The Reading / Listening - Smartphone Glass - Level 3

How many times has your heart sunk after dropping your smartphone and worrying if you smashed the glass? There may be an answer to reduce that feeling. The glass used to make the screens on many of the world's smartphones just got tougher. Corning, the company that makes the glass, has just made a stronger version. It is called Gorilla Glass and has been used in smartphones for many years. Corning has greatly improved the glass to make it more difficult to scratch, crack or smash. The new product is called Gorilla Glass Victus. It can survive drops of up to two metres without any signs of damage. It is also two times more scratch-resistant than other glass.

Corning spokesperson John Bayne told reporters about the new product. He said: "Dropped phones can result in broken phones, but as we developed better glass, phones survived more drops. However, they also showed more visible scratches, which can impact the usability of a device." He said it was important to develop a new glass that could survive drops from greater heights and be more difficult to scratch. He added: "Instead of...asking our technologists to focus on a single goal (making the glass better for either drop or scratch), we asked them to focus on improving both drop and scratch, and they delivered with Gorilla Glass Victus." The glass is set to debut on Samsung products "in the near future".

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Smartphone Glass - Level 0 Smartphone Glass - Level 1   or  Smartphone Glass - Level 2

Sources
  • https://www.pcmag.com/news/corning-launches-toughest-gorilla-glass-yet
  • https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/23/gorilla-glass-victus-can-survive-a-two-meter-drop-and-is-set-to-arrive-on-a-to-samsung-device-soon/
  • https://www.wired.com/story/gorilla-glass-victus/


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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. SMARTPHONE GLASS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about smartphone glass. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       many times / smartphone / worrying / feeling / company / version / scratch / drop /
       reporters / new product / scratches / device / technologists / goal / debut / the future
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. SMARTPHONES: Students A strongly believe we all need a smartphone; Students B strongly believe we don't.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. GLASS: How can companies make the glass better in these cases? Is glass the best thing to use? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Improvements

The Best Thing to Use

Why?

House windows

 

 

 

Car windows

 

 

 

Drinking glasses

 

 

 

Reading glasses

 

 

 

Jam jars

 

 

 

Test tubes

 

 

 

MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. GORILLA: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "gorilla". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. BEST SMARTPHONES: Rank these with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Apple
  • Motorola
  • LG
  • Samsung
  • Huawei
  • Nokia
  • Xiaomi
  • Oppo

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. smashed a. More able to withstand difficult conditions or rough or careless treatment.
      2. reduce b. A line on the surface of something along which it has split without breaking into different parts.
      3. tougher c. Totally broke into pieces.
      4. version d. Make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.
      5. improved e. A particular form of something differing in certain respects from an earlier form.
      6. crack f. Made or got better.
      7. resistant g. The ability not to be affected by something, especially something bad or negative.

    Paragraph 2

      8. result in h. Pay attention to.
      9. developed i. Have an end, conclusion or outcome.
      10. visible j. A thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment.
      11. device k. Provided something promised or expected.
      12. focus on l. Made or created.
      13. delivered m. The first public appearance of a new product.
      14. debut n. Able to be seen.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The article said a new glass will stop your heart from sinking.     T / F
  2. The glass used in many smartphones is called Guerilla Glass.     T / F
  3. The new smartphone glass will be less easy to scratch and crack.     T / F
  4. The new glass can stay intact after being dropped from two metres.     T / F
  5. A company spokesman said dropping a phone rarely breaks it.     T / F
  6. The spokesman said visible scratches affect a device's usability.     T / F
  7. The company worked on both scratch-resistance and drop-resistance.     T / F
  8. The new glass will debut on the new iPhone in the near future.     T / F

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

  1. reduce
  2. tougher
  3. version
  4. improved
  5. signs
  6. result in
  7. visible
  8. focus on
  9. delivered
  10. debut
  1. lead to
  2. model
  3. carried out
  4. noticeable
  5. stronger
  6. evidence
  7. come out
  8. lower
  9. pay attention to
  10. upgraded

