How Starbucks Found Its Mythical Mermaid. Past Simple Focus

How Starbucks

 Found Its Mythical Mermaid

Past Simple Focus

I Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the Past Simple of the verbs in brackets.  

a)  She can be spotted in 76 countries and markets helping Starbucks to reach a brand value of more than 8.7 billion dollars.

b)  They also really ______(like) the Herman Melville novel “Moby-Dick”, so much so they _____ (decide) to name their company after Captain Ahab’s ship.

c)  Initially her chest ___(be) bare, but after some complaints Heckler _____( redraw) the design with long hair that ____(cover) her body.

d)  Instead of luring sailors onto the rocks this mythical mermaid would call people to come and grab a cup of coffee.

e)  So they ____ (go) with the name of the first mate, Starbuck.

f)   The logo also ___(go) from brown to green, a symbol of freshness and growth.

g)  Bold and alluring this is the design that _____(start) with a myth and ______ (become) a coffee legend.

h)  But branding executive Terry Heckler _____ (decide) ‘Pequod coffee’ did not sound quite right.

i)    The design of this logo ______(begin) in Seattle in 1971 with three university friends who really _______(like) coffee.

j)   In 2011 the Starbuck siren _____(be) redesigned with rounder details.

k)  A longer shadow _____(be) also introduced on the right side of her nose, a small element of asymmetry which _____(make) her feel more human.

l)    Heckler then ____(troll) through maritime books and ___(find) a 15th century woodcut of a two-tailed siren.

II Watch the video and put the sentences from Task I in the correct order. Watch again and check the use of the Past Simple tense.

For example: 1- i

III Focus on the regular verbs (verbs that take –ed to form the Past Simple tense) in Task I. Watch the video and write the past simple of the verbs in the correct box. Then listen and check.

-ed is pronounced as [ɪd]
-ed is pronounced as [t]
-ed is pronounced as [d]

IV Look at the verbs in task III. Then complete these rules and read the verbs out

We pronounce –ed in the past simple form of the verbs as:

1.    [ɪd]  after_____________ for example: started

2.    [t] after_____________ for example:

3.    [d] after_____________ for example:

a)    after [k], [s], [t ʃ], [ʃ], [f], [p]

b)   after all other sounds

c)    after [t], [d]

V Answer the questions.

1 When was Starbucks logo designed?

2 What was the first name for Starbucks coffee? Why did the company change it?

3 What is Starbucks coffee named after?

4 Where did Starbucks brand executive find the logo for the coffee brand? Was it a modern work of art?

5 Why were the symbol of siren and the myths of mermaid important for the coffee brand?

6 What colour was the original logo?

7 What colour is Starbucks logo now? What does this colour symbolise?

8 How did the company change the original mermaid design?

9 Why did designers make changes to the logo?

10 What is the brand value of Starbucks today?

VI Learn more facts about Starbucks logo and its history. Restore the word order in the sentences and copy them into your exercise books. 

1) friends / Seattle / March 30,/ created / 1971. / Jerry Baldwin, / in / Gordon Bowker / Starbucks / on / and / Zev Siegl, / Three

2) / Pequod / novel / company /  a / / the / ship / “Moby/ Dick”.  / after / named / They / the / in

3) strange / very / and / to / name / name / changed / the / the / Starbuck. / The /  friends / was

4) was / / mermaid/ original / Starbucks / a / of / or / siren. / The / image / logo / the

5) Greek / to / lured / In / sailors / sirens / / shipwreck. / mythology

6) legends / In / near / called / the /  sirens /  Starbuck Island. / island / lived / the

7) in / / changed / the / the / past. / original / The / designers / Starbucks / logo

8) its / “Starbucks Tea, Coffee, and Spice”/ / 1987 / company / changed / became / “Starbucks Coffee”. / name / original /  In / and /  the /

   

VII OVER TO YOU. Think about the company or the brand you like. Find information about the history of its logo. Share your information with other students paying attention to the use of the Past Simple tense.