Taking care of business – Weekly meeting

Here´s an engaging listening activity meant for C1/C2 level students. This dialogue is called TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS – WEEKLY MEETING and it includes the following vocabulary words: CALL IN SICK (idiom), BEHIND SCHEDULE (idiom), FEASIBLE (adjective), KEEP SOMEONE POSTED (idiom), GET INTO THE SWING OF THINGS (idiom), EAGER BEAVER (noun), BALLPARK FIGURE (idiom) and SHORT-STAFFED (adjective). Just click the link below. Enjoy!

Dialogue comprehension
1. Why isn´t Fred attending the meeting?
2. Do they plan to keep Fred posted on the meeting? How do they plan to do that?
3. Has the launch of their new product been delayed before? When do they expect to launch it?
4. How does Jeff feel about this new product?
5. What does Jeff think they should do about the surveillance equipment?
6. Does it look like they´ll be reaching their sales goals for the quarter?
7. How are the two new sales reps getting along?
8. Is everything ready for the upcoming congress? Where will it take place and how big will their booth be?

Find words or expressions in the dialogue with the following similar meanings:
a- ready: _________________________________
b- keep someone informed: ________________________________
c- approaching; happening soon: _____________________
d- running late; after the time that was planned: ____________________________
e- viable; capable of being done: _______________________________
f- something very successful: _______________________
g- delay or put off an action, event, appointment, etc: _____________________
h- call one’s place of work to say you are ill and cannot come to work: _____________
i- a rough estimate or figure: ______________________
j- become familiar with an activity; begin to get used to something: ________________
k- a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic: __________________________
l- without enough workers: _________________________
m- a stand: __________________________
n- the most significant or interesting parts of something: ______________________
o- a subject that people discuss or argue about: __________________________

Ref. “Fluent Business English” – José Roberto A. Igreja e Robert C. Young Disal Editora.