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

  1. worrying if you smashed
  2. made a stronger
  3. It can survive drops of
  4. without any signs
  5. two times more scratch-
  6. Dropped phones can result
  7. they also showed more visible
  8. survive drops from greater
  9. focus on a single
  10. set to debut on Samsung products in the
  1. heights
  2. of damage
  3. in broken phones
  4. goal
  5. up to two metres
  6. scratches
  7. the glass
  8. version
  9. near future
  10. resistant than other glass

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
resistant
feeling
version
drops
tougher
crack
sunk
greatly

How many times has your heart  (1) _____________________ after dropping your smartphone and worrying if you smashed the glass? There may be an answer to reduce that  (2) _____________________. The glass used to make the screens on many of the world's smartphones just got  (3) _____________________. Corning, the company that makes the glass, has just made a stronger               (4) _____________________. It is called Gorilla Glass and has been used in smartphones for many years. Corning has                         (5) _____________________ improved the glass to make it more difficult to scratch, (6) _____________________ or smash. The new product is called Gorilla Glass Victus. It can survive                       (7) _____________________ of up to two metres without any signs of damage. It is also two times more scratch- (8) _____________________ than other glass.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
greater
product
debut
survived
single
near
usability
focus

Corning spokesperson John Bayne told reporters about the new (9) _____________________. He said: "Dropped phones can result in broken phones, but as we developed better glass, phones (10) _____________________ more drops. However, they also showed more visible scratches, which can impact the (11) _____________________ of a device." He said it was important to develop a new glass that could survive drops from (12) _____________________ heights and be more difficult to scratch. He added: "Instead of...asking our technologists to focus on a (13) _____________________ goal (making the glass better for either drop or scratch), we asked them to (14) _____________________ on improving both drop and scratch, and they delivered with Gorilla Glass Victus." The glass is set to (15) _____________________ on Samsung products "in the (16) _____________________ future".

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) your heart sunk after dropping your smartphone and worrying if you ______
     a.  smash the glass
     b.  smashed a glass
     c.  smashed the glass
     d.  smashed the grass
2)  The glass used to make the screens on many of the world's smartphones ______
     a.  just got toughest
     b.  just got tough eh
     c.  just got tough a
     d.  just got tougher
3)  the company that makes the glass has just made ______
     a.  a stronger vision
     b.  a stronger version
     c.  a stronger verse on
     d.  a stronger verge on
4)  greatly improved the glass to make it more difficult to ______...
     a.  scratch, crick or
     b.  scratch, crook or
     c.  scratch, crack or
     d.  scratch, creak or
5)  It can survive drops of up to two metres without any ______
     a.  signs of damaged
     b.  signs of damaging
     c.  signs of damages
     d.  signs of damage

6)  Corning spokesperson John Bayne told reporters about ______
     a.  the new product
     b.  a new produce
     c.  the news product
     d.  a new product
7)  but as we developed better glass, phones ______
     a.  survived more drops
     b.  survived more drips
     c.  survived more drapes
     d.  survived more dropped
8)  they also showed more visible scratches, which can impact the usability ______
     a.  offer device
     b.  off a device
     c.  of a device
     d.  off add a vice
9)  Instead of asking our technologists to focus on ______
     a.  a singles goals
     b.  a single goal
     c.  a singles goal
     d.  a single goalie
10)  The glass is set to debut on Samsung products in ______
     a.  the neared future
     b.  the near future
     c.  the near futures
     d.  the nearly future

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

How many times has your heart sunk (1) ____________________ smartphone and worrying if you smashed the glass? There may be an answer to (2) ____________________. The glass used to make the screens on many of the world's smartphones just got tougher. Corning, the company that makes the glass, has just made (3) ____________________. It is called Gorilla Glass and has been used in smartphones for many years. Corning (4) ____________________ the glass to make it more difficult to scratch, crack or smash. The new product is called Gorilla Glass Victus. It (5) ____________________ of up to two metres without any signs of damage. It is also two times (6) ____________________ than other glass.

