ESL Podcast 948 - Listening to Motivational Speakers
dread - not looking forward to something; not being excited about something and not wanting it to happen
Patrizia dreads going back to work on Monday morning.
management meeting - a meeting attended by many managers, executives, and decision-makers in a company, usually to share basic information about the company and to discuss strategy and long-term planning
At the last management meeting, they decided to open a new office in Southeast Asia.
to sit through - to endure; to be present throughout the duration of something, but not actively participate and not enjoy it or find it worthwhile or valuable
Professor Farber's lectures are so boring, it's almost impossible to sit through them without falling asleep!
motivational speaker - a presenter who tries to motivate (excite for a particular purpose) other people to do something or be interested in something, usually by sharing his or her own experiences
The conference had a great motivational speaker who talked about her experience overcoming cancer.
pep talk - an informal speech designed to make people feel excited about something and ready to take action
The coach gives the players a pep talk before each game.
to kick off - to start or begin something; to mark the beginning of something
They kicked off their weight-loss efforts by getting rid of all the junk food and soda in the house.
guru - someone who knows a lot about something and is considered an expert and is admired and respected by many people
Renee is an accounting guru, so if you have any questions about saving money on taxes, be sure to ask her.
crisis management - the process and profession or dealing with alarming situations and scandals to minimize the damage
Politicians often ask crisis management teams for help when reporters learn about unpleasant things from their personal life.
real-world experience - experiences gained from real life and actually having done something, not by studying it, reading about it in books, or hearing about it from other people
A lot of applicants have degrees in IT, but very few of them have real-world experience in software development.
fighter pilot - a person whose job is to fly airplanes in wars and use them to attack other airplanes or drop bombs from the sky
Fighter pilots need to have great flying skills, the ability to remain calm under attack, and a willingness to follow orders.
mission - a task that one is told to accomplish; the purpose of one's actions or activities
Your next mission is to find the chemical weapons facility and shut it down.
to shell out - to pay a lot of money for something, especially when one thinks the money is not well spent
Why would you shell out hundreds of dollars for organic produce when you could grow it in your yard for free?
speaking fee - the amount of money paid to a presenter so that he or she speaks at a particular event
Presidents can make a lot of money from speaking fees after they leave office.
to shed some light on - to provide insight or clarity on a topic; to help someone understand something better or think about something in a new way
They hope their research will shed some light on why so many bees are dying.
high hopes - high expectations; a lot of anticipation about how good or beneficial something will be
Everyone had high hopes that the new police chief will be able to reduce crime in the city.
lecture circuit - a schedule of many speaking events for different audiences in different places
Being on the lecture circuit can be a great way to share information and earn money, but travelling that much can be very tiring.
corporate waste - the practice of wasteful spending by companies; when businesses spend a lot of money on things that are not necessary
One easy way to reduce corporate waste is to have one person keep track of office supplies for the entire company.