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Facebook Hoodie Angers Bankers (10th May, 2012)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg angered Wall Street bankers this week by turning up to a meeting wearing a hoodie – a casual, zip-up jacket with an attached hood. Mr Zuckerberg was in talks with investors ahead of next week's launching of Facebook on the stock market. Markets analyst Michael Pachter felt it was the incorrect attire to wear to a high-level business meeting and showed how the Facebook CEO didn't really care about his company's future. Mr Pachter said: "I think that's a mark of immaturity. I think that he has to realize he's bringing investors in right now, and I think he's got to show them the respect that they deserve because he's asking them for their money."

Facebook's IPO (Initial Public Offering) is expected to raise over $10 billion, which would make it the largest amount of cash ever raised. Many analysts disagreed with Mr Pachter's comments, saying Zuckerberg's hoodie is simply the personal fashion choice of a successful entrepreneur. Many likened the hoodie to the black sweaters and jeans that Steve Jobs always wore. Zuckerberg wrote on his own Facebook that he wore a tie to work almost every day in 2009. He said: "After the start of the recession in 2008, I wanted to signal to everyone at Facebook that this was a serious year for us....My tie was the symbol of how serious and important a year this was, and I wore it every day to show this."

WARM-UPS

1. HOODIES: Walk around the class and talk to other students about hoodies. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

 

Facebook / hoodie / investors / high-level business meeting / immaturity / respect / raise $10 billion / analysts / fashion choice / recession / signal / a serious year

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. BUSINESS MEETING: Dos and don'ts. What's the correct etiquette? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners and share what you wrote. Change and share again.

 

Dos

Why?

Don'ts

Why?

Attire

 

 

 

 

Cellphone

 

 

 

 

Turn taking

 

 

 

 

Arrival time

 

 

 

 

Disagreeing

 

 

 

 

Anger

 

 

 

 

4. SUITS: Students A strongly believe suits are old-fashioned and are no longer needed; Students B strongly believe suits are very important.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. FORMAL CLOTHES: Where is it most important to wear them? Rank these and share your rankings with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners and share your rankings again.

  • At school
  • To a business meeting
  • Your graduation
  • A job interview
  • A wedding
  • A first date
  • Meeting future in-laws for the first time
  • At work

6. BANKER: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word 'banker'. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.


 
 

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if  a-h  below are true (T) or false (F).

a.

Bankers are angry at being told they must wear a Facebook jacket.

T / F

b.

The Facebook CEO wore a hoodie to an important business meeting.

T / F

c.

The article said the CEO wore a hoodie to show his dislike of bankers.

T / F

d.

An analyst said Facebook's CEO should wear clothes that show respect.

T / F

e.

Facebook's share offering is expected to be the biggest ever.

T / F

f.

Some analysts said the CEO's hoodie was just a fashion statement.

T / F

g.

Mark Zuckerberg said he has never worn a tie to work.

T / F

h.

Zuckerberg told his employees a tie was not an important symbol.

T / F

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

1.

angered

a.

merit

2.

attached

b.

understand

3.

attire

c.

just

4.

realize

d.

fastened

5.

deserve

e.

high flyer

6.

raise

f.

show

7.

simply

g.

enraged

8.

entrepreneur

h.

get

9.

signal

i.

sign

10.

symbol

j.

dress

3. PHRASE MATCH:  (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.

turning

a.

that they deserve

2.

zip-up jacket with

b.

entrepreneur

3.

it was the incorrect attire

c.

an attached hood

4.

a mark of

d.

cash ever raised

5.

show them the respect

e.

immaturity

6.

expected to raise

f.

to wear

7.

the largest amount of

g.

recession in 2008

8.

a successful

h.

up to a meeting

9.

Many likened the hoodie

i.

over $10 billion

10.

the start of the

j.

to the black sweaters


 


 
 

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (1) ____________ Wall Street bankers this week by turning up to a meeting wearing a hoodie – a (2) ____________, zip-up jacket with an attached hood. Mr Zuckerberg was in (3) ____________ with investors ahead of next week's launching of Facebook on the stock market. Markets       (4) ____________ Michael Pachter felt it was the incorrect        (5) ____________ to wear to a high-level business meeting and showed how the Facebook CEO didn't really care about his company's future. Mr Pachter said: "I think that's a                   (6) ____________ of immaturity. I think that he has to realize he's (7) ____________ investors in right now, and I think he's got to show them the respect that they (8) ____________ because he's asking them for their money."

