Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. counterfeit (n.) [koun-ter-fit] – a copy of something original that is used to cheat buyers
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. counterfeit (n.) [koun-ter-fit] – a copy of something original that is used to cheat buyers
Example: The bag she bought was
a counterfeit because its leather was
different from the original designer bag’s leather.
2. craze (n.) [kreyz] – something popular at some point in time
Example: Cute mobile phone
straps suddenly became a craze among young
girls.
3. durable (adj.) [door-uh-buhl, dyoor-] –not easily damaged
Example: They bought durable car tires that can be used for
many years.
4. sloppy (adj.) [slop-ee] – lacking neatness, attention or order; messy
Example: The customer was angry
because of the restaurant’s sloppy service.
5. scout (v.)
[skout] – to look around a place carefully in order to get information
Example: Police will scout for
illegal drug sellers in the market.
Article
Read the text below.
Read the text below.
Makers of the
popular running shoes called Five Fingers have found a solution to the
growing number of counterfeits of its
products.
Five Fingers was
introduced by in 2007 by a Tony Post, a former marathon runner through Vibram USA. The shoes immediately became a huge craze, especially after many runners
started barefoot running. The company’s earnings rose from $400,000 in 2007
to $90 million last year. And because of its popularity, the company could not keep up with high demand.
As Vibram tried to make
more shoes, counterfeiters saw a chance to earn profit from Vibram’s unique
idea. Starting from the summer of 2010, the company began receiving thousands
of complaints that the shoes were not durable.
Vibram learned counterfeits
were being sold from different websites, which even contained images from Vibram
and the company’s address.
The counterfeits really
looked like the originals, but a closer look revealed the counterfeits were
made from different materials, had sloppy
stitches, and had colors that were not exactly the same as those of real
Five Fingers.
Initially, Post hired
private investigators to scout factories.
But he realized closing one counterfeit-making factory would only lead to the
opening of another.
He decided that the best
step was to inform customers about the counterfeits through Vibram’s own websites
and customer blogs though it was a risky decision because the brand’s name could be
damaged.
However, as more people became aware of counterfeits, the number of
complaints decreased within a year.
Post said that in the
end, what can really protect a business is not its copyright but its relationship with the customers.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Are counterfeits bad for business? Please
explain your answer.
·
How does your country’s government prevent counterfeits
from being sold?
Discussion B
·
How do you think customers can assure that they
are buying real products and not counterfeits?
·
What do you think people should do if they
accidentally buy a counterfeit product?