International Students NZ

Today’s photo: Me recording my podcast

Part 1: Today's word

If something grows exponentially, it means that it keeps growing faster and faster. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have experienced exponential growth rates, though the growth tends to tail off after a few months.

Click here for more practice.

Part 2: Test

Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out?

After the Big Bang, the universe is thought to have experienced a sustained period of exponential growth.

Digital music has been an exponential field over the past few years, with high levels of innovation and market penetration.

The exponential increase in global travel over the last few decades has heightened the risk of pandemics.

Unfortunately, the exponential growth in the company’s sales was not accompanied by the necessary restructuring and staff development.

Part 3: Practice Questions:

Apart from social networking, which other fields have experienced exponential growth over the last few years?

Part 4: The Idiomatic Five

get out of hand
become chaotic
We decided to call in the police before the situation got completely out of hand.

change hands
be bought and sold
I wouldn’t buy this car if I were you - it’s changed hands five times in the last five years.

to have the upper hand
have an advantage
The war is not over yet, but we’re beginning to get the upper hand.

have it in for sb
look for opportunities to criticize or harm sb
I’m convinced my boss has it in for me. He checks up on me all the time looking for the slightest mistake.

have it out with sb
have an open argument
I was fed up of the way she kept using the company phones for personal calls. It was time to have it out with her.

Part 5: Kiwi Quiz Question

Which controversial 2004 Act of Parliament about ownership of New Zealand’s coastline is expected to be repealed by the new Government?

Part 6: Click here for more practice.
Today's online listening

This is an interview from the BBC about freeconomics – the business model used by many online companies

Vocabulary for the article:

attribution
buck a trend
open source
collaborative
abridged
springs to mind
monetise

Questions for the article:

1) Which of these versions of the book will be offered free?
the paperback
the full-length audio version
the hardcover version

2) Google uses a ‘max’ strategy to ...
increase distribution
cut the workforce
diversify its product range

3) Which mistakes did Chris make when writing the book?
research
referencing
marketing

4) What economic principle is Wikipedia [and this podcast!] based on?
psychic
non-monetary
comparative advantage

5) Which of these products follows the freemium approach?
Apple iPhone applications
Wikipedia
Google search engine

6) Moore’s Law refers to the exponential growth in ...
state control of the media
affordability of technology
use of the internet

7) The younger generation is accustomed to ...
receiving products and services for free
looking on free services with suspicion
making money by providing free services

8) Chris’s own company uses a freemium approach to market its ...
intellectual property
mobile phones
model aircraft

Today’s musical suggestion: From the UK / Zambia
Everybody's Free by Rozalla