Date: April 19, 2005
Level: Easier (Try the harder lesson.)
Downloads: This Lesson (Word Doc) | Class Handout (Word Doc) | Class Handout (PDF)

Listening (1:45 - 207.2 KB - 16kbps)

THE ARTICLE

Microsoft has started one of the biggest, longest and most expensive advertising campaigns ever. However, surprisingly, it is not for a new product. The new fifteen-month, $200 million campaign is to advertise the present Windows operating system. Many computer experts think Microsoft is filling the gap until their next version of Windows is released sometime late next year. Microsoft says it wants to increase consumer interest in Windows. Microsoft has an almost 95 percent slice of the OS market.

The campaign is called “Start Something” and will encourage all computer users to start something new. Microsoft wants its Windows OS to help people follow their dreams and pursue their passions. The TV, magazine and Internet ads show a window over the hearts of various people. Inside the window we can see many different “passions”. Strangely, the new www.windows.com/Passion website includes just five passions – cooking, education, music, sports and travel. Microsoft wants us to believe its software can fire our passions.

WARM UPS

1. CHAT: Talk in pairs or groups about: advertisements / Windows (95, 98, 2000 or XP) / Apple products / computers / dreams / passions / cooking / education / music / sports / travel… For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

2. PASSION BRAINSTORM: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “passion”. Share your words with your partner / group and talk about them.

3. MY PASSIONS: In pairs / groups, talk about your own passions.

• What kinds of things arouse or excite your passions?
• How do you control your passion?
• Do you have any burning, deep, animal or wild passions?
• What kinds of things do you have a passion for or are passionate about?

Change partners / groups and inform your new partner(s) of what your previous partner told you about their passions. Ask the same questions to your new partner(s).

4. GOOGLE PASSIONS: We did a Google search for “I have a passion for” and found the following:

I have a passion for ~

• writing
• plants and flowers of all kinds
• sports
• politics
• wine
• people
• music
• life and learning
• the color purple
• food

Talk to your partner / groups about these passions. Do you share them?

5. MICROSOFT WINDOWS: Read and comment on the following thoughts about Microsoft Windows:

1. I love Bill Gates.
2. Why Microsoft doesn’t bring out new products more often?
3. Windows has changed my life. I can’t live without it.
4. My Windows OS keeps crashing and freezing. I’m fed up.
5. I like Microsoft’s new “start something” message. I’m going to start something new right away
6. I want to know what the difference is between Windows and Apple.
7. I don’t have a passion for Windows or computers.
8. I don’t need a computer operating system to follow my passions.

PRE-READING IDEAS

1. WORD SEARCH: Use your dictionary / computer to find word partners (collocates), other meanings, synonyms or more information on the words ‘advertising’ and ‘campaign’.

2. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the headline and guess whether these sentences are true or false:

1. Microsoft is starting something new.  T / F
2. The next Microsoft OS will be released later this year.  T / F
3. Microsoft has more than 95 per cent of the sales for operating systems.  T / F
4. Microsoft wants us to buy its products so we can start new hobbies.  T / F
5. TV, magazine and Internet ads show a window inside people’s brains.  T / F
6. The Windows “Passion” website has thousands of different passions.  T / F

3. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

(a)	started	current
(b)	most expensive	customer
(c)	present	help
(d)	consumer	launched
(e)	encourage	oddly
(f)	pursue	different
(g)	various	costliest
(h)	strangely	aim for

4. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

(a)	advertising	the gap
(b)	new	to start something new
(c)	Microsoft is filling	product
(d)	it wants to increase	people
(e)	encourage all computer users	our passions
(f)	help people follow	campaigns
(g)	various	their dreams
(h)	its software can fire	consumer interest

 

WHILE READING ACTIVITIES

1. SYNONYM FILL: There are six gaps in the article. There are six groups of synonyms below the article. Place the number of the synonym group in the correct gap (It is not important to guess a correct word - any of the synonyms from each group could be put into the relevant gap).

“Start Something” with old Microsoft

Microsoft has started one of the biggest, longest and most ______ advertising campaigns ever. However, surprisingly, it is not for a new product. The new fifteen-month, $200 million campaign is to advertise the present Windows operating system. Many computer experts think Microsoft is filling the gap until their next version of Windows is released sometime late next year. Microsoft says it wants to increase ______ interest in Windows. Microsoft has an almost 95 percent ______ of the OS market.

The campaign is called “Start Something” and will ______ all computer users to start something new. Microsoft wants its Windows OS to help people ______ their dreams and pursue their passions. The TV, magazine and Internet ads show a window over the hearts of various people. Inside the window we can see many different “passions”. Strangely, the new www.windows.com/Passion website includes just five passions – cooking, education, music, sports and travel. Microsoft wants us to believe its software can ______ our passions.

1 encourage help aid stimulate	2 fire light spark trigger	3 expensive costly high-priced pricey
4 consumer customer shopper purchaser	5 slice share percentage segment	6 follow chase go after pursue

 

2. TRUE/FALSE: Check your answers to the T/F exercise.

3. SYNONYMS: Check your answers to the synonyms exercise.

4. PHRASE MATCH: Check your answers to the phrase match exercise.

5. QUESTIONS: Make notes for questions you would like to ask the class about the article.

6. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

POST READING IDEAS

1. GAP FILL: Check your answers to this exercise.

2. QUESTIONS: Ask the discussion questions you thought of above to your partner / group / class. Pool the questions for everyone to share.

