4. Read this history of Dr. Martens shoes. The writer uses the Present tense to make the summary seem “alive”. Dr. Martens always living shoes

1946 A German doctor Klaus Maertens, living in Seeshaupt, near Munich, goes skiing and injures his foot.He makes himself a pair of shoes from old tyres with air soles to cushion the foot. Dr Maertens and a friend, Dr Herbert Funck, an engineer, patent and develop the Doctor Maertens shoe.

1959 Maertens and Funck sell the manufacturing rights to R. Griggs and Co., a traditional British bootmaker.

1 April, 1960 The first British DMs go on sale.

Mid 1960s British youth adopt the DM as a symbol of their anti- establishment attitudes.

1970s Unemployed youth wear DMs and behave violently on football terraces. The Police wear DMs to catch them.

Mid 1970s Punk rock fans adopt them.

1971 Rebels wear DMs in Stanley Kubrick's violent film A Clockwork Orange.

I975 Elton John wears giant DMs in the rock-opera Tommy.

1980s Thousands of Japanese, American and European youth come to London's Camden market to buy DMs.

1983 Young designer Wayne Heminway and his wife-to-be Geraldine, set up a stall in Camden market selling clothes and DMs. It becomes the place to buy DMs. Griggs supplies Heminway with customised DMs for his Red or Dead fashion shows. Some women wear them as a form of protest.

1985 Madonna wears DMs in the film Desperately Seeking Susan.

1992. Gianni Versace offer designer DMs.

1992. The Pope wears them walking in the Alps and we hear the Dalai Lama likes them too.

Today the Vatican Guards wear them.

a) Look at the text again and write four questions for your partner:

Example:

When did Klaus Maertens injure his foot? Was it in a) 1896 b) 1920 c) 1946?

Now answer your partner's questions.

b) Faith Walker talks about her first pair of Dr. Martens (DMs). Before you listen, work with a partner and complete the questions the interviewer asks:

1. When did you ? 4. What colour ?

2. How much ? 5. Why ________________ ?

3. Where ? 6. Do you still ?

(CD) c) Listen and see if you were right, then note the answer to each question.

5. The text is about the French company, Bic. Can you name three of Bic's products? Now quickly read the text to check. Bic’s success in a throwaway world

Few companies can say that they are responsible for changing the everyday habits of billions of people throughout the world, but the French company Bic, founded in 1950, is one that can.

The ballpoint pen came first. The original biros - named after Lazlo Biro, their Hungarian inventor - were expensive and difficult to use. Baron Marcel Bich, the owner of a small office supplies company, brought together French and British scientists to refine and modify the design. He negotiated the rights to produce and sell the pen with Biro. Production of the Bic "Crystal" began in 1953. The "Crystal" had a clear blue plastic tube and a visible ink supply which was sufficient to draw a line three kilometres long.

Sales rose from around 50,000 a week in the first year to a quarter of a million a day by 1956. Today sales of Bic writing instruments total more than 20 million a day in 160 countries.

Bic was not content with a one-product business and wanted to find other throwaway ideas. In 1972 came the disposable lighter. It is another success story which made Bic world leaders in the sector, with daily sales of disposable lighters now numbering almost 4 million Bic's winning formula was a combination of simplicity of production and reliability; the company claims that its lighters will work 3,000 times compared with competing brands' 1,000.

The company used health profits to invest in its third major product range - the throwaway razor - in 1975. It now contests market leadership with Gillette. Bic subsequently diversified further - into windsurfing boards and fashion - but the three original throwaway ideas remain its success stories.

a) Complete this company history:

1950-1953 Marcel Bich _1 and _2 the design. Bich negotiated with Biro to _3.

1953 Production of the _4 began.

1956 Sales of the biro _5.

1972 Bic invented _6.

1975 Bic invented _7.

Now Bic sells_8 a day. Bic sells_9 disposable lighters per day. Bic and _10 are leaders in the market for disposable razors.

b) Number the items in the order that Bic produced them:

razor biro lighter windsurfing board

c) The following sequencers describe the order of events. Read the paragraph below about Bic's history and complete it with the right sequencer:

first first of all firstly
second secondly
then after that afterwards next
lastly finally now/today

Bic is well-known for its disposable products. _1, Bic produced the throwaway pen, the biro. _2 came the disposable lighter. _3 they invented the throwaway razor and _4 the windsurfing board. _5 the company focuses on producing razors, biros and lighters. There were three key inventions in the company's history: _6 the ballpoint pen, _7 the disposable lighter and _8 the throwaway razor.

d) Match the adjectives with the nouns to make six word partners:

ADJECTIVE	NOUN
1) product	a) age (heading)
2) disposable	b) name (heading)
3) household	c) habits (para 1)
4) healthy	d) brand (para 4)
5) competing	e) profits (para 5)
6) everyday	f) range (para 5)

e) Now combine the adjectives with these nouns and use in the sentences of your own:

Companies lighters products object competition development

f) Work in pairs and discuss:

1. Are disposable products popular in your country?

2. What disposable products do you use and why?

3. Are disposable products good for the environment?

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of disposable or 'throwaway' products?