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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

THE
HORROR
BUSINESS
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1 Warm up
In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you celebrate Hallowe’en? Why/why not?

2. Which holidays do you spend the most money on in your country? Why?
3. Do you think business making money from holiday celebrations is a good or a bad thing? Why?

2 Finding vocabulary
Find vocabulary in the article on page three which means the same as the following definitions.

1. a state of great uncertainty (n, para. A)

2. fixed and difficult to change (adj., para. A)

3. relating to god or a god (adj., para. B)

4. the total number of goods or services sold by a company during a particular

time (n, para. D)
5. not feeling brave or confident (adj., para. D)

6. making you feel extremely frightened (adj., para. D)

7. the act of making improvements to something so it functions better or looks

better (n, para. D)
8. a problem or difficult that causes delays or makes a situation harder (n, para.
D)

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3 Scanning for details

Find the following numbers in the article on page three and write down what they relate to.

1. 12 →

2. 135 →

3. 125,000 →

4. 1 million →

5. 25 →

6. 70 →

7. 2,000 →

4 Reading comprehension

Part A: Decide if the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).

1. The writer thinks that these days people are more likely to sleep poorly for financial reasons rather
than due to dreaming of fictional creatures.

2. The writer proposes that the reason for high-spending on traditional holidays is that they provide
relief and a sense of order.

3. Historically, November 1st was a more significant celebration than October 31st.

4. Hallowe’en business profits are limited due to them being seasonal.

5. Haunted Houses are profitable because they require little initial investment.

6. Phillips Farms makes more profit during Hallowe’en than at other times of the year.

Part B: Answer the following questions:

1. What is the meaning of ‘for your life’ in paragraph A?

2. What is the meaning of ‘felt the pinch’ in paragraph D?

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Help me!
The business of terror

A. The last few years have brought a great deal of economic turmoil in the world of business and for most, the
fears over energy prices are likely to loom larger in their nightmares than the possibility of having to run for your
life from zombies. Yet it is precisely this deep-seated sense of uncertainty that causes people to find comfort in
traditions, and over the years, Hallowe’en has become a favourite amongst the holidays in some countries. As a
tradition, it provides a sense of normality that translates to big sales for those dealing in the thrills and screams of
their customers. In the US alone, the season is expected to generate a projected $12 billion in revenue.

B. Over the past 50 years, the holiday has progressed from children dressing up in masks and bedsheets to scare their
neighbours to big business. The big night is October 31st, the night before the Christian holy day of All Saints Day,
also known as All Hallows’ Day - hence, All Hallows’ Eve, or Hallowe’en. Historically, this was the night that all
the ghosts and ghouls came out to play before they were kept in check by a divine presence. These days, they’ve
been granted a longer release as marketing kicks in around the time that summer is breathing its last breath.

C. Universal Orlando, the renowned theme park, started its ‘Hallowe’en Horror Nights’ on the first of September this
year and other attractions have found ways to extend the scares well beyond the autumnal period. These include
a ‘Bloody Valentine’s Day’ as an alternative to chocolates and roses in February and a ‘halfway to Hallowe’en’
celebration in the springtime. The appetite for terror, it seems, is growing.

D. New York City’s Blood Manor, an established haunted house, has created seasonal turnover to rival some year
round businesses. Each year, they rake in up to $900,000 profit from terrifying their customers. However, like the
house itself, their up-front costs are not for the faint-hearted. Requiring around 135 staff to function, the company
employs make-up artists, security personnel, and actors to make the experience something to remember. The
costs of setting up the house are blood-curdling too. When the owner, Jim Lorenzo, fitted up his first haunted
attraction in the early 2000s, the cost was around $125,000. When it was time for an upgrade a couple of years
ago, this cost had inflated to $1 million. As the company has a fairly brief operational window, short-term setbacks
can be very damaging. Like many other businesses, it was badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and when
Hurricane Sandy shut the attraction down for five days, they really felt the pinch.

