The Reading / Listening - Level 1

A Chinese tech company is now the world's third-largest smartphone maker and the world's most valuable start-up. The company is called Xiaomi Inc. It just raised $1.1 billion and is worth $45 billion. That is more than LG, Motorola and Sony put together. Xiaomi is the world's fastest-growing smartphone maker. Its sales went up by 211 per cent last year. Its market share also went up from 2 per cent to 5 per cent. This success will continue.

Xiaomi's business model is to sell phones for what they cost to make. It makes profit from apps and software. Xiaomi has many fans. The company has competitions for fans to win prizes. This makes it very popular. Xiaomi wants to continue to create new, high-quality, high-performance devices, with great user experience. Not everyone likes Xiaomi. Apple's top designer said Xiaomi stole the design of the iPhone and many ideas from Apple.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/29/technology/mobile/xiaomi-smartphone/index.html?sr=fb122914xiaomi1230pVODtopLInk
  • http://www.cnet.com/news/chinese-smartphone-start-up-xiaomi-raises-1-1b-for-45b-value/
  • http://www.wsj.com/articles/xiaomi-becomes-worlds-most-valuable-tech-startup-1419843430


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

A Chinese tech

a.

went up by 211%

2.

the world's most valuable

b.

$45 billion

3.

worth

c.

continue

4.

more than LG, Motorola and Sony

d.

share

5.

Its sales

e.

company

6.

market

f.

start-up

7.

went up

g.

put together

8.

This success will

h.

from 2 per cent



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

business

a.

devices

2.

sell phones for

b.

many fans

3.

It makes profit

c.

model

4.

Xiaomi has

d.

experience

5.

This makes it very

e.

what they cost

6.

high-performance

f.

designer

7.

great user

g.

from apps

8.

Apple's top

h.

popular

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

A Chinese tech company (1) ___________________ third-largest smartphone maker and the world's most (2) ___________________. The company is called Xiaomi Inc. It just raised $1.1 (3) ___________________ $45 billion. That is more than LG, Motorola and Sony (4) ___________________. Xiaomi is the world's fastest-growing smartphone maker. Its sales went up by 211 per cent last year. Its (5) ___________________ also went up from 2 per cent to 5 per cent. This (6) ___________________.

Xiaomi's (7) ___________________ to sell phones for what they cost to make. It (8) ___________________ apps and software. Xiaomi has many fans. The company (9) ___________________ fans to win prizes. This makes it very popular. Xiaomi wants to (10) ___________________ new, high-quality, high-performance devices, with (11) ___________________. Not everyone likes Xiaomi. Apple's top designer said Xiaomi stole the design of the iPhone (12) ___________________ Apple.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

AChinesetechcompanyisnowtheworld'sthird-largestsmartphonem
akerandtheworld'smostvaluablestart-up.ThecompanyiscalledXi
aomiInc.Itjustraised$1.1billionandisworth$45billion.Thatismoretha
nLG,MotorolaandSonyputtogether.Xiaomiistheworld'sfastest-gro
wingsmartphonemaker.Itssaleswentupby211percentlastyear.Itsm
arketsharealsowentupfrom2percentto5percent.Thissuccesswillcont
inue.Xiaomi'sbusinessmodelistosellphonesforwhattheycosttomake.
Itmakesprofitfromappsandsoftware.Xiaomihasmanyfans.Thecomp
anyhascompetitionsforfanstowinprizes.Thismakesitverypopular.Xi
aomiwantstocontinuetocreatenew,high-quality,high-performan
cedevices,withgreatuserexperience.NoteveryonelikesXiaomi.Apple
'stopdesignersaidXiaomistolethedesignoftheiPhoneandmanyideasfr
omApple.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about smartphones for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You