3. VOCABULARY: As a class, go over the vocabulary students circled above.

4. STUDENT-GENERATED SURVEY: In pairs/groups write down 3 questions based on the article. Each student surveys class members independently and reports back to their original partner/  group to compare their findings.

5. ‘ADVERTISING’ / ‘CAMPAIGN’: Make questions based on your findings from pre-reading activity #1. Ask your partner / group your questions.

6. DISCUSSION:

1. Did you like this article?
2. Did anything in this article surprise you?
3. Do you like computers and operating systems?
4. What do you think of Microsoft?
5. What do you think of Microsoft’s new “Start Something” message?
6. Is there a new hobby you want to start?
7. What do you use a computer for?
8. Do you have any problems with the operating system you use?
9. What’s the most useful function on your computer?
10. What’s the most useful function of your computer?
11. Would you think about from a PC to an Apple computer?
12. Are you following any dreams at the moment?
13. Do you have any new passions?
14. Are you bored? Do you need your passions lit?
15. Could you live without a computer?
16. What would life be like with no computers?
17. Do you need a computer to follow your dreams?
18. Did you like this discussion?
19. Teacher / Student additional questions.

7. ADVERTISING ROLE PLAY: You are (an) advertising executive(s). You have designed a new advertising campaign and slogan for Microsoft’s operating system. Microsoft wants people to use its products for their new hobbies. Microsoft will pay $10,000,000 to the team with the best slogan. Use the slogans listed below, or one of your own if you prefer. Team up with partners to discuss your roles and “strategy” before the role play begins.

Student(s) A
Your slogan is “Start Something”.

Student(s) B
Your slogan is “OS PASSION”.

Student(s) C
Your slogan is “Be an Operating System”.

Student(s) D
Your slogan is “Mega-Enjoy. Giga-Fun”.

Student(s) E
You are Bill(s) Gates, chairman of Microsoft.

 After the role plays, talk about what you said. Which team / slogan deserved to win the $10,000,000 from Microsoft? Now that you have some experience of this role play, repeat it. Change roles to see if the role play moves in a different direction.

8. “OS PASSION”: (1) In pairs / groups, design the new features for the new operating system “OS PASSION”. Think about what new functions and features the new product will have that no other operating system has. This is the OS for the 22^nd Century! (2) Present your product to the rest of the class. Be prepared to answer questions from those watching your presentation. The students watching the presentation should take notes on the features and appraise them. (3) Change partner(s) and discuss the merits of each product’s design. (4) Vote for the best team.

The following assessment sheet may be useful (please resize):

PROJECT “OS PASSION” ASSESSMENT SHEET
Team #	Feature	My opinion	My questions

9. OS SURVEY: In pairs/groups write down questions based on user-satisfaction with computer operating systems. Each student surveys class members independently and reports back to their original partner/ group to compare their findings.

10. PASSIONS SURVEY: In pairs/groups write down questions based on passion(s). Each student surveys class members independently and reports back to their original partner/ group to compare their findings.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find information on Microsoft. Share your findings with your class next lesson.

3. REVIEW: Imagine you are a writer for a computer magazine. Write a review of the operating system you use. Read your review in your next class and see how many people agree with you.

4. LETTER: Write a letter to Microsoft or Apple explaining what you really want to see included in the next releases of their operating systems. Read your letter in your next class and see how many people want the same things.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

1. Microsoft is starting something new.  T
2. The next Microsoft OS will be released later this year.  F
3. Microsoft has more than 95 per cent of the sales for operating systems.  F
4. Microsoft wants us to buy its products so we can start new hobbies.  T
5. TV, magazine and Internet ads show a window inside people’s brains.  F
6. The Windows “Passion” website has thousands of different passions.  F

SYNONYM MATCH:

(a)	started	launched
(b)	most expensive	costliest
(c)	present	current
(d)	consumer	customer
(e)	encourage	help
(f)	pursue	aim for
(g)	various	different
(h)	strangely	oddly

PHRASE MATCH:

(a)	advertising	campaigns
(b)	new	product
(c)	Microsoft is filling	the gap
(d)	it wants to increase	consumer interest
(e)	encourage all computer users	to start something new
(f)	help people follow	their dreams
(g)	various	people
(h)	its software can fire	our passions

SYNONYM FILL:

“Start Something” with old Microsoft

Microsoft has started one of the biggest, longest and most -----3----- advertising campaigns ever. However, surprisingly, it is not for a new product. The new fifteen-month, $200 million campaign is to advertise the present Windows operating system. Many computer experts think Microsoft is filling the gap until their next version of Windows is released sometime late next year. Microsoft says it wants to increase -----4----- interest in Windows. Microsoft has an almost 95 percent -----5----- of the OS market.

The campaign is called “Start Something” and will -----1----- all computer users to start something new. Microsoft wants its Windows OS to help people -----6----- their dreams and pursue their passions. The TV, magazine and Internet ads show a window over the hearts of various people. Inside the window we can see many different “passions”. Strangely, the new www.windows.com/Passion website includes just five passions – cooking, education, music, sports and travel. Microsoft wants us to believe its software can -----2----- our passions.