The Reading / Listening - Level 2

A four-year-old tech company from China has become the world's third-largest smartphone maker and the world's most valuable tech start-up. The company is called Xiaomi Inc. The Beijing-based company just raised $1.1 billion. It is worth $45 billion, more than tech giants LG, Motorola and Sony put together. Xiaomi is also the world's fastest-growing smartphone maker. Its sales went up by 211 per cent in 2014. Its market share also rose from 2 per cent to 5 per cent over the past year. It looks like this success will continue in the future.

Xiaomi has a unique business model. It sells its phones for what they cost to make. Its profit comes from apps and software. Many Xiaomi users in China are very loyal fans. The company uses competitions to give fans the chance to win prizes. This makes it very popular. Bin Lin, Xiaomi co-founder, said he wants to continue to be innovative and make "high-quality, high-performance devices with great user experience". However, not everyone likes Xiaomi. Apple's top designer Jonathan Ive said Xiaomi stole the design of its iPhone and many ideas from Apple.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 1   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 four-

a.

rose

2.

the world's most

b.

put together

3.

It is worth

c.

will continue

4.

more than tech giants LG and Sony

d.

year-old tech company

5.

Its sales went

e.

valuable tech start-up

6.

Its market share also

f.

past year

7.

over the

g.

up by 211 per cent

8.

It looks like this success

h.

$45 billion


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ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Xiaomi has a unique business

a.

innovative

2.

It sells its phones for what they cost

b.

fans

3.

Its profit comes

c.

to win prizes

4.

very loyal

d.

to make

5.

give fans the chance

e.

devices

6.

continue to be

f.

model

7.

high-performance

g.

designer

8.

Apple's top

h.

from apps

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

(1) ___________________ company from China has become the world's third-largest smartphone (2) ___________________ most valuable tech start-up. The company is called Xiaomi Inc. The Beijing-based (3) ___________________ $1.1 billion. It is worth $45 billion, more (4) ___________________ LG, Motorola and Sony put together. Xiaomi is also the world's fastest-growing smartphone maker. Its sales went up by 211 per cent in 2014. Its market share (5) ___________________ per cent to 5 per cent over the past year. It looks like this success will (6) ___________________.

Xiaomi has a (7) ___________________. It sells its phones for what they cost to make. Its (8) ___________________ apps and software. Many Xiaomi users in China (9) ___________________. The company uses competitions to give fans the chance to win prizes. This (10) ___________________. Bin Lin, Xiaomi co-founder, said he wants to continue (11) ___________________ and make "high-quality, high-performance devices with great user experience". However, (12) ___________________ Xiaomi. Apple's top designer Jonathan Ive said Xiaomi stole the design of its iPhone and many ideas from Apple.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Afour-year-oldtechcompanyfromChinahasbecometheworld'sthird-
largestsmartphonemakerandtheworld'smostvaluabletechstart-up
.ThecompanyiscalledXiaomiInc.TheBeijing-basedcompanyjus
traised$1.1billion.Itisworth$45billion,morethantechgiantsLG,Motor
olaandSonyputtogether.Xiaomiisalsotheworld'sfastest-growi
ngsmartphonemaker.Itssaleswentupby211percentin2014.Itsmark
etsharealsorosefrom2percentto5percentoverthepastyear.Itlookslik
ethissuccesswillcontinueinthefuture.Xiaomihasauniquebusinessmo
del.Itsellsitsphonesforwhattheycosttomake.Itsprofitcomesfromapp
sandsoftware.ManyXiaomiusersinChinaareveryloyalfans.Thecompa
nyusescompetitionstogivefansthechancetowinprizes.Thismakesitv
erypopular.BinLin,Xiaomico-founder,saidhewantstocontinuetobein
novativeandmake"high-quality,high-performancedeviceswithgrea
tuserexperience".However,noteveryonelikesXiaomi.Apple'stopdesi
gnerJonathanIvesaidXiaomistolethedesignofitsiPhoneandmanyidea
sfromApple.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

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c)

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d)

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e)

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f)

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g)

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h)

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

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c)

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d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

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g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

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

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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