Corning spokesperson John Bayne told reporters about the new product. He said: "Dropped phones (7) ____________________ broken phones, but as we developed better glass, phones survived more drops. However, they also showed (8) ____________________, which can impact the usability of a device." He said it was important to develop a new glass that could survive drops (9) ____________________ and be more difficult to scratch. He added: "Instead of...asking our technologists to focus on (10) ____________________ (making the glass better for either drop or scratch), we asked them to focus on improving both (11) ____________________, and they delivered with Gorilla Glass Victus." The glass is (12) ____________________ on Samsung products "in the near future".

Comprehension questions

  1. What did the article ask that you might have worried about?
  2. What is the name of the company that makes the glass?
  3. What is the name of the glass?
  4. For how long has the glass been used in smartphones?
  5. How much more scratch-resistant is it than other glass?
  6. What did a spokesman say dropped phones result in?
  7. What did a spokesman say could impact the usability of a device?
  8. What did the spokesman say it was more difficult to do to the glass?
  9. Who did the company ask to make the glass tougher?
  10. When will the glass make its debut?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What did the article ask that you might have worried about?
a) your wifi signal
b) being hacked
c) smashing glass
d) losing your phone
2) What is the name of the company that makes the glass?
a) Corning
b) Cornel
c) Core
d) Kernel
3) What is the name of the glass?
a) Ape Glass
b) Gorilla Glass
c) Chimpanzee Glass
d) Orangutan Glass
4) For how long has the glass been used in smartphones?
a) many times
b) many generations
c) many moons
d) many years
5) How much more scratch-resistant is it than other glass?
a) five times
b) three times
c) two times
d) ten times

6) What did a spokesman say dropped phones result in?
a) lots of broken glass
b) broken phones
c) a mess
d) tears
7) What did a spokesman say could impact the usability of a device?
a) a lack of sleep
b) fingerprints
c) the wifi signal
d) visible scratches
8) What did the spokesman say it was more difficult to do to the glass?
a) change it
b) scratch it
c) change the colour
d) melt it
9) Who did the company ask to make the glass tougher?
a) Apple
b) technologists
c) scientists
d) users
10) When will the glass make its debut?
a) in the near future
b) at the launch of the new iPhone
c) 2022
d) when it's finished

Role play

Role  A – Apple
You think Apple is the best smartphone maker. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their companies. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): Huawei, Samsung or Nokia.

Role  B – Huawei
You think Huawei is the best smartphone maker. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their companies. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): Apple, Samsung or Nokia.

Role  C – Samsung
You think Samsung is the best smartphone maker. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their companies. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): Huawei, Apple or Nokia.

Role  D – Nokia
You think Nokia is the best smartphone maker. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their companies. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): Huawei, Samsung or Apple.

After reading / listening

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

'smart'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • and phone''.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • • 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:

    • sunk
    • used
    • version
    • greatly
    • survive
    • resistant
    • reporters
    • result
    • impact
    • important
    • single
    • future

    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 - Smartphone Glass

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'smartphone'?
    3. When was the last time your heart sank?
    4. How often do you drop your phone?
    5. How do you feel when you drop your smartphone?
    6. What do you think is the best smartphone?
    7. What do you think of the name "Gorilla Glass"?
    8. How would you feel if your smartphone glass totally smashed?
    9. How important is it to insure your smartphone?
    10. How important is your smartphone to you?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'glass'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. How interested are you in new smartphone technology?
    5. What is the best smartphone maker?
    6. Which device is better - a smartphone or smart watch?
    7. What problems have you had with your smartphone?
    8. What do you want smartphone companies to improve?
    9. What will smartphones be like in ten years from now?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the Gorilla Glass engineers?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

