Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the second lecture in our series on chain stores in the UK. Today I will be focusing on a very successful global petrol company called Telsa. Paying particular attention to their expansion and future development. There will be time for questions at the end, so please refrain from interrupting during the talk. When it was founded the company was a family-run organization with only one shop open in a small town in southern England. The family was able to compete with other local companies by offering special discounts for returning customers. Which resulted in a huge expansion of their client base. This strategy was so successful that they were able to open _Q31 petrol stations across the country.

Subsequently increasing their market share in England within a decade Telsa were running establishments throughout the UK including Wales and Scotland. By comparing the sales income from all of their stores they were able to collate data that highlighted which areas were the most profitable and receptive to their business. They discovered that by closing the less profitable stations in the south of _Q32 Scotland they could increase the income from their other more profitable stations. This example demonstrates the importance of constantly monitoring and maintaining a clear view of the finances of the company. Once the expertise required to run the company had exceeded the abilities of the family they needed to hire professional consultants.

After assessing the company’s financial statements the consultants advised that Tesla closed the _Q33 head office of the convenience stores in Oxford. They deemed the head office unnecessary and identified it as a financial drain on the company. As the premises were expensive to run and generated no income. In order to avoid firing any employees they transferred over 200 staff to other offices and _Q34 retrained them to carry out their new roles. Now that Telsa had conquered the petrol market in the UK. They were able to branch out into other niche areas that offered prospects for profits. They realized that they could establish a new environmentally friendly brand image by selling _Q35 fresh food in their convenience stores that had been grown by local farmers. This strategy would not only broaden the scope of the company but also help to strengthen its relationships with local communities. Every year Telsa holds a meeting in London where all of the consultants and managers meet to discuss future plans for development and improvement. These meetings are essential to the evolution of the company as feedback is heard from all levels of the organization from the sales staff to the CEOs. They did this by assigning every _Q36 manager the task of holding staff discussions at which ideas and concerns would be passed on for evaluation at the meeting. Tesla decided to accommodate the individuality of each of their stores instead of forcing them to conform to one overriding company identity. They realized that by increasing the flexibility of the _Q37 profit making strategies of each of the retail stores they subsequently became more commercially successful. The level of staff satisfaction also increased as a result. As the individuals felt that they were not being constrained to one way of thinking to avoid misunderstandings and mistakes any future changes were introduced in _Q38 stages in order to familiarize the staff with the new regulations.

Now it’s time to conclude the lecture for today. So I will leave you with some food for thought before you leave. In order to run a successful business one cannot underestimate the importance of maintaining an open mind when deciding on _Q39 strategies for expansion. Sometimes it’s necessary to employ an independent consultant, who can offer an objective and unbiased view on the running of your company. Emotion will only ever cloud your ability to make business-related decisions. Research suitable case studies and look at how department stores. For example, were able to alter their _Q40 organisation structure whilst minimizing costs and staff redundancies. Precedents are an essential resource when it comes to making decisions for your own business so don’t undervalue them. Well, that wraps up our lecture for today, if there are any questions.

TIM: Hi Jenny.

JENNY: Hi Tim, how are you doing?

TIM: I’m okay, but I’m really stressed out about our geography assessment next week. Have you done any work on it yet?

JENNY: I’ve looked at it a little bit but it would be helpful to discuss it with someone else. Do you want to chat about it with me?

TIM: That would be great. Do you know what the rules are for the test?

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JENNY: For our assessment last term, we were all required to collect raw data in order to achieve a pass. However, this term the tutor has said that it won’t be necessary for us to do this.

TIM: I read through the notes and they said that we are all going to be given a set of instructions that we can choose to follow if we wish but it’s not mandatory and we can complete the exam as we wish.

JENNY: I don’t think that the rules will be too strict. As long as _Q21 we don’t copy the answers from anyone else’s exam paper. I think _Q21 we’ll be sure to pass.

TIM: Yes, I agree. Shall we put together a slideshow presentation with information on all of the volcanoes? I think it will really help us to revise the facts.

JENNY: Okay great, let’s start with Pompeii. It’s the most well known of all the volcanoes so it should be easy to find lots of information about it online.

TIM: I’ll avoid including some of the images in the presentation as many people were killed. And _Q22 some of them can be quite disturbing we’re lucky to have a double free period today so we will have plenty of time to revise this together.

JENNY: Okay next up is Mount Faygo. This is an ancient mythical volcano. The location of which is unclear there are mountainous regions in both Mexico and the USA both of which are rumored to be the site of this volcano.

