The English Breakfast ☕
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
📖 Pour yourself a cup of ambition
If you’ve been following the news this week, you may have heard that American country legend, Dolly Parton, has passed away. While best known for writing iconic hits like 9 to 5, Jolene, and I Will Always Love You (yes, Whitney Houston’s hit was a cover!), she was also a savvy entrepreneur, expanding into everything from theme parks to coffee shops.
Before reading an article about her fascinating business enterprises, here are some useful words and phrases to keep in mind:
Snub (verb) – To intentionally ignore or reject someone or something in a cold, dismissive way.
In the context of the article: "Not many musicians would snub a chance to work with Elvis Presley."
Entrepreneurial zeal (noun phrase) – Great energy, enthusiasm, and passion directed toward starting businesses and taking financial risks.
In the context of the article: "While country music and films brought her fame, her entrepreneurial zeal brought her fortune."
Diversification (noun) – The business strategy of spreading investments, products, or income streams across different areas to reduce risk and maximize growth.
In the context of the article: "...a reporter from Fox 5 Atlanta who had interviewed Parton many times, said diversification was the key to her business success."
Exponentially (adverb) – Growing or increasing at an extraordinarily rapid rate.
In the context of the article: "...her buy-in exponentially boosted visitor numbers."
Steadfastly (adverb) – In a resolute, firm, and unwavering manner; staying totally committed to a course of action.
In the context of the article: "Parton steadfastly refused to taint her beloved brand by weighing into politics..."
🏆 Reading Task: Find the two offers Dolly turned down in her career. Scroll to the bottom of the email to check your answer!
Channeling Dolly’s sharp business instinct? Let’s put your vocabulary to the test! All this talk of entrepreneurship (imprenditorialità) brings to mind a few essential phrasal verbs every professional needs to know.
Think you can score a perfect 6 out of 6?
Let’s find out. 👇
🔧 Quick Fix
In this week’s Quick Fix, we’re looking at the correct pronunciation of of and off. Simple words, but often mixed up.
Plus, did you know that pronunciation often changes when we speak quickly and naturally?
Learn more and perfect your pronunciation in under 90 seconds. You know what to do…
📖 Answers
Based on the article, Dolly Parton turned down two main offers during her life:
Elvis Presley's offer to cover "I Will Always Love You": She turned him down after his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded half of the publishing rights to the song.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom: She turned down the award twice—once offered by Donald Trump and once by Joe Biden—refusing to weigh into politics or risk alienating her broad audience.
OK, that’s it for this week’s edition.
Let me know if you enjoyed it and I’ll see you next time.
Have a great week. 😎
All the best,
Dan
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