With ever-increasing technologies, there are more opportunities for things to go wrong, don’t you agree?
If you are organizing an event where people are going to be speaking in public, you must check and double-check that your equipment works.
Vocabulary
Activity 1: Vocabulary
Activity 2: Grammar: Phrasal verbs
Activity 3: Capsule & comprehension questions
Activity 4: Reading & vocabulary development
Activity 5: Vocabulary review
Grammar
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are groups of verbs and prepositions that have specific meanings. They often have a more formal equivalent, but it is important to learn what they mean.
Spread out – to arrange (people or things) from a smaller area to a larger one.
Set up – to prepare equipment or material for an event.
Bring forward – to advance the date of an event or to physically move something towards the front of a room
Call off – to postpone or cancel
Look forward to – to express anticipation
Jot down – to take notes
Follow up – to complete tasks after a meeting or to give information after a meeting
Wrap up – to complete an event
Some phrasal verbs can be separated. We call them transitive phrasals.
I called off the conference.
I called the conference off.
Some cannot. They are known as intransitive phrasal verbs.
We are looking forward to seeing you. (cannot be separated)
Watch the capsule
Answer the comprehension questions that follow.
Reading
Read a journalist’s appraisal of a less-than-successful press conference.
Laughter is the healthiest medicine
The press conference held at Spilled’s headquarters on Barket Street that was meant to launch a new line of health drinks quickly spiraled into a comedy of errors, leaving the audience in stitches. What was expected to be a polished corporate event instead turned into something closer to a sitcom, with both planned and unplanned moments colliding on stage.
Things first went off track when a large golden retriever trotted into the venue, apparently having slipped past security. To everyone’s surprise, the dog leapt up onto one of the chairs set aside for executives, tail wagging with authority, as if it had been called upon to join the panel. The crowd immediately broke out laughing, while the handlers scrambled to coax the dog back down. Instead of causing chaos, the furry visitor lightened up the room and set the tone for the rest of the session.
Just as order seemed to be restored, another incident cropped up. A young child—son of one of the marketing managers—wandered onto the stage. With curiosity on full display, he picked up one of the samples placed neatly at the front and took a brave sip. Within seconds, his face scrunched up in visible disapproval. He spat out a quiet “yuck,” which carried across the microphone that had accidentally been left on. The audience burst out again, clearly entertained by the blunt review. Journalists quickly picked up on the moment, scribbling down notes as flashes went off to capture the child’s unfiltered response.
As staff rushed to smooth things over and reset the event, executives tried to get back to their prepared remarks. But every attempt to steer through the presentation was overshadowed by laughter, whispers, and phones held up to record the mishaps. Even the company’s CEO finally gave in, chuckling as he pointed out that “consumer feedback doesn’t get more honest than that.”
By the time the presser wrapped up, it was obvious that no one would walk away remembering the numbers or the marketing slogans. Instead, they would recall the day when a dog stole the show, and a child summed up the product with one unforgettable grimace.
Discussion: Have you ever attended or seen an event that had mishaps? How did people react?
Vocabulary review