The luxury automobile maker Rolls-Royce has reported record sales for 2013. The company said it's the fourth consecutive annual sales record. It sold 3,630 cars last year, with a strong surge in demand in the Middle East and China accounting for a good portion of the buoyant sales. The Middle East saw a sales increase of 17 per cent last year, while sales in China went up by 11 per cent. Rolls-Royce sold cars in more than 40 countries last year, including new markets. Plans are in place to continue this global expansion. The company CEO said: "We have reported a strong year and have maintained our position at the pinnacle of the super-luxury market." Super-luxury means cars costing over $272,000.
The CEO said people buy a Rolls Royce because they want to have a brand that is unrivalled in its image of luxury. He said: "It's the ultimate treat; the reward for hard work. We see that clearly from our customers. Around 80 per cent of our cars are bought by businessmen and women, most of whom have started and run their own businesses. The rest are bought by sports stars and film stars." He added that it's not just the super-rich who were snapping up the cars. He said: "What's interesting now is that we are seeing a new group of individuals who have built up mid-sized businesses and they also want to treat themselves to the magic carpet ride." Businesswomen now account for ten per cent of sales.
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VOCABULARY
1.luxury-great comfort, especially as provided by expensive and beautiful thingssynonym: extravagance
2.consecutive-following each other continuously
synonym- successive
3.surge-a sudden and great increase
synonym:growth
4.accounting-rendering or submission of such a report
synonym:computing
5.buoyant-engaged in much successful trade
synonym:happy
6. expansion-action of becoming larger or more extensive
synonyms :extension,increase
7.pinnacle-the most successful point
synonyms:height,peak
8.unrivalled-better than everyone
synonym:unmatched
9.ultimate-most extreme or important
synonym: best
10.snapping up(phrase)-quickly and eagerly buy
11. magic carpet ride-sharing the same experience
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
| 1. | How many years in a row has Rolls-Royce reported record sales? |
| 2. | How many cars did Rolls-Royce sell in 2013? |
| 3. | How much was the increase in sales in China last year? |
| 4. | What has Rolls-Royce maintained, according to its CEO? |
| 5. | From what price to super-luxury cars start? |
| 6. | What did the CEO say a Rolls-Royce was a reward for? |
| 7. | Who buys around 80% of Rolls-Royce cars? |
| 8. | What has a new group of Rolls-Royce customers built up? |
| 9. | What kind of ride did the CEO say people treat themselves to? |
| 10. | What proportion of Rolls-Royce cars are bought by businesswomen? |
WARM-UPS
LUXURY:Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.
| Luxury… |
What makes them luxurious?
|
Would you want them? Why?
|
| car | ||
| hotel | ||
| apartment | ||
| watch | ||
| cruise | ||
| goods |
TREAT:Rank these and share your rankings with your partner. Put the biggest treats at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.
| • chocolate • expensive clothes • going to a good restaurant • a shopping spree | • a massage • a new gadget • extra time in bed • a hotel stay |
ROLLS ROYCE CARS DISCUSSION
- a)What did you think when you read the headline?
- b)What springs to mind when you hear the word 'luxury'?
- c)What do you know about Rolls-Royce?
- d)Would you buy a Rolls-Royce if you had the money?
- e)Are you surprised at how many cars Rolls-Royce sold?
- f)What do you think when you see someone driving a Rolls-Royce?
- g)What does a Rolls-Royce say about its owner?
- h)How is a Rolls-Royce different from other luxury cars?
- i)What do you think of the look of a Rolls-Royce?
- j)Is it OK to spend upwards of $272,000 on a car?
CARS DISCUSSION
- How old were you when you first learned to drive?
- Was there anything difficult about learning to drive?
- Can you drive a car?
- Can you drive a manual shift car?
- Do you have a car?
- If so, what kind of car do you have?
- Is it a standard (manual shift) or automatic shift?
- Which do you like best, a standard or automatic shift car?
- What are the advantages of owning a car?
- What are the disadvantages of owning a car?
- Are you a good driver?
- Have you ever been in a car accident?
- Have you ever been pulled over by the police?
- What happened?
- Have you ever driven a car in a foreign country?
- If yes, which side of the road did they drive on?
- Were the road signs different?
LUXURY DISCUSSION
- What would you define as a "luxury good"?
- In what ways do you think the definition might differ between societies?
- Have you ever bought or would you ever buy what you thought was a "luxury" good? Why/why not?
- What exactly are people looking for when they buy luxury goods?
- Do you think people buy luxury goods because they are better quality than other goods or because they like other people to see that they can afford to buy them?
- Do you know anybody who habitually uses/wears luxury goods? Are they stinking rich or just rich?
- If you have any luxury goods, do you wear/use them all the time or only for special occasions?
- Do you know the price of any luxury good? Are you prepared to pay that price for that particular product?
- Are there certain luxury goods that you consider essential and others you'd consider unnecessary? In other words, are you prepared to pay through the nose for a gold watch but not for a pair of shoes? For a weekend in a luxury hotel but not a first class air ticket?
- In a period of economic crisis, do you think that luxury brands suffer the same drop in sales as brands in general?
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