E. Smaller year round businesses can also use the season to boost their profits. Philips Farms in North Carolina, a
family-friendly attraction, opens their Haunted Park and Corn Maze to the public for $25 a ticket each Hallowe’en
and, with the help of its 70 staff, attracts up to 2,000 visitors to the farm each evening. While it costs around
$50,000 to set up, the investment soon pays off.

F. It seems that even in a scary economy, Hallowe’en still has the power to bring profits back from the dead.

Sources: BBC, Insider

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5 Focus on phrasal verbs

Part A: Match the verb in Box A to the particle in Box B to create a phrasal verb used in the article on
page three. You will have to use the particles in Box B more than once.

Part B: Now complete the following sentences with the correct form of one of the phrasal verbs.

1. Now the dinner we’re attending after the conference is going to be a very smart affair, so be sure
to in your best clothes.

2. He tried to discuss my plans for the future with me, but I had to that conversation
because I know he’ll just use the information against me.

3. All that time I spent on my MBA really when I got the promotion to Head of
Department.

4. We’ve had an excellent Christmas season so far and we’ve really been it
for the last month.

5. We’ve been the shop ready for the holiday period and it looks absolutely fantastic
now.

6. I my first company when I was in my late twenties, and I learned a lot from the
mistakes I made.

7. We need to be ready, because when the summer season , we’re going to need as
many people as possible.

8. We don’t computer technology, I’m afraid, but I can put you in touch with a company
that does.

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6 Listening for gist

Which of the following horror attractions are mentioned in the interview? Tick all that you hear.

1. McKamey Manor

2. Blood Manor

3. The Walking Dead Experience

4. Attack of the Zombies

5. The Dracula Experience

6. Zombie Infection

7 Listening comprehension

Listen to the interview again and choose the best option A, B or C for each item.

1. How does Sophie feel about Hallowe’en?

a. She finds it overly commercial.

b. She gets a sense of solace from it.

c. She feels it has got worse over the years.

2. How does Simon feel about Hallowe’en?

a. He’s noticed how its celebration period has slowly extended.

b. It’s always been his favourite holiday.

c. He used to enjoy it more when he was younger.

3. What did Simon celebrate when he was growing up?

a. A successful terrorist attack.

b. New American films.

c. A failed bombing attempt.

4. Why does Sophie think that ‘trick or treating’ is less of a tradition in the UK?

a. There’s a smaller market for sweets and confectionaries in the UK.

b. People’s reluctance to trouble other people in the community.

c. There are stricter laws regarding entering someone’s property.

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5. What does Simon say about the attraction in Whitby?

a. He was terrified because he was one of only two people visiting.

b. The attraction wasn’t as good as he had hoped it would be.

c. His girlfriend forced him to end the experience early.

6. Why is $2000 mentioned in relation to an American attraction?

a. It’s the cost of the experience due to its length.

b. The company was fined this amount for hurting a visitor.

c. It’s a reward for not leaving which is so far unclaimed.

7. What can visitors to the zombie experience in the UK do as part of the attraction?

a. use water pistols

b. work out problems

c. dress up as a zombie

8. What’s the minimum age required to do the zombie experience in the UK?

a. 21 b. 18 c. 12

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Would you be interested in visiting a horror attraction? Why/why not?

2. Do you think basing a business on a seasonal event is a good idea? Why/why not?
3. What kind of restrictions do you think need to be placed on a horror attraction? Why?
4. What immersive experiences are available in your country? Have you been to any of them?
Why/why not?
5. What role do you think culture plays in horror attractions?
6. If you were to start an attraction as a business, what do you think you would choose to do? Why?

9 Extended activity - Taboo

Divide into two teams. Your teacher will give you a card with vocabulary from the lesson. The object
is to explain the word to your team without using the word or a form of the word. If your team doesn’t
know after 30 seconds, the other team can have a go. Each team gets a point for naming the correct
word. The team with the most points at the end wins.

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