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

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

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

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    How many times has your heart (1) ____ after dropping your smartphone and worrying if you (2) ____ the glass? There may be an answer to reduce that feeling. The glass used to make the screens on many of the world's smartphones just (3) ____ tougher. Corning, the company that makes the glass, has just made a stronger version. It is called Gorilla Glass and has been used (4) ____ smartphones for many years. Corning has greatly improved the glass to make it more difficult to scratch, crack or smash. The new (5) ____ is called Gorilla Glass Victus. It can survive drops of up to two metres without any signs of damage. It is also two times more scratch-(6) ____ than other glass.

    Corning spokesperson John Bayne told reporters about the new product. He said: "Dropped phones can result in (7) ____ phones, but as we developed better glass, phones survived more drops. However, they also showed more (8) ____ scratches, which can impact the usability of a device." He said it was important to develop a new glass that could survive drops from greater (9) ____ and be more difficult to scratch. He added: "Instead of...asking our technologists to focus on a (10) ____ goal (making the glass better for either drop or scratch), we asked them to focus on improving both drop and scratch, and they delivered with Gorilla Glass Victus." The glass is (11) ____ to debut on Samsung products "in the (12) ____ future".

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     sank     (b)     sink     (c)     stink     (d)     sunk    
    2. (a)     sashed     (b)     slashed     (c)     stashed     (d)     smashed    
    3. (a)     did     (b)     got     (c)     had     (d)     was    
    4. (a)     at     (b)     to     (c)     in     (d)     by     
    5. (a)     provide     (b)     produce     (c)     product     (d)     provider    
    6. (a)     resistant     (b)     instant     (c)     consistent     (d)     exist    
    7. (a)     broke     (b)     broken     (c)     break     (d)     breaking    
    8. (a)     visible     (b)     invisible     (c)     invisibility     (d)     divisible    
    9. (a)     hates     (b)     heights     (c)     hits     (d)     halts    
    10. (a)     lonesome     (b)     loner     (c)     single     (d)     singles    
    11. (a)     let     (b)     met     (c)     set     (d)     bet    
    12. (a)     nears     (b)     nearly     (c)     neared     (d)     near

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. gyirnwro if you smashed the glass
    2. There may be an wnaser
    3. Corning has greatly iomrdvep the glass
    4. It can uersviv drops of up to two metres
    5. any signs of dmaeag
    6. more scratch-rssittane than other glass

    Paragraph 2

    1. Dropped phones can reluts in broken phones
    2. they also showed more seviibl scratches
    3. impact the usability of a evecid
    4. drops from greater sehthgi
    5. they dvlreedie with Gorilla Glass
    6. in the near fruute

    Put the text back together

    (...)  difficult to scratch. He added: "Instead of...asking our technologists to focus
    (...)  and scratch, and they delivered with Gorilla Glass Victus." The glass is set to debut on Samsung products "in the near future".
    (...)  Corning spokesperson John Bayne told reporters about the new product. He said: "Dropped phones can result
    (...)  tougher. Corning, the company that makes the glass, has just made a stronger
    (...)  version. It is called Gorilla Glass and has been used in smartphones for many years. Corning has greatly
    1  ) How many times has your heart sunk after dropping your smartphone and worrying if you smashed the glass? There may be an
    (...)  called Gorilla Glass Victus. It can survive drops of up to two metres without any signs
    (...)  showed more visible scratches, which can impact the usability of a device." He said it
    (...)  in broken phones, but as we developed better glass, phones survived more drops. However, they also
    (...)  on a single goal (making the glass better for either drop or scratch), we asked them to focus on improving both drop
    (...)  was important to develop a new glass that could survive drops from greater heights and be more
    (...)  of damage. It is also two times more scratch-resistant than other glass.
    (...)  answer to reduce that feeling. The glass used to make the screens on many of the world's smartphones just got
    (...)  improved the glass to make it more difficult to scratch, crack or smash. The new product is

