible to produce cars in large numbers. He designed the famous Model T Ford, and became one of the US’s richest and most successful businessmen. He is also known for saying “History is bunk”.