Meridia Lesson on Tim Cook

    Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook has reflected on his time as head of the tech giant. Mr Cook will bow out as Apple boss in September. He revealed which Apple products he deemed to have been less than perfect. In particular, he singled out Apple Maps as being a "really big mistake". In 2012, he recommended using what he thought were more reliable map apps from Apple's competitors. He said admitting this was a hard thing to do. The original Apple Maps was widely criticised upon its release for guiding drivers to bizarre places due to faulty data and mapping errors. These included non-existent bridges, businesses in the ocean, and fields of wheat shown as airports.


Tim Cook was appointed CEO of Apple in 2011. He succeeded visionary pioneer and co-founder Steve Jobs. During his tenure, Cook transformed Apple from a $350 billion company into a $4 trillion company. It continues to generate enormous profits and growth through products like the iPhone. Cook has ensured Apple's brand represents a superlative lifestyle choice. Today, roughly one out of every five people on Earth uses an Apple device. Apple products are among the most integrated in our lives. Cook revealed that his greatest achievement was the Apple Watch, and its impact on health, fitness, and daily habits. He said: "Apple's greatest contribution will be in the health and wellness area."


2. BIG MISTAKES: What big mistakes have you made in these categories?

 

Mistakes

How I Felt

What I Did

Shopping

 

 

 

English

 

 

 

Cooking

 

 

 

Friends

 

 

 

Travel

 

 

 

Fashion

 

 

 


4. Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1.

outgoing

a.

To leave or stop something, often politely.

      2.

faulty

b.

Very strange or unusual.

      3.

bow out

c.

Leaving an office of position.

      4.

deemed

d. 

A grass grain used to make flour for bread, pasta, and cakes

      5.

reliable

e.

Thought or decided by people.

      6.

bizarre

f.

Someone or something you can trust.

      7.

wheat

g.

Not working correctly or having a problem.

    Paragraph 2

      8.

appointed

h.

The best or highest in quality.

      9.

succeeded

i.

Chosen for a job or position.

      10.

pioneer

j.

The time someone spends in a job or position.

      11.

tenure

k.

With various parts or aspects linked or coordinated.

      12.

superlative

l.

Took over a job or industry from someone else.

      13.

integrated

m. 

 To make something certain to happen, to guarantee

      14.

ensured

n.

A person who is one of the first to do something.

    5. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

    1. reflected
    2. revealed
    3. reliable
    4. bizarre
    5. faulty
    6. succeeded
    7. superlative
    8. integrated
    9. achievement
    10. fitness
    1. weird
    2. merged
    3. disclosed
    4. malfunctioning
    5. accomplishment
    6. thought about
    7. well-being
    8. replaced
    9. premier
    10. dependable


    6. Role play: Why is each one of these considered to be a visionary?

    1. Steve Jobs
    2. Elon Musk
    3. Jeff Bezos
    4. Bill Gates
    5. Mark Zuckerberg


    7. Which ones of these technologies had the biggest impact on the way we live:

    1.  The Printing Press
    2. Electricity
    3. The Internet
    4. The Personal Computer
    5. Smartphones
    6. Vaccines
    7. The Automobile
    8. Airplanes
    9. Artificial Intelligence
    10. The Telegraph
    11. The Telephone
    12. Radio
    13. Television
    14. Satellites
    15. Antibiotics

    8. QUESTIONS 

    1. What do you think of the tech company Apple?
    2. Which business leaders do you like and dislike?
    3. What tech giants do you like and dislike?
    4. What do you think of using map apps?
    5. What do you think is the best Apple product?
    6. What do you need to be a great CEO?
    7. When was the last time you admitted making a mistake?
    8. What's the worst tech product you've ever used?
    1. Who do you think are visionaries?
    2. Why do you think the Apple brand is so well liked?
    3. Do you have what it takes to be a CEO?
    4. What do you think of Apple's logo?
    5. What do you think of smart watches?
    6. How does technology affect your health and wellness?
    7. What questions would you like to ask Apple's CEO?

    9. Controversial Discussion Scenarios (Agree or Disagree?)

    Discuss these statements in pairs or small groups. Justify your opinions with examples:

    • “Tech companies are more powerful than governments.”
    • “Admitting mistakes publicly makes a CEO stronger.”
    • “Apple’s success is more about marketing than innovation.”
    • “Big tech companies should be more strictly regulated.”
    • “Privacy is less important than convenience in modern technology.”

    10: Build Your Own Real Estate Agency 

    Work in a team and create a real estate agency from scratch.

    • Define your mission (what problem do you solve?)
    • Choose a name and slogan
    • Decide your target clients
    • Present your services
    • Explain what makes you different from competitors
    • Show how your agency guarantees costumer satisfaction

    Final Step:
    Pitch your agency to the class. In the end , the class will vote for their favortie one.  

    11. SCENARIOS 

    Instructions:
    Discuss each scenario and answer the questions. Give reasons and examples from your experience.

