The Reading / Listening - TikTok - Level 1

The on-off talks between Microsoft and TikTok are back on. Microsoft wants to buy part of TikTok. Discussions between the two companies ended last week when Donald Trump said he might ban TikTok in the USA. He was worried about the personal details of Americans getting into the wrong hands. He changed his mind after the Microsoft CEO phoned him. Microsoft said it would ensure that all private data of US users would stay in the United States.

TikTok is the latest social media site to become very popular. Users upload short videos of themselves lip-syncing to songs, dancing, making faces or doing other funny things. TikTok is based in Beijing. A Chinese businessman started it in 2012. It has over 800 million users worldwide. Microsoft is offering $50 billion for a part of the company. A business website said this value was too high and that TikTok wasn't worth $50 billion.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    TikTok - Level 0,  TikTok - Level 2   or  TikTok - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-08-03/tiktok-could-be-the-deal-of-the-decade-for-microsoft-ceo-nadella
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/03/microsoft-confirms-talks-to-buy-tiktok-in-us.html
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/08/02/tiktok-ban-microsoft-negotiating-purchase-video-app/5568778002/


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. on-
  2. Microsoft wants to buy
  3. Discussions between
  4. Trump said he might
  5. personal
  6. getting into the wrong
  7. He changed his
  8. private data
  1. ban TikTok
  2. the two companies
  3. of US users
  4. details
  5. off talks
  6. mind
  7. part of TikTok
  8. hands

Paragraph 2

  1. the latest social media site to become
  2. lip-syncing
  3. doing other
  4. A Chinese businessman
  5. It has over 800 million
  6. offering $50 billion for a part
  7. this value was
  8. TikTok wasn't
  1. funny things
  2. too high
  3. users worldwide
  4. worth $50 billion
  5. very popular
  6. started it
  7. to songs
  8. of the company

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The (1) ___________________ Microsoft and TikTok are back on. Microsoft (2) ___________________ part of TikTok. Discussions between the two companies (3) ___________________ when Donald Trump said he might ban TikTok in the USA. He was worried about (4) ___________________ of Americans getting into the wrong hands. He (5) ___________________ after the Microsoft CEO phoned him. Microsoft said it would ensure that all private data of US users would (6) ___________________ United States.

TikTok is the latest social (7) ___________________ become very popular. Users upload (8) ___________________ themselves lip-syncing to songs, dancing, (9) ___________________ doing other funny things. TikTok is based in Beijing. A Chinese businessman (10) ___________________ 2012. It has over 800 million users worldwide. Microsoft is offering $50 billion (11) ___________________ of the company. A business website said this (12) ___________________ high and that TikTok wasn't worth $50 billion.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theon-offtalksbetweenMicrosoftandTikTokarebackon.Microsoftwa
ntstobuypartofTikTok.Discussionsbetweenthetwocompaniesendedl
astweekwhenDonaldTrumpsaidhemightbanTikTokintheUSA.Hewas
worriedaboutthepersonaldetailsofAmericansgettingintothewrongha
nds.HechangedhismindaftertheMicrosoftCEOphonedhim.Microsofts
aiditwouldensurethatallprivatedataofUSuserswouldstayintheUnited
States.TikTokisthelatestsocialmediasitetobecomeverypopular.User
suploadshortvideosofthemselveslip-syncingtosongs,dancing,maki
ngfacesordoingotherfunnythings.TikTokisbasedinBeijing.AChinese
businessmanstarteditin2012.Ithasover800millionusersworldwide.
Microsoftisoffering$50billionforapartofthecompany.Abusinesswebs
itesaidthisvaluewastoohighandthatTikTokwasn'tworth$50billion.

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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