The Reading / Listening - Customer Reviews - Level 1

Apple has removed customer reviews from its online stores. Reviews are useful for customers to leave feedback about Apple's products. The reviews began disappearing last week. Apple has removed the "Ratings and Reviews" section from stores in the US, UK and Australia. People will have to visit other websites for reviews on Apple products. Apple has not commented on why the reviews section has gone. Nobody knows why it has done this.

The website pcmag.com said the removal could be a mistake. It said: "Apple has decided its online store is better without customer feedback." It also said the system could be under repair. PC Mag said Apple used to allow any reviews in the past, including "extremely negative reviews". It added: "We're...heading into the busiest shopping period of the year, and Apple online store customers have lost an important source of information."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Customer Reviews - Level 0 Customer Reviews - Level 2   or  Customer Reviews - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.pcmag.com/news/372114/apple-removes-all-customer-reviews-from-its-online-stores
  • https://gizmodo.com/apples-online-store-quietly-kills-user-reviews-and-rati-1839987454
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7712635/Apple-removes-ability-review-products-online-store-leaving-customers-dark.html


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Reviews are useful
  2. leave
  3. reviews began disappearing
  4. People will have to visit
  5. reviews on
  6. Apple has not
  7. the reviews section
  8. Nobody knows why
  1. it has done this
  2. commented
  3. other websites
  4. has gone
  5. for customers
  6. last week
  7. Apple products
  8. feedback

Paragraph 2

  1. The website
  2. the removal could
  3. Apple has
  4. better without customer
  5. the system could be
  6. extremely
  7. the busiest shopping period
  8. an important source
  1. negative reviews
  2. feedback
  3. of the year
  4. of information
  5. decided
  6. pcmag.com
  7. under repair
  8. be a mistake

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Apple (1) ___________________ reviews from its online stores. Reviews (2) ___________________ customers to leave feedback about Apple's products. (3) ___________________ disappearing last week. Apple has removed the "Ratings and Reviews" section (4) ___________________ the US, UK and Australia. People will have to visit other websites (5) ___________________ Apple products. Apple has not commented on why the reviews section has gone. Nobody (6) ___________________ has done this.

The website pcmag.com said the removal could (7) ___________________. It said: "Apple has decided its online store (8) ___________________ customer feedback." It also said the system could (9) ___________________. PC Mag said Apple used to allow any reviews (10) ___________________, including "extremely negative reviews". It added: "We're...heading into the busiest shopping (11) ___________________ year, and Apple online store customers (12) ___________________ important source of information."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Applehasremovedcustomerreviewsfromitsonlinestores.Reviewsare
usefulforcustomerstoleavefeedbackaboutApple'sproducts.Therevie
wsbegandisappearinglastweek.Applehasremovedthe"RatingsandR
eviews"sectionfromstoresintheUS,UKandAustralia.Peoplewillhavet
ovisitotherwebsitesforreviewsonAppleproducts.Applehasnotcomm
entedonwhythereviewssectionhasgone.Nobodyknowswhyithasdoneth
is.Thewebsitepcmag.comsaidtheremovalcouldbeamistake.Itsaid:"
Applehasdecideditsonlinestoreisbetterwithoutcustomerfeedback."I
talsosaidthesystemcouldbeunderrepair.PCMagsaidAppleusedtoallo
wanyreviewsinthepast,including"extremelynegativereviews".Itadd
ed:"We're...headingintothebusiestshoppingperiodoftheyear,andAp
pleonlinestorecustomershavelostanimportantsourceofinformation.
"

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic 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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