    Put the words in the right order

    1. sunk   after   your   heart   has   Your   dropping   smartphone   .
    2. smartphones   .   screens   many   the   world's   The   on   of
    3. many   in   for   used   smartphones   been   years   .   It's
    4. more   that   difficult   to   glass   is   scratch   .   Improved
    5. up   drops   metres   .   of   two   It   survives   to
    6. phones   .   Dropped   phones   in   broken   can   result
    7. showed   However,   they   visible   more   also   scratches   .
    8. new   was   important   glass   .   to   a   develop   It
    9. technologists   single   a   on   to   focus   Asking   goal   .
    10. is   debut   to   It   products   .   set   Samsung   on

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    How many times has your heart sunk after drooping / dropping your smartphone and worrying if you smashed the glass? There may be an answer / solution to reduce that feeling. The glass used to make / do the screens on many of the world's smartphones just got / getting tougher. Corning, the company that makes the glass, has just made a stronger version / vision. It is called Gorilla Glass and has been used / useless in smartphones for many years. Corning has greatly improve / improved the glass to make it more difficult to scratch, crack / crash or smash. The new product is called Gorilla Glass Victus. It can survive drips / drops of up to two metres without any signs of damage. It is also two times more scratch-resistant than other / others glass.

    Corning spokesperson John Bayne told reporters about the new predict / product. He said: "Dropped phones can result on / in broken phones, but as we developing / developed better glass, phones survived more drops. However, they also showed more visibility / visible scratches, which can impact the usability of a devise / device." He said it was important to develop a new glass that could survive drops from greatly / greater heights and be more difficult to scratch. He added: "Instead of...asking our technologists to focus in / on a single goal (making the glass better for either drop or scratch), we asked them to focus on improving all / both drop and scratch, and they delivered / delivery with Gorilla Glass Victus." The glass is set to debut on Samsung products "in the near / nearly future".

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    H_w m_n y t_m_s h_s y__ r h__ r t s_n k _f t_r d r_p p_n g y__ r s m_r t p h_n_ _n d w_r r y_n g _f y__ s m_s h_d t h_ g l_s s ? T h_r_ m_y b_ _n _n s w_r t_ r_d_c_ t h_t f__ l_n g . T h_ g l_s s _s_d t_ m_k_ t h_ s c r__ n s _n m_n y _f t h_ w_r l d ' s s m_r t p h_n_s j_s t g_t t__ g h_r . C_r n_n g , t h_ c_m p_n y t h_t m_k_s t h_ g l_s s , h_s j_s t m_d_ _ s t r_n g_r v_r s__ n . I t _s c_l l_d G_r_l l_ G l_s s _n d h_s b__ n _s_d _n s m_r t p h_n_s f_r m_n y y__ r s . C_r n_n g h_s g r__ t l y _m p r_v_d t h_ g l_s s t_ m_k_ _t m_r_ d_f f_c_l t t_ s c r_t c h , c r_c k _r s m_s h . T h_ n_w p r_d_c t _s c_l l_d G_r_l l_ G l_s s V_c t_s . I t c_n s_r v_v_ d r_p s _f _p t_ t w_ m_t r_s w_t h__ t _n y s_g n s _f d_m_g_. I t _s _l s_ t w_ t_m_s m_r_ s c r_t c h - r_s_s t_n t t h_n _t h_r g l_s s .

