Launching a New Product - Idioms in Context

Launching a New Product - Idioms in Context This short story focuses on the difficulties of launching a new product, or introducing a new idea. Learn from the definitions provided for the idioms and expressions introduced following the story and check your understanding with a short quiz. Make sure to read for gist the fist time. Launching a New Product - Story Trying to launch a new product can be a daunting task. In fact, its so hard that most people have no staying power and soon give up realizing that theyll have to cut their losses and accept defeat. There are many reasons for these difficulties, not least of which is that really new ideas often fly in the face of most peoples expectations. Just think back to the days before the cell phone. Im sure the company that created that first huge, heavy portable phone faced a lot of opposition to their product. Who ever thought wed end up carrying phones in our pockets that have also double as our personal digital assistants?!   In order to keep the ball rolling, an entrepreneur or anyone with a new idea will probably have to ruffle peoples feathers as the push for success. This ability to tilt at windmills is similar to the ability to completely ignore what, at the time, must seem like obvious advice. Its this knack for belief in spite of doubt that success hinges on. Without an almost religious conviction, its hard to continue with the order of the day of pushing your product. This is especially true when a CEO or some other important corporate know-it-all is looking daggers at you as they rake you over the coals for ever having thought of such a stupid idea. Then of course, there are those who throw a red herring into the conversation as you make your pitch to potential investors. However, in the end, you wont need to hard sell your product to those who get it. Theyll recognize your inspiration and throw caution to the wind to catch the train of your genius! Thats the day youll kick off your drive to succ ess. Definitions cut ones losses - accept that you have lost and quitfly in the face of something - be contrary to what some ideas seem to provehard sell something - try to force someone into buying something by making them believe that they need to buy it NOW!have no staying power - not be able to last a long timehinge on something - be dependent upon something else happeningkeep the ball rolling - continue supporting something by doing what is necessarykick off - begin something, usually some sort of business campaignlook daggers at someone - look at someone with intense hatredmake a pitch - introduce a business idea to someone, try to sell somethingorder of the day - the most important thing that needs to be done on an agendarake someone over the coals - strongly criticize someone for doing something wrongred herring - an argument which is introduced into a discussion to avoid talking about something more importantruffle someones feathers - insult someonethrow caution to the wind - take a chance d espite the risktilt at windmills - work against impossible odds, try to continue doing something that is hindered by others Idioms Quiz Lets keep ______________ on this project. I dont think we should quit just yet.Any artist will tell you that before success comes youll often feel as if are ______________.He had to accept defeat, ______________ his ______________ and close the business.  She ______________ her husband ______________ for his mistakes that cost them thousands.Im afraid that idea has ______________. Itll never work out.Stop ______________ me! I didnt do anything wrong, and I didnt mean to offend you.Peter knew that he was bringing a ______________ into the conversation, but he didnt want the project to move forward.Im afraid that ______________ everything I know. It cant be true.  Our success ______________ getting an investment in this project. Without funds, were lost.  Id like to ______________ at the next investors meeting. Do you think theyll have time to listen to my proposal? Quiz Answers the ball rollingtilting at windmillscut his lossesraked her husband over the coalslooking daggers atred herringflies in the face ofhinds onmake a pitch Learn more idioms in context with further stories.

TOEIC Scores by Age, Gender, Country, and Education

TOEIC Scores by Age, Gender, Country, and Education If youve taken the TOEIC Listening and Reading exam, then you know that it can be difficult to ascertain how well youve done on the test. Even though many businesses and institutions have minimum TOEIC scores or proficiency levels for hiring, the levels may be quite different from another institutions base requirements. So, where do you stand with the scores youve earned? How do your scores compare with the scores of others who have taken the test? Here are the average TOEIC scores by a number of different factors: age, gender, country of birth, and education level.   Average TOEIC Scores by Country of Birth The first numbers after the countries are the mean or average TOEIC scores for the Listening Test. The second numbers are the mean or average TOEIC scores for the Reading Test. Remember that the highest possible score achievable on each exam is a 495 and anything over 450 is generally considered excellent with no real weaknesses in the language by the makers of the test, ETS.   ALBANIA 208   168  ALGERIA 344   299  ARGENTINA 368   340   BELGIUM 393   362BRAZIL 334   303  CAMEROON 322   282CANADA 432   393CHILE 257   218  CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 350   322COLOMBIA 343   304  COSTA RICA 378 326COTE DIVOIRE (IVORY COAST) 324 297  CZECH REPUBLIC 398 362  EGYPT 218 177  FRANCE 377   342  GERMANY 425   362  GREECE 321 247  HONG KONG 297 235  INDIA 408   361  INDONESIA 234 188ITALY 371   355  JAPAN 284   228KOREA (ROK) 351   295LEBANON 409   354MACAO 258 191MALAYSIA 362   294  MONGOLIA 247 189MOROCCO 375   324   PAKISTAN 299 227PERU 307 279  PHILIPPINES 384   325  POLAND 315   243  PORTUGAL 404   362  REUNION 352   318  RUSSIA 359   308  SENEGAL 344   298SLOVAKIA 358 317  SPAIN 345   335  TAIWAN 294   242  THAILAND 274 207  TUNISIA 374   334  TURKEY 355 299  Ã‚  UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 298   183  VIETNAM 249   229  Ã‚  Ã‚   Average TOEIC Scores by Age It appears as though the 26-30-year-olds have the highest average TOEIC scores in this set of statistics, even though they accounted for only17.6% of testers. Check it out: Age Average Listening Score Average Reading Score under 20 276 215 21-25 328 274 26-30 339 285 31-35 320 270 36-40 305 258 41-45 293 246 over 45 288 241 Average TOEIC Scores by Gender Just 44.1% of test-takers were female, compared to the 55.9% of testers who were male. On average, women outscored men on both the Listening and Reading tests.   Female Listening Score Average: 327Female Reading Score Average: 266Male Listening Score Average: 304Female Reading Score Average: 255 Average TOEIC Scores by Level of Education More than half (56.5%) of the test-takers sitting for the TOEIC exam were in college, attempting to earn their undergraduate degree at a four-year university. Here are the statistics, based on the levels of education of the testers. Again, the first score is for the Listening exam and the second is for the Reading portion. Graduate school: 351   310Undergraduate college:   338   285Junior high school: 284 214High school:  276   212Elementary school: 265   220Community college:  Ã‚  268   210Language institution:   268 194 Vocational school after high school:  258   193Vocational school:   236   169 TOEIC LISTENING PRACTICE