Europe Burns: Business in the Heat
Grammar: Reporting verbs and structures in professional communication
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising reporting verbs and structures in professional communication. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: Europe Burns: Business in the Heat
In the third week of June 2026, temperatures across western Europe climbed past 40°C, triggering a cascade of operational decisions that business leaders had rarely faced before. France placed 49 of its 96 mainland departments on red alert, closed 845 schools, and suspended alcohol sales in public spaces — a policy intervention that disrupted hospitality revenues almost overnight. French forecasters warned that the event could prove as severe as the August 2003 heatwave, which claimed nearly 15,000 lives and cost the French economy an estimated €4 billion in lost productivity.
Vocabulary
- contingency plan
- continuity planning
- remote-working protocols
- risk assessment
Grammar
- Reporting verb: said
- Deoras said that climate change had altered the baseline. — neutral; backshifts tense
- Reporting verb: warned
- Bentley warned that records would be exceeded by 2°C. — signals risk or danger
Discussion questions
- Has extreme weather ever affected your work or daily routine?
- Should companies be legally required to close during dangerous heat?
- Who bears the cost when a natural event shuts down a business?
Europe Burns: Business in the Heat
Grammar: Reporting verbs and structures in professional communication
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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