RoundTalk

Halloween candy prices jump again: skip the sweets this year?

English · A1 worksheet Based on the RoundTalk episode of

Free for classroom use. Students listen to the first 75 seconds and read the beginning of the debate, then work on the tasks. The answer key is on the last page. The panelists are fictional characters with AI voices.

Episode page
1 · Listen (first 75 seconds)

2 · Read

Host

Hello. Candy is more expensive now. Do families buy no candy? Or buy less candy? Marcus sells candy. Priya writes about money. Thomas works in stores. Let's talk.

Host

Marcus. Cocoa costs fall. Candy prices stay high. Why?

Marcus Webb

No, prices are not wrong. Manufacturers buy cocoa one year early. They pay the old high price. The shelf shows that old price.

Host

Priya. Families buy less. What do they buy instead?

Priya Desai

They buy Tootsie Rolls. Two cents a piece. Last week I buy a big bag for six. Families do not stop.

Host

Thomas. You see the stores. Cocoa falls. Do prices fall too?

Thomas Oldham

No. Prices do not fall on the shelf. But the old cocoa story is only half. Candy with no chocolate goes up too.

Marcus Webb

No, that is small. Candy with no chocolate is cheap. The big bag costs sixteen because of chocolate. Cocoa is the big story.

Priya Desai

No, no, wait. My small candy is cheap. Six cents a piece.

Thomas Oldham

Your six cents is cheap, yes. But I see my stores. Candy with no chocolate goes up too. The bag costs more. The truck costs more.

Host

Marcus, over to you.

Marcus Webb

No, that is not the big story. Look at the bag. A hundred pieces cost almost seventeen. Big chocolate bags cost twenty-four. That is cocoa.

Key vocabulary

  • candy — sweet food made with sugar
  • chocolate — brown sweet food made from cocoa
  • cocoa — powder used to make chocolate
  • spending — amount of money used to buy things
  • forecast — prediction about future amount or value
  • bag — container made of paper or plastic
  • cheap — low in price, not expensive
  • shelf — flat surface in store where goods are displayed

Comprehension questions

  1. Why does Marcus say candy prices stay high?
  2. What do families buy instead of expensive candy?
  3. Does Thomas think cocoa is the only reason prices go up?
  4. What does Priya say about small candy prices?
  5. How much does Marcus say a big chocolate bag costs?

True or false?

  1. Cocoa prices fall, so candy prices fall on the shelf. T / F
  2. Priya buys a big bag of Tootsie Rolls for six. T / F
  3. Thomas says candy with chocolate costs more but candy with no chocolate stays the same price. T / F
  4. Families do not stop buying candy even when prices are high. T / F

Fill the gaps

bagCandycheapchocolateCocoashelf
  1.   is more expensive now.
  2.   costs fall.
  3. The   shows that old price.
  4. Last week I buy a big   for six.
  5. Candy with no   goes up too.
  6. Candy with no chocolate is  .

Discuss in pairs

  1. Do you buy candy when prices are high? Why or why not?
  2. Is it important for candy to be cheap? Why?
  3. What do you think: is cocoa or trucks the big reason for high candy prices?

The whole debate, free every day Students can hear the full 6-minute episode with a synced transcript in the RoundTalk app.

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Answer key

Comprehension
  1. Manufacturers buy cocoa one year early and pay the old high price.
  2. They buy Tootsie Rolls.
  3. No. He says candy with no chocolate goes up too because the truck costs more.
  4. Small candy is cheap at six cents a piece.
  5. A big chocolate bag costs twenty-four.
True or false
  1. False
  2. True
  3. False
  4. True
Gaps
  1. Candy
  2. Cocoa
  3. shelf
  4. bag
  5. chocolate
  6. cheap

roundtalk · https://www.getroundtalk.com/listen/english/a1/halloween-candy-prices-jump-again-skip-the-sweets-this-year/worksheet/