ESL Podcast 1036 - Farming and Agribusiness
dying industry - a sector (part) of the economy that is becoming smaller and may no longer exist in the future
If people continue to buy foreign cars, automobile manufacturing could become a dying industry in the United States.
family farm - a farm that is owned and operated by a family, not a corporation
They dream of buying some land and having a family farm with cows, pigs, chickens, and fields of corn and blueberries.
small-scale - small, not large; for a small number of people
Right now, we're limited to small-scale production out of our basement, but if sales continue to increase, we'll be able to move into a small factory.
agribusiness - the sector (part) of the economy that includes very large corporations that own and operate large farms on very large areas of land
A lot of people are concerned about how animals are treated in agribusiness.
alive and well - thriving; doing very well; with a lot of success
Despite the government's best efforts, people still cheat on their taxes and not pay what they owe.
government subsidy - money paid by the government to a manufacturer to cause the price of a product to be lower
Government subsidies of sugar and corn have made soda, chips, cookies, and other types of junk food very inexpensive.
lucrative - profitable; making a lot of money
A great invention can be very lucrative, but only if you have the patent.
livelihood - how one makes a living; how one earns money; a job or career
As a butcher in a small town, Sayeed's livelihood has always been dependent on good customer service.
to edge out - to do better than someone or something else so that its power or influence weakens while one's own power and influence increases
Renee hopes to edge out the other dancers in the salsa competition.
output - production; the amount of a product or service made by someone with a certain amount of resources and/or in a certain amount of time; a measure of efficiency
If we hire more workers, we can increase output by up to 40%.
the name of the game - the most important thing in deciding how things are done; the way things are expected to be
Being involved in a lot of extracurricular activities is the name of the game for high school students who want to be admitted to prestigious colleges.
to throw in the towel - to give up; to stop trying to do something, especially because it seems too difficult or impossible
We need to hire someone who is very persistent and won't throw in the towel the first time there's an obstacle.
that's a shame - a phrase used to express disappointment or sadness about something that is happening, especially something that seems unfair
Adam's father was ill and couldn't attend his son's college graduation. That's a shame!
domestic - within a country; not international
Will we ever have enough domestic oil production to avoid importing oil?
a way of life - the way things are done, especially referring to culture; how people live in a certain area or with certain opinions
Fishing is a way of life for many people who live in coastal towns.
to come from a long line of - to have many family members involved in a particular industry or hobby
Vince comes from a long line of military officers.
very - exact; precise; a word used to emphasize the following word
Your shopping cart is full of the very junk foods that the doctor told you to stop eating!
twist of fate - an unanticipated change in events, especially an ironic one
In a twist of fate, Dynee finally got a job on the day that she was evicted from her apartment because she could not afford to pay the rent.