Rebecca
I'm not sure about a merge, but I know Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta - formerly Facebook - tried to buy Twitter twice! If Mark had succeeded, it would have been an "acquisition" or a "takeover," whereas Ellon is offering a "merge" here! Ex: I don't think the two companies should merge. Ex: Mark Zuckerberg acquired Instagram.
02/07
1
What's "come up with" mean?
To "come up with" is an informal verb meaning to produce, devise, or propose something. In this video, "to come up with ... solutions to problems" means "to produce/think of solutions to problems." Ex: I can't come up with any good ideas recently. Ex: John came up with a good idea for his business proposal.
2
Can I say "there’s been a very noticeable change of people towards being a lot more eco-friendly." instead of "there's been a very noticeable change towards people being a lot more eco-friendly."?
No, you cannot say "there's been a very noticeable change of people towards being a lot more eco-friendly" because it would sound strange. This is because the word "towards" with this meaning is normally placed before the object of the sentence. Since "people" is placed before "towards" in the sentence you asked about, it would sound strange because "people" is an object. Here's some examples of towards: Ex: He is gentle towards her. Ex: I am not leaning towards that idea.
3
Is he really pronouncing "can"?
Indeed he is. He does say "can" in this sentence. However, he says this line so fast that it's difficult to hear "can." When he says it as fast as he does, it sounds like the words "can" and "get" are being combined. If you slow down the video speed, then it is easier to hear. This is fairly common in informal speaking and t.v. shows like "Friends." The actors speak so quickly that some words sound omitted. In most cases though, the words are not omitted.
4
Is "~ is a real thing" a common expression? What does it mean?
"(Something) is a real thing" is not a very common expression, but is an expression some native English speakers use. This expression means "this thing exists (in my opinion), even if some people are doubtful that it exists". Ex: Heartbreak is a real thing, it is okay to feel sad after a breakup. Ex: Aliens are a real thing, I saw one myself.
5
What’s does "be up to date" mean? Is it similar with "hand in"?
No, to "be up to date" in this context means that something is new, recent, or current. So in this case here it is referring to the transcripts being new and not old. In other contexts, "up to date" can also mean that something is "modern". Ex: The calendar you have is not up to date. It is from last year. Ex: Your vaccinations are up to date.
Complete the expression with a quiz!
