The public helps save famous French glassmaker Duralex
Listen to the story (British accent)
When a person drops a Duralex glass, it usually bounces. It doesn't break. The French glass company has also had problems in the last twenty years. But it always recovers.
The company recently asked the public for €5 million (about $5.8 million) in emergency money. They needed this money to save the glass factory. It took only five hours and 40 minutes to reach the goal.
François Marciano, the director of Duralex, was very surprised. He thought it would take five or six weeks to raise €5 million. When it reached almost €20 million, they had to say "stop." Under company rules, €5 million is the maximum Duralex can accept from the public.
For many French people, Duralex brings back memories of their childhood and school cafeterias. The brand causes feelings of nostalgia and pride. It is a symbol of French industry and skill. Marciano said the French people want to save the company because they are tired of seeing factories close.
The staff at the factory were extremely happy about the help from the public.
Inside the factory, workers mix sand, soda ash, and limestone and heat it in a huge oven to 1,400°C to make the special glass.
The process has not changed much since the company started in 1945. Duralex is famous for its strong glass that breaks into small, less dangerous pieces. Workers check the products for quality. They test the glass by dropping it and changing its temperature suddenly to see if it cracks.
The money raised will be used to modernize the factory and create new products. The company hopes to start selling more in countries like the UK and the US.
Vocabulary36 words
- Drop
- To let something fall down
- Bounce
- To “spring”/”jump” back up after hitting something hard (basketballs bounce)
- Recover
- to return or come back to normal; rally; rebound; to get back something you lost
- Recently
- Not long ago; these days
- Public
- general people, all people, citizens; available for all people; open to everyone
- Million
- 1,000,000 = one-million
- Emergency
- a dangerous/serious and sudden/unexpected situation
- Save
- To protect someone/something from harm or danger; to stop someone/something from being killed, injured, or destroyed
- Reach a goal
- To finish something you planned to do; to get something you wanted to get
- Director
- boss, leader, head, manager
- Surprised
- Feeling shocked or amazed; the feeling when you suddenly learn something big, important and/or unexpected
- Raise
- To collect money that you can use to do a particular job or help people;
- Rule
- A guideline or regulation; sometimes a law; A guide that tells us what we should or shouldn’t do; something we have to do or can’t do
- Bring back memories
- To make a person remember things that happened in the past
- Childhood
- The time when you are a kid
- Cafeteria
- A large room in a school or building where people buy and eat meals
- Brand
- the name of a company and its image; one product with a specific name made by one company, e.g., Sprite is one of Coca-Cola’s brands
- Nostalgia
- A happy and warm feeling when you think about the past
- Pride
- A feeling of being happy about yourself or your group; a feeling of happiness and satisfaction because you have done something good or completed something difficult
- Symbol
- a thing that represents or stands for something else; metaphor; representation; something that stands for, represents, or suggests another thing
- Industry
- the companies and activities involved in the production of goods for sale, esp. in a factory
- Skill
- something that you are good at doing; The ability to do something well;
- Tired of
- Feeling annoyed or bored because something keeps happening
- Factory
- plant; a building where things are made or built
- Staff
- The people who work for a company or organization; workers
- Extremely
- very; so
- Sand
- The tiny grains/pieces of rock/stone found on beaches or in the desert
- Huge
- very, very large
- Oven
- A hot machine used for baking, heating, or melting things
- Process
- a procedure; a series of actions that you do to achieve a result/finish something; operation;
- Check
- to carefully look at; To examine or inspect something closely; to confirm; investigate
- Quality
- how good or bad something is; condition;
- Test
- to do something to learn if it is safe, works correctly, etc.; try out; to try
- Suddenly
- quickly and without warning; at once; unexpectedly
- Crack
- To break partway, making a line, but not completely fall apart;
- Modernize
- to make new; to change an old thing into something newer and better
Quiz
Answer key
1. €5 million 2. To modernize the factory 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
When a _____ drops a Duralex glass, it usually bounces. It _____ break. The French glass company has also had problems in _____ last twenty years. But it always recovers.
_____ company recently asked the public for €5 million (about $_____ million) in emergency money. They needed this money to _____ the glass factory. It took only five hours and 40 minutes to _____ the goal.
François Marciano, the _____ of Duralex, was very surprised. He thought it would take five or six _____ to raise €5 million. When it reached almost €20 million, they had to say "_____." Under company rules, €5 million is the maximum Duralex can _____ from the public.
For many French people, Duralex _____ back memories of their childhood and school cafeterias. The _____ causes feelings of nostalgia and pride. _____ is a symbol of French industry and skill. Marciano said the _____ people want to save the company because they are tired of seeing _____ close.
The staff at the factory were _____ happy about the help from the public.
Inside the factory, _____ mix sand, soda ash, and limestone and heat it in a _____ oven to 1,400°C to make the special glass.
The _____ has not changed much since the _____ started in 1945. Duralex is famous for its strong _____ that breaks into small, _____ dangerous pieces. Workers check the products for _____. They test the glass by dropping it and changing _____ temperature suddenly to see if it cracks.
The _____ raised will be used to modernize the factory and create new _____. The company hopes to start selling more in countries _____ the UK and the US.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the public gave Duralex more money than they asked for?
- Have you ever had a product that gave you a strong feeling of nostalgia? What was it, and why did it remind you of your childhood?
- The text says the French people are "tired of seeing factories close." Do you think it is important for a country to save its old, traditional industries? Why or why not?
- If a glass is very strong and safe, do you think people will pay more money for it? Explain your opinion.
- Duralex plans to modernize the factory. What are some of the benefits of using new technology in an old company?
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