    C_r n_n g s p_k_s p_r s_n J_h n B_y n_ t_l d r_p_r t_r s _b__ t t h_ n_w p r_d_c t . H_ s__ d : " D r_p p_d p h_n_s c_n r_s_l t _n b r_k_n p h_n_s , b_t _s w_ d_v_l_p_d b_t t_r g l_s s , p h_n_s s_r v_v_d m_r_ d r_p s . H_w_v_r , t h_y _l s_ s h_w_d m_r_ v_s_b l_ s c r_t c h_s , w h_c h c_n _m p_c t t h_ _s_b_l_t y _f _ d_v_c_. " H_ s__ d _t w_s _m p_r t_n t t_ d_v_l_p _ n_w g l_s s t h_t c__ l d s_r v_v_ d r_p s f r_m g r__ t_r h__ g h t s _n d b_ m_r_ d_f f_c_l t t_ s c r_t c h . H_ _d d_d : " I n s t__ d _f . . ._s k_n g __ r t_c h n_l_g_s t s t_ f_c_s _n _ s_n g l_ g__ l ( m_k_n g t h_ g l_s s b_t t_r f_r __ t h_r d r_p _r s c r_t c h ) , w_ _s k_d t h_m t_ f_c_s _n _m p r_v_n g b_t h d r_p _n d s c r_t c h , _n d t h_y d_l_v_r_d w_t h G_r_l l_ G l_s s V_c t_s . " T h_ g l_s s _s s_t t_ d_b_t _n S_m s_n g p r_d_c t s "_n t h_ n__ r f_t_r_" .

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    how many times has your heart sunk after dropping your smartphone and worrying if you smashed the glass there may be an answer to reduce that feeling the glass used to make the screens on many of the worlds smartphones just got tougher corning the company that makes the glass has just made a stronger version it is called gorilla glass and has been used in smartphones for many years corning has greatly improved the glass to make it more difficult to scratch crack or smash the new product is called gorilla glass victus it can survive drops of up to two metres without any signs of damage it is also two times more scratchresistant than other glass

    corning spokesperson john bayne told reporters about the new product he said dropped phones can result in broken phones but as we developed better glass phones survived more drops however they also showed more visible scratches which can impact the usability of a device he said it was important to develop a new glass that could survive drops from greater heights and be more difficult to scratch he added instead ofasking our technologists to focus on a single goal making the glass better for either drop or scratch we asked them to focus on improving both drop and scratch and they delivered with gorilla glass victus the glass is set to debut on samsung products in the near future

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Howmanytimeshasyourheartsunkafterdroppingyoursmartphonean
    dworryingifyousmashedtheglass?Theremaybeananswertoreduceth
    atfeeling.Theglassusedtomakethescreensonmanyoftheworld'ssmar
    tphonesjustgottougher.Corning,thecompanythatmakestheglass,ha
    sjustmadeastrongerversion.ItiscalledGorillaGlassandhasbeenusedi
    nsmartphonesformanyyears.Corninghasgreatlyimprovedtheglasst
    omakeitmoredifficulttoscratch,crackorsmash.Thenewproductiscalle
    dGorillaGlassVictus.Itcansurvivedropsofuptotwometreswithoutany
    signsofdamage.Itisalsotwotimesmorescratch-resistantthanothergl
    ass.CorningspokespersonJohnBaynetoldreportersaboutthenewpro
    duct.Hesaid:"Droppedphonescanresultinbrokenphones,butaswede
    velopedbetterglass,phonessurvivedmoredrops.However,theyalsos
    howedmorevisiblescratches,whichcanimpacttheusabilityofadevice.
    "Hesaiditwasimportanttodevelopanewglassthatcouldsurvivedropsfr
    omgreaterheightsandbemoredifficulttoscratch.Headded:"Insteadof
    ...askingourtechnologiststofocusonasinglegoal(makingtheglassbett
    erforeitherdroporscratch),weaskedthemtofocusonimprovingbothdr
    opandscratch,andtheydeliveredwithGorillaGlassVictus."Theglassiss
    ettodebutonSamsungproducts"inthenearfuture".

    Free writing

    Write about smartphone glass for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Smartphones are the most important things we own. Discuss.

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    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 this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. SMARTPHONE GLASS: Make a poster about smartphone glass. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. GLASS: Write a magazine article about governments spending more money on research to make stronger glass. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    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. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on smartphone glass. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to make smartphones better. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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