
Summarizing passages that you just heard or read in your own words is one of the most effective ways to improve your English skills.
In this material, we’ve provided you with minute-long audio excerpts of some of our most popular materials. Listen to the audio and practice summarizing the main ideas in your own words.
1) Ask your tutor to read the passage twice at the beginning of the lesson.
2) Carefully familiarize yourself with the main ideas of the listening and summarize them in your own words.
3) Each passage will have three follow-up questions for you to address.
*It is recommended that you choose “Paraphrasing-Focused” for this lesson. (Go to Prep&Lesson > Set Lesson Style > Paraphrasing-focused > Intermittent Paraphrasing)
*This lesson is designed to aid in preparing for the summarizing portion of English proficiency tests (like the TOEFL Speaking or SPA). More generally, this lesson can help enhance English listening and speaking skills.
*Please make sure not to read the transcriptions below before you practice summarizing!
Passage 1) Blue Bottle Coffee (Audio 1_1:17~2:03) (Audio 2_2:07~3:15)
Passage 2) Netflix Rolls Out Advertising Tier (Audio 1_2:52~3:52) (Audio 2_3:56~4:53)
Passage 1) Blue Bottle Coffee
Blue Bottle is a premium coffee brand based in California. A minimalist logo, slick [1] interior design, and fresh coffee beans all contribute to justifying Blue Bottle’s five-dollar coffee.
The brand, started by James Freeman in 2002, has built its reputation on this coffee culture. Paying a premium for a better experience had been normalized by Starbucks by the time Freeman set up his operation in a shed near his apartment. To offer an even better experience than existing coffee houses such as Starbucks, Freeman focused on coffee itself. Freshly roasted coffee beans—this was his point of differentiation.
Passage 2) Netflix Rolls Out Advertising Tier
Netflix is launching its first “Basic with ads” tier in November 2022. The decision came after the company lost 1.2 million streamers in the first half of 2022, and their growth plateaued [2] around the same time. In a media conference call, Netflix stated that it will have “hundreds of advertisers at launch and has nearly sold out its inventory.”
However, it is unclear whether the eagerness of advertisers will meet a similar reaction from the market.
The performance of Netflix’s ad tier will be important for its future. Although the company bounced back [3] up in the third quarter, adding 2.41 million subscribers and exceeding internal forecasts and expectations on Wall Street, it is undeniably not growing as it was. Management expects the advertising tier to increase sales.