 

 

 

attire
talks
angered
deserve
casual
bringing
analyst
mark

Facebook's IPO (Initial Public Offering) is (9) ____________ to raise over $10 billion, which would make it the largest             (10) ____________ of cash ever raised. Many analysts disagreed with Mr Pachter's comments, saying Zuckerberg's hoodie is      (11) ____________ the personal fashion choice of a successful entrepreneur. Many (12) ____________ the hoodie to the black sweaters and jeans that Steve Jobs always wore. Zuckerberg wrote on his (13) ____________ Facebook that he wore a tie to work almost every day in 2009. He said: "After the start of the (14) ____________ in 2008, I wanted to (15) ____________ to everyone at Facebook that this was a serious year for us....My tie was the (16) ____________ of how serious and important a year this was, and I wore it every day to show this."

 

 

amount
signal
likened
recession
expected
symbol
simply
own

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg angered Wall Street bankers this week _____________________ a meeting wearing a hoodie – a casual, zip-up jacket _____________________. Mr Zuckerberg was in talks with _____________________ week's launching of Facebook on the stock market. Markets analyst Michael Pachter felt it was _____________________ wear to a high-level business meeting and showed how the Facebook CEO didn't really care about his company's future. Mr Pachter said: "I think that's a _____________________. I think that he has to realize he's bringing investors in right now, and I think he's got to _____________________ that they deserve because he's asking them for their money."

Facebook's IPO (Initial Public Offering) _____________________ over $10 billion, which would make it the largest amount of cash ever raised. Many _____________________ Mr Pachter's comments, saying Zuckerberg's hoodie is simply the personal fashion choice of a _____________________. Many _____________________ to the black sweaters and jeans that Steve Jobs always wore. Zuckerberg wrote on his own Facebook that he wore a tie to work almost every day in 2009. He said: "After the _____________________ in 2008, I wanted to signal to everyone at Facebook that this was a serious year for us....My tie was the _____________________ and important a year this was, and I wore it every day to show this."


 
 

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'high' and 'level'.

high

level

 

 

 

  • Share your findings with your partners.
  • Make questions using the words you found.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

  • Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

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

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

  • turning
  • ahead
  • high
  • care
  • mark
  • deserve
  • over
  • comments
  • choice
  • likened
  • signal
  • symbol

HOODIES SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about hoodies in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

  • Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
  • Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.


 
 

HOODIES / CORRECT ATTIRE DISCUSSION

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)

What did you think when you read the headline?

b)

What springs to mind when you hear the word 'hoodie'?

c)

What kind of fashion is a hoodie?

d)

Is it OK for Mark Zuckerberg to wear a hoodie to a business meeting?

e)

Do you think bankers should relax a little and accept that not everyone wears a tie?

f)

What do you think of Michael Pachter's words?

g)

Are bankers in a position to tell people how to behave or dress after their part in the world global recession?

h)

Do you think investors mind that Zuckerberg dressed so casually?

i)

Would you ever dress so casually for a business meeting?

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

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)

Did you like reading this article?

b)

Do you agree with the analysts who say Zuckerberg's wearing of a hoodie is no big deal?

c)

Would it be stranger if Zuckerberg wore a three-piece suit?

d)

Have you ever worn something inappropriate?

e)

Would people have objected as much if Steve Jobs wore his black sweater to a business meeting?

f)

Do you think people like Mark Zuckerberg represent a new face of business?

g)

Is a tie really a symbol of being serious?

h)

What would you really like to wear to a high-level meeting?

i)

What questions would you like to ask Mark Zuckerberg about his hoodie?

LANGUAGE – MULTIPLE CHOICE

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (1) ____ Wall Street bankers this week by turning up to a meeting wearing a hoodie – a casual, zip-up jacket with an (2) ____ hood. Mr Zuckerberg was in talks with investors ahead (3) ____ next week's launching of Facebook on the stock market. Markets analyst Michael Pachter felt it was the incorrect (4) ____ to wear to a high-level business meeting and showed how the Facebook CEO didn't really care about his company's future. Mr Pachter said: "I think that's a (5) ____ of immaturity. I think that he has to realize he's bringing investors in right now, and I think he's got to show them the respect that they    (6) ____ because he's asking them for their money."