TIM: It’s not very scientific to list two separate locations for one volcano. But since no one has been able to prove which is the correct one we’re left with no choice. It’s interesting that there is no other example of a volcano in existence today. That is surrounded by so much mystery.

JENNY: Absolutely I think we should include some information about Mount Etna in Sicily which is famous for the _Q24 stunning panoramas that one can appreciate from its peak. According to google, it’s a relatively new volcano compared to others in the surrounding region. Which may be why it has very few of the features found in older volcanoes.

TIM: Oh, how interesting.

JENNY: Shall we include information on Mount Herton. I don’t think that any of the other students have carried out much research into it even though it has a lot of unique features.

TIM: I think we should leave it out, since it’s a man-made volcano _Q25 it’s not that relevant to our syllabus and probably won’t be included in any of the exam questions.

TIM: Have you gotten feedback from your tutor on your presentation last week?

JENNY: Yes, I have, but I don’t think he was very impressed. He was satisfied by the amount of research that I had prepared before I started, but he criticized the fact that _Q26 I was mostly summarizing the facts instead of giving my own opinion.

TIM: Oh, that’s a shame.

TIM: It was frustrating that he criticized my work. But in the end, I learned a lot from my tutor’s feedback he advised me that next time I should present my work as _Q27 a short documentary film which he thinks will help me to strengthen my arguments. What topic was your presentation based on?

TIM: I chose to write about the lack of knowledge that most people have about volcanoes and the fact that they see them in such a negative way during documentaries and lectures the scientific experts often _Q28 neglect to mention the many positive features that volcanoes possess.

JENNY: That sounds really interesting. Well done.

TIM: I think everyone enjoyed watching but I was really nervous about talking in front of an audience. _Q29 I also felt very underprepared since I didn’t finish writing the presentation until the night before. And therefore had no time to rehearse it.

JENNY: I’m sure it was great. Is there any other information that you think we should include in our slideshow for revision?

TIM: Yes I think it’s important that we list all of _Q30 the differences between active and extinct volcanoes. As there will definitely be a question on this topic there are no documentaries on the subject but there’s a very informative website that discusses the geological structure of each volcano type.

JENNY: Okay, well I’ll continue collecting images and you can carry on with the online research.

Hello ladies and gentlemen and thanks for tuning in to action radio where we discuss current affairs and global issues. My name is Jill and today I’ll be discussing the very relevant issue of the importance of saving water and how you can do this at home. The most common type of wasted energy in the domestic environment is heat. However, since the walls of my home are very well insulated I am lucky to have no issue with this. I’ve discovered however that I waste a lot of water as a result of my lifestyle. I’ve researched _Q11 ways to minimize my water usage online and have been pleasantly surprised to find that there are specialists in the area who can make some changes to my home immediately. The only downside is that the works are quite expensive and there are no means of getting financial assistance.

Now if any of you listeners are interested in reducing your energy usage here are a couple of easy and positive changes you can make immediately. A lot of the magazines will recommend that you change your bulbs for those with energy saving capabilities. However, I have found that these make little difference to your electricity bills and they also severely reduce the light levels in your home. Instead simply _Q12 switch off all plug sockets and appliances to make an immediate saving on your electricity consumption. If this doesn’t make enough of a saving for you, you could later try turning down the thermostat as well. Despite the discount that my energy provider gave me for prompt payment my monthly bills were very expensive for the amount of energy that I was using. So I decided to change providers not only did I make a huge monthly saving but the company also offered me other perks. I am now able to _Q13 pay my monthly bills online for example which I am thrilled about because it means that I no longer have to drive to the bank.

Once I have been a customer with them for a year _Q15 they will also offer a deduction for all of the energy-saving appliances I use. Now many of you will have an electricity meter at home so I’m sure you’ll all understand the issues associated with them. They occupy a lot of space in your home and can be unsightly if you’re unable to tuck them away in a cupboard. Mine is quite large as it measures both my gas and electricity. But I was luckily able to hide it in the coat cupboard where I can keep it hidden but also access it easily. Having said that whenever I have to take a meter reading _Q14 I have to use a torch because the screen is too dark to read the numbers correctly. I have recently had an extension built on my house to make room for a new bathroom complete with a low energy boiler, so I can take long showers guilt-free. The walls are nice and thick and well insulated but unfortunately, the window is a little drafty so I’m going to have to invest in upgrading it.

Speaking of renewable energy I initially considered installing solar panels on the roof instead of using a low energy boiler. Which was the less expensive option in the end. I decided that the panels would _Q16 look too ugly on my house despite that they were technically easy to operate.

