The Reading / Listening - Customer Reviews - Level 2

Apple has removed all customer reviews from some of its online stores. Reviews are a useful way for customers to leave feedback for people about Apple's products. The reviews section on the Apple Store began disappearing last week. Apple has removed the "Ratings and Reviews" section from stores worldwide, including in the US, UK and Australia. Anyone in those countries wanting to find reviews on Apple products will have to visit other websites. Apple has not yet commented on the removal of the ratings and reviews section, so nobody knows why it has done this.

The website pcmag.com said the removal could be a mistake. It also said the removal could be a new Apple policy. It said: "Apple has decided its online store is better without customer feedback....Alternatively, the customer feedback system is being overhauled." PC Mag said Apple used to allow all kinds of comments, including very negative reviews in the past. 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 when deciding what to buy."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Customer Reviews - Level 0 Customer Reviews - Level 1   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. a useful way for customers
  2. began disappearing
  3. the "Ratings and Reviews"
  4. including in
  5. visit other
  6. Apple has not
  7. the ratings and
  8. nobody knows why
  1. reviews section
  2. section
  3. it has done this
  4. last week
  5. yet commented
  6. the US
  7. websites
  8. to leave feedback

Paragraph 2

  1. the removal could
  2. a new Apple
  3. better without customer
  4. being
  5. allow all kinds
  6. very negative
  7. the busiest shopping
  8. an important source
  1. reviews
  2. of information
  3. overhauled
  4. period of the year
  5. policy
  6. feedback
  7. of comments
  8. be a mistake

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Apple (1) ___________________ customer reviews from some of its online stores. Reviews are (2) ___________________ for customers to (3) ___________________ people about Apple's products. The reviews section on the Apple Store began disappearing last week. Apple has removed the "Ratings and Reviews" (4) ___________________ worldwide, including in the US, UK and Australia. Anyone in those countries wanting to find reviews on Apple products will (5) ___________________ other websites. Apple has not yet commented on the removal of the ratings and reviews section, so nobody knows why it (6) ___________________.

The website pcmag.com said the removal could (7) ___________________. It also said the removal could be a new Apple policy. It said: "Apple (8) ___________________ online store is better without customer feedback....Alternatively, the customer feedback system (9) ___________________." PC Mag said Apple used to allow all (10) ___________________, including very negative reviews in the past. It added: "We're...heading (11) ___________________ shopping period of the year, and Apple online store customers have lost (12) ___________________ of information when deciding what to buy."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Applehasremovedallcustomerreviewsfromsomeofitsonlinestores.R
eviewsareausefulwayforcustomerstoleavefeedbackforpeopleabout
Apple'sproducts.ThereviewssectionontheAppleStorebegandisappea
ringlastweek.Applehasremovedthe"RatingsandReviews"sectionfro
mstoresworldwide,includingintheUS,UKandAustralia.Anyoneinthos
ecountrieswantingtofindreviewsonAppleproductswillhavetovisitoth
erwebsites.Applehasnotyetcommentedontheremovaloftheratingsa
ndreviewssection,sonobodyknowswhyithasdonethis.Thewebsitepc
mag.comsaidtheremovalcouldbeamistake.Italsosaidtheremovalco
uldbeanewApplepolicy.Itsaid:"Applehasdecideditsonlinestoreisbett
erwithoutcustomerfeedback....Alternatively,thecustomerfeedbacks
ystemisbeingoverhauled."PCMagsaidAppleusedtoallowallkindsofco
mments,includingverynegativereviewsinthepast.Itadded:"We're...
headingintothebusiestshoppingperiodoftheyear,andAppleonlinesto
recustomershavelostanimportantsourceofinformationwhendecidin
gwhattobuy."

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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