The Reading / Listening - Hackers - Level 4

Three people have been arrested over the hacking attack on Twitter last month. Hackers accessed 130 high-profile accounts, including those of Barack Obama, Kanye West, and Amazon's CEO. The account of Apple was also breached. The hack was part of a bitcoin scam. The hackers got into Twitter's administrative tools. They then posted realistic-looking tweets that informed followers they could double any money put in a bitcoin account.

One suspect is a 19-year-old from the UK. The others are US citizens aged 17 and 22. Investigators believe the 17-year-old is the mastermind. A state attorney filed charges against him for "scamming people across America" and the fraudulent use of personal information. A lawyer told CNN: "There is a false belief within the criminal hacker community that attacks like the Twitter hack can be perpetrated anonymously and without consequence."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hackers - Level 5 or  Hackers - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/31/tech/alleged-twitter-hacker-arrested/index.html
  • https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/tampa-teen-accused-of-being-mastermind-behind-twitter-hack-that-targeted-high-profile-accounts/
  • https://www.engadget.com/teenager-arrested-twitter-bitcoin-hack-183302700.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. Three people have
  2. the hacking attack
  3. Hackers accessed 130 high-
  4. Amazon's
  5. The account of Apple was
  6. The hack was part of a
  7. posted realistic-
  8. they could double
  1. any money
  2. also breached
  3. been arrested
  4. profile accounts
  5. looking tweets
  6. on Twitter
  7. bitcoin scam
  8. CEO

Paragraph 2

  1. the 17-year-old is the
  2. state
  3. scamming people
  4. fraudulent use of personal
  5. There is a false
  6. within the criminal hacker
  7. attacks like
  8. perpetrated anonymously and
  1. belief
  2. across America
  3. the Twitter hack
  4. mastermind
  5. information
  6. without consequence
  7. attorney
  8. community

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Three people have been arrested (1) ___________________ attack on Twitter last month. Hackers accessed 130 (2) ___________________, including those of Barack Obama, Kanye West, and Amazon's CEO. The account of Apple (3) ___________________. The hack was part of a bitcoin scam. The (4) ___________________ Twitter's administrative tools. They then (5) ___________________ tweets that informed followers they could (6) ___________________ put in a bitcoin account.

(7) ___________________ a 19-year-old from the UK. The others are US citizens aged 17 and 22. (8) ___________________ 17-year-old is the mastermind. A state attorney (9) ___________________ him for "scamming people across America" and the (10) ___________________ personal information. A lawyer told CNN: "There is (11) ___________________ within the criminal hacker community that attacks like the Twitter hack can be perpetrated anonymously (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThreepeoplehavebeenarrestedoverthehackingattackonTwitterlast
month.Hackersaccessed130high-profileaccounts,includingthose
ofBarackObama,KanyeWest,andAmazon'sCEO.TheaccountofApple
wasalsobreached.Thehackwaspartofabitcoinscam.Thehackersgotin
toTwitter'sadministrativetools.Theythenpostedrealistic-lookingtw
eetsthatinformedfollowerstheycoulddoubleanymoneyputinabitcoin
account.Onesuspectisa19-year-oldfromtheUK.TheothersareUScit
izensaged17and22.Investigatorsbelievethe17-year-oldisthemas
termind.Astateattorneyfiledchargesagainsthimfor"scammingpeopl
eacrossAmerica"andthefraudulentuseofpersonalinformation.Alawy
ertoldCNN:"Thereisafalsebeliefwithinthecriminalhackercommunityt
hatattacksliketheTwitterhackcanbeperpetratedanonymouslyandwit
houtconsequence."

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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