Now if you’re a fan of taking long showers like I am, then switching from baths to showers will not help to reduce your water usage. Instead here are some small but effective changes you can make. When making a cup of tea for example _Q17 measure out the amount of water that you need before boiling it, and when brushing your teeth use a cup of water instead of a running tap. I tried filling up my washing machine before switching it on but, I found that the clothes were not thoroughly cleaned so I would not recommend this. _Q18 If your tap drips when it is turned off then you should call a plumber to fix it, as this can result in a lot of water being wasted.

Before finishing today’s show I’d like to address two questions that we often get asked by listeners. We had some great feedback about our answer to last week’s question on how to calculate the price involved in powering domestic appliances. So let’s see how we do this week, one of our most commonly asked questions this week was which device is the lowest energy option for watching films. The simplest answer is that _Q19 the smaller the screen the lower the energy used. One of our listeners wrote in with a question that made me chuckle and the answer is yes solar panels only work when the sun is out. Now on a more serious note a number of you wanted to know what the most efficient _Q20 temperature is to set the thermostat to the answer is that the closer you set it to room temperature the lower the energy used.

Before I say goodbye until next week, I’ll leave you with one last tip, turn off the lights when you leave the room.

PROFESSOR: Hello Sally and Mike.

SALLY AND MIKE: Hello professor.

PROFESSOR: Welcome to the third meeting of our after school club where we discuss topics from the syllabus in order to help you to understand your class work better. Now I hope that you’ve read the notes I gave you last week on the ancient African traditions. As this will be the focus of our discussion today, who can tell me how they were able to recognize different stars?

SALLY: Did they measure the distance between them? 

PROFESSOR: No Sally I’m afraid that’s incorrect. Mike, do you know the answer?

MIKE: Historians used to think that the ancient Africans recognized stars by observing the manner in which they affected each other, but further research showed that they used the _Q21 location of the stars in order to distinguish one from the other.

PROFESSOR: Well done Mike, very good. Can either of you tell me anything about the Wayaka people?

SALLY: They have a lot of money but do not trust banks to keep it safe. They believe that it’s in their best interest to help themselves not assist others instead the tribe looks after their own finances and generate income from _Q22 lending money to others in low-interest loans.

PROFESSOR: What problems do the Africans suffer from?

MIKE: They used to suffer greatly from drought however they have now developed clever ways of overcoming it by moving to higher land. There are however far more predators in these mountainous areas, so it is vital that the Africans learn how to _Q23 protect themselves in this new environment.

SALLY: Yes, that’s right, also compared to more developed countries the Africans are less concerned with their international status, which I find interesting.

PROFESSOR: Very good. What else are the local people concerned with?

MIKE: Unlike other poorer tribes, they have plenty of nourishing food. And they are able to afford vaccines that prevent them from catching diseases.

SALLY: They historically lived in the west of Africa, although later they were chased off their land by other tribes competing for food and water. It is their hope that they will eventually be able to _Q24 return to their original homeland.

PROFESSOR: Why has the financial condition of the African people deteriorated?

MIKE: Despite their modern transportation system, they find it very difficult to trade because their tools are not sophisticated enough to mine minerals from the land. They have permission to engage in these commercial activities. So once they have the right tools they will be able to develop a very large income from trade.

SALLY: Do you think that this new income will stop Africans suffering from starvation in the near future?

MIKE: Unfortunately, I don’t think so, they should be able to start trading next year but they will only have enough income to start growing sufficient food and crops to support the local people _Q26 in the long term future.

PROFESSOR: Yes, that’s correct.

SALLY: There are many charities from developed countries that are helping to ship food to African countries in order to feed the starving, unfortunately, it is difficult to transport a lot of food to the right places, but Africans are very good at _Q27 sharing and making sure that everyone gets something to eat.

MIKE: African governments are also starting to pay more attention to the needs of their people. They have been directing a lot of money to help build schools in the more impoverished villages, as a part of their new _Q28 education plan which is fantastic. This means that hopefully, all African children will be able to attend school daily without having to walk long distances.

PROFESSOR: Yes absolutely. Do you remember any other information from your class notes?

SALLY: Historically the tribes in Africa often used to migrate across the country in search of food and water. They would live in tents that were easy to dismantle and transport to other locations.

MIKE: That’s true. But now they are being encouraged to _Q29 settle down in one area, so they can establish colonies and build facilities for themselves such as houses and schools. Some villages have even developed specific customs, for example, the Wayaka people consider it impolite if you do not bring _Q30 gifts when visiting someone.

PROFESSOR: Bravo you’ve both contributed fantastic points to our conversation. That concludes our session for today I’ll see you next week.