    1. 🏢 Vacancy vs Tenant Quality (Short-Term Income vs Long-Term Value)

    Scenario:
    A property is empty. A tenant offers high rent but has unstable finances.

    Student Task:

    • Do you choose high income or security?
    • How do you evaluate the tenant?
    • What is riskier: vacancy or a bad tenant?

    2. 📉 Market Downturn (Defensive Strategy vs Opportunity)

    Scenario:
    Property prices are falling, and demand is lower.

    Student Task:

    • Do you sell or wait?
    • Is it a good time to invest?
    • How do you reduce risk?

    3. 🌱 Sustainability Upgrade (Cost vs Long-Term Value)

    Scenario:
    You must invest in energy-efficient upgrades, but costs are high.

    Student Task:

    • Is sustainability worth the cost?
    • How do you justify this investment?
    • Do clients really care about ESG?

    4. 📈 Client Expansion Request (Growth vs Dependency)

    Scenario:
    A strong client wants better conditions to expand.

    Student Task:

    • Do you accept their conditions?
    • Is it risky to depend on one client?
    • How do you balance growth and risk?

    5. 🏚️ Aging Property (Renovate vs Reposition)

    Scenario:
    An old property is losing value and attracting fewer clients.

    Student Task:

    • Do you renovate, sell, or change its use?
    • What factors affect your decision?
    • How do you measure success?

    6. 📊 Data vs Experience (Analytics vs Intuition)

    Scenario:
    Data suggests lowering prices, but your experience disagrees.

    Student Task:

    • What do you trust more?
    • Can data be wrong?
    • When should you follow instinct?

    7. 🤝 Contract Negotiation Pressure (Firm vs Flexible)

    Scenario:
    A client pushes for better terms just before signing.

    Student Task:

    • Do you negotiate or stay firm?
    • What risks come from last-minute changes?
    • How do you protect the deal?

    8. 🌍 Location Choice (Prime vs Emerging Area)

    Scenario:
    You must choose between a central location or a developing area.

    Student Task:

    • Which is better long-term?
    • What makes a location valuable?
    • How do you reduce risk?

    9. ⚖️ New Regulations (Compliance vs Profit)

    Scenario:
    New laws increase costs and reduce flexibility.

    Student Task:

    • Do you increase prices or absorb costs?
    • How do you adapt your strategy?
    • Can regulation create opportunities?

    10. 🏘️ Client Portfolio Risk (Diversification vs Specialisation)

    Scenario:
    Your business focuses on one type of client (e.g., luxury buyers).

    Student Task:

    • Do you diversify?
    • Is specialisation safer or riskier?
    • How do you prepare for market changes?

    11. 🧾 Listing Error Crisis (Accuracy vs Reputation)

    Scenario:
    A property listing contains incorrect details and attracts many clients.

    Student Task:

    • Do you correct it immediately?
    • How do you communicate with clients?
    • How do you prevent future errors?

    12. 📅 Double Booking (Organisation vs Client Satisfaction)

    Scenario:
    Two viewings are scheduled at the same time.

    Student Task:

    • How do you fix the problem quickly?
    • Who takes priority?
    • What systems prevent this?

    13. 📂 Compliance Audit (Preparation vs Pressure)

    Scenario:
    Your office is selected for a legal or financial audit.

    Student Task:

    • How do you prepare documents?
    • What are the biggest risks?
    • How can admin teams stay organised?

    14. 📞 Communication Breakdown (Internal vs External Issues)

    Scenario:
    A client problem was caused by poor communication between admin and sales.

    Student Task:

    • Who is responsible?
    • How do you fix the situation?
    • How do you improve communication?

    15. 💻 Data Security Issue (Privacy vs Convenience)

    Scenario:
    Client data is accidentally shared or at risk.

    Student Task:

    • How serious is this problem?
    • What actions should you take immediately?
    • How do you prevent future issues?

    16. 👥 Staff Shortage (Efficiency vs Service Quality)

    Scenario:
    Several team members are absent during a busy period.

    Student Task:

    • How do you manage the workload?
    • What tasks are priorities?
    • How do you maintain service quality?

    17. 📢 Negative Online Review (Reputation vs Response Strategy)

    Scenario:
    A client leaves a very negative review online.

    Student Task:

    • Do you respond publicly or privately?
    • What tone should you use?
    • How important are online reviews?

    18. 🧑‍💼 Office Process Change (Resistance vs Improvement)

    Scenario:
    Management introduces a new system or procedure, but staff resist it.

    Student Task:

    • Why do employees resist change?
    • How do you implement new systems successfully?
    • How do you motivate the team? 
    . 12. APPLE: What do you know about these Apple products and put the best at the top.

    iOS Apps

    ·         Apple Music

    ·         iPad

    ·         Apple Watch

    ·         AirPods

    ·         Vision Pro

    ·         iPhone

    ·         iMac

    ·         Apple TV

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