Ice Man: Richard’s Story
Richard used to work as a bartender. He thought ice was very important for cocktails. So, he started his own business in New York City. His company makes crystal clear ice.
Richard is the owner. His company uses machines to make big blocks of ice. The employees start early and work hard. They harvest a lot of ice every year. They put the ice in storage.
They use special tools to cut the ice. They can even put logos on ice cubes. Many people buy their ice, especially clients like restaurants. The business makes a lot of money (high revenue). Richard shows loyalty to his workers. He is proud of his business and how it grew.
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Used in sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| bartender | /BAR-tuhn-der/ | A person who serves drinks. | So, I was working as a bartender at two |
| ice | /ICE/ | Frozen water. | cocktail ice business. |
| cocktails | /KOK-tayl/ | A mixed drink. | cocktails. I’ll I’ll tell you that. |
| business | /BIZ-nes/ | A company. | cocktail ice business. |
| crystal clear | /KRIS-tuhl KLEER/ | Very easy to see through. | crystal clear blocks of ice uh that we |
| owner | /OH-ner/ | The person who has something. | bars in New York City. The owner asked |
| machines | /muh-SHEENS/ | Tools that do work. | out of the machines, they weigh about |
| employees | /em-PLOY-eez/ | People who work for a company. | No specific sentence found in the transcript. |
| harvest | /HAR-vest/ | To collect. | We harvest 3,120,000 |
| storage | /STOR-ij/ | A place to keep things. | into our storage freezer where we let it |
| clients | /KLY-uhnts/ | People who buy things. | our clients. The machine itself, the |
| loyalty | /LOY-uhl-tee/ | Being true to someone. | We’ve shown loyalty to our clients by |
| revenue | /REV-uh-nyoo/ | Money a company earns. | York City. Our revenue in 2024 was $2.5 |
| logos | /LOH-gohs/ | Small pictures or symbols. | at very high RPMs to engrave logos we |
| costs | /KAWSTS/ | Money you spend. | day. The major operating costs for this |
Vocabulary Flashcards
Lexical Focus: Collocations & Chunks
Don’t just learn isolated words—learn chunks of language. These patterns will help you speak more naturally.
- work asVerb PhraseRichard used to work as a bartender.
- start a businessVerb PhraseHe decided to start a business.
- New York CityNoun PhraseHis company is in New York City.
- make iceVerb PhraseThey make ice for drinks.
- cut iceVerb PhraseThey use machines to cut ice.
- heavy liftingNoun PhraseThe employees do heavy lifting.
- tap waterNoun PhraseThey use tap water to make ice.
- sell iceVerb PhraseThey sell ice to restaurants.
- big moneyNoun PhraseThe business makes big money.
- good productNoun PhraseThey have a good product.
De-chunking
1. Richard used to a bartender.
2. He decided to .
3. His company is in .
4. They for drinks.
5. The workers do .
While Viewing Tasks
Guided Notes: Fill in the Gaps
Complete the sentences with words from the video.
1. Richard was a .
2. He makes .
3. His company is in New York .
4. They use to make ice.
5. The ice is .
True or False
Decide if the statements are True or False.
1. Richard sells hot coffee.
True False
2. The ice is clear.
True False
3. They use small tools to make ice.
True False
4. The business is in New York.
True False
Checklist
Check these items as you watch the video.
Embedded Video:
Fill in the Blanks Exercise
1. Richard was a .
2. He has an business.
3. The business is in New York .
4. They make ice.
5. They use from New York.
6. They have big .
7. The machines make 300 lb of ice.
8. They the ice.
9. They have special to cut.
10. Some ice has .
11. They deliver ice to .
12. The business has many .
13. They have good .
14. The company makes a lot of .
15. They use freezer for delivery.
Vocabulary Quiz
Fact or Fiction Quiz
Extension Activities
Individual Activity Easy
Draw your favorite cold drink.
Pair Activity Medium
Talk with a friend: What do you like to drink when it is hot?
Group Activity Hard
Discuss as a group: Is it important to have clear ice? Why or why not?