Facebook's IPO (Initial Public Offering) is (7) ____ to raise over $10 billion, which would make it the largest amount of cash ever raised. Many analysts disagreed with Mr Pachter's comments, saying Zuckerberg's hoodie is (8) ____ the personal fashion choice of a successful entrepreneur. Many (9) ____ the hoodie to the black sweaters and jeans that Steve Jobs always wore. Zuckerberg wrote on his own Facebook that he wore a tie to work almost every day in 2009. He said: "After the start of the (10) ____ in 2008, I wanted to (11) ____ to everyone at Facebook that this was a serious year for us....My tie was the (12) ____ of how serious and important a year this was, and I wore it every day to show this."

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.

(a)

angry

(b)

anger

(c)

angered

(d)

angrily

2.

(a)

attaché

(b)

attached

(c)

attacked

(d)

detached

3.

(a)

of

(b)

before

(c)

by

(d)

then

4.

(a)

plot

(b)

plumbing

(c)

refuse

(d)

attire

5.

(a)

dark

(b)

lark

(c)

mark

(d)

hark

6.

(a)

destitute

(b)

desperate

(c)

deserve

(d)

destiny

7.

(a)

expects

(b)

expected

(c)

expectation

(d)

expectant

8.

(a)

simply

(b)

basic

(c)

common

(d)

easily

9.

(a)

likening

(b)

likened

(c)

likens

(d)

likelihood

10.

(a)

millennium

(b)

recession

(c)

workload

(d)

industry

11.

(a)

indication

(b)

show off

(c)

flash

(d)

signal

12.

(a)

emblem

(b)

icon

(c)

logo

(d)

symbol


 
 

WRITING

Write about hoodies for 10 minutes. Correct your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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 out more about the Facebook IPO. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. HOODIES: Make a poster about hoodies. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. CORRECT ATTIRE: Write a magazine article about Mark Zuckerberg's wearing of a hoodie to a Wall Street meeting. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against it.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Mark Zuckerberg. Ask him three questions about wearing hoodies at meetings. Give him three of your opinions on it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.


 


 
 

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a.

F

b.

T

c.

F

d.

T

e.

T

f.

T

g.

F

h.

F

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.

angered

a.

enraged

2.

attached

b.

fastened

3.

attire

c.

dress

4.

realize

d.

understand

5.

deserve

e.

merit

6.

raise

f.

get

7.

simply

g.

just

8.

entrepreneur

h.

high flyer

9.

signal

i.

show

10.

symbol

j.

sign

PHRASE MATCH:

1.

turning

a.

up to a meeting

2.

zip-up jacket with

b.

an attached hood

3.

it was the incorrect attire

c.

to wear

4.

a mark of

d.

immaturity

5.

show them the respect

e.

that they deserve

6.

expected to raise

f.

over $10 billion

7.

the largest amount of

g.

cash ever raised

8.

a successful

h.

entrepreneur

9.

Many likened the hoodie

i.

to the black sweaters

10.

the start of the

j.

recession in 2008

GAP FILL:

Facebook hoodie angers bankers

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (1) angered Wall Street bankers this week by turning up to a meeting wearing a hoodie – a (2) casual, zip-up jacket with an attached hood. Mr Zuckerberg was in (3) talks with investors ahead of next week's launching of Facebook on the stock market. Markets (4) analyst Michael Pachter felt it was the incorrect (5) attire to wear to a high-level business meeting and showed how the Facebook CEO didn't really care about his company's future. Mr Pachter said: "I think that's a (6) mark of immaturity. I think that he has to realize he's (7) bringing investors in right now, and I think he's got to show them the respect that they (8) deserve because he's asking them for their money."

Facebook's IPO (Initial Public Offering) is (9) expected to raise over $10 billion, which would make it the largest (10) amount of cash ever raised. Many analysts disagreed with Mr Pachter's comments, saying Zuckerberg's hoodie is (11) simply the personal fashion choice of a successful entrepreneur. Many (12) likened the hoodie to the black sweaters and jeans that Steve Jobs always wore. Zuckerberg wrote on his (13) own Facebook that he wore a tie to work almost every day in 2009. He said: "After the start of the (14) recession in 2008, I wanted to (15) signal to everyone at Facebook that this was a serious year for us....My tie was the (16) symbol of how serious and important a year this was, and I wore it every day to show this."

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - c

2 - b

3 - a

4 - d

5 - c

6 - c

7 - b

8 - a

9 - b

10 - a

11 - d

12 - d

 

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