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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

CONFLICT OF
INTEREST

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1 Warm-up

Do you ever eat at McDonald’s? Why/why not?

2 Key words

Match the following words with their correct definition.

1. sue a. a choice you make after thinking about several options

2. historic b. an official document that gives you permission to do something

3. a branch c. a rounded roof on a building

4. a licence d. a shop that is one of many in a company

5. an application e. a written request for something

6. a decision f. important in history

7. a dome g. to do what the law or someone says that you have to

8. obey h. to say what you think the problems are about something

9. criticise i. to take legal action against someone or an organisation for

money

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

3 Find the information

You are going to read an article about how McDonald’s want to open a new branch in the centre of
Florence. Find the information below in the text below.

1. Who is McDonald’s suing because they are not allowed to open a new restaurant?
2. Where exactly do McDonald’s want to open a new branch?
3. How old is the cathedral?
4. Why was McDonald’s application to open the new branch refused?
5. Why is McDonald’s so angry about the decision?
6. Where did McDonald’s also want to have a new branch?

McDonald’s sues Florence for $20m after city refuses restaurant

application
Reports say that McDonald’s is furious after it was stopped from opening a branch next to the historic
cathedral

Adapted from the Independent by Ben Kentish, 8 November 2016

1.
McDonald’s is suing the Italian city of Florence after
it was refused a licence to open a new restaurant in
the city’s historic central square.
2.
The US company wants almost $20m (about £16m)
because its application for the new restaurant in the
Piazza del Duomo was rejected. The square is visited
by a large number of people every year and is the
home of the 800-year-old Duomo cathedral.
3.
The application was declined because of new rules
that aim to protect the city’s historic centre. The city
wants to slow down the increase in number of fast
food restaurants. Any new restaurants in the area
that are allowed must use "typical products" from the
city or the surrounding region of Tuscany.
4.
The Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardello, turned down
McDonald’s application in June. The decision to deny
permission to open the restaurant was approved
last month by people responsible for protecting
Florence’s ancient heart.
5.
Mr Nardello told the city council: "McDonald’s has
the right to submit an application because this is
permitted under the law, but we also have the right
to say no."
6.
He said he wanted to support "traditional business"
in the area.
7.
Mr Nardello added that they were not against
McDonald’s, saying that the company have many
restaurants in other parts of the city.
8.
McDonald’s are angry at the decision because it
promised to make big changes to the way it works
to obey Florence’s new rules. It now wants the court
to help with the problem.
9.
The Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) is a world-
famous tourist destination with examples of Gothic
and Renaissance architecture. Buildings in the square
include the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral with its
impressive dome, the Giotto bell tower and the St
John Baptistery.
10.
There are already four McDonald’s branches that are
five minutes walk from the square.
11.
It is not the first time that McDonald’s plans to open
a branch in a historic location have annoyed local
people.
12.
Last month, Catholic priests criticised the chain’s
proposals to open a restaurant next to Saint Peter’s
Square in the Vatican.
13.
Cardinal Elio Sgreccia told an Italian newspaper that
the decision by McDonald’s to open this restaurant
was controversial, and it would look out of place in
the square.

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CONFLICT OF INTEREST

4 Find the words

Find a word or phrase in the text which means ...

1. the area around a specific location (collocation, P.3):

2. very old and important central part of a city (phrase, P.4):
3. a group of people chosen to govern a city (noun, P.5):
4. selling of things that people have bought for a long time (phrase, P.6):
5. a place where legal cases happen (noun, P.8):
6. a place that a lot of people visit that is known everywhere (phrase, P.9):
7. causing a lot of discussion and debate (adj., P.13):
8. doesn’t belong in a specific place (phrase, P.13):

5 Getting permission

Put the words into the correct categories.

allowed declined denied permitted refused rejected turned down

Have permission to do something:

Permission not given to do something:

6 Collocations

Match the verbs on the left to the words on the right.

1. obey a. a branch

2. deny b. an application

3. open c. permission

4. submit d. rules

5. protect e. the city

7 Debate
Work in small groups. Prepare an argument to defend your position.

Group A (Florence city council): Defend your decision not to allow McDonald’s to open a new branch.
Group B (McDonald’s): Say why you want to sue Florence for $20m.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Key

1. Warm-up

Encourage a short discussion.

2. Key words

Give examples of each word where necessary.Students can work alone and then check with the teacher.

1. i 2. f 3. d 4. b 5. e 6. a 7. c 8. g 9. h

3. Find the information

Students can work alone and then check with the teacher. Have students scan the text quickly. Then go through
the answers.

1. The city of Florence.

2. Next to the historic cathedral, in the central square.
3. 800 years old.
4. The city wants to cut down the number of fast food restaurants opening and new shops should only sell typical
products.
5. They have made changes to the way they work to obey Florence’s new laws.
6. Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

4. Find the words

1. surrounding region 2. ancient heart

3. a city council 4. traditional business
5. a court 6. a world-famous tourist destination
7. controversial 8. out of place

5. Getting permission

Students work in pairs and then check with the teacher.

Have permission to do something: permitted; allowed

Permission not given to do something:rejected; refused; denied; declined; turned down

6. Collocations

1. d 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. e

7. Debate

Split the class into two groups, A and B. Give students some time to plan what they are going to say. Monitor
them when they are planning and help if necessary. They can use information from the article and their own ideas.
Tell them that you will act as the judge and when each team have finished speaking you will decide who wins the
case.

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