The Reading / Listening - Tech Stocks - Level 4

Stock prices have risen because of tech companies. The Dow Jones index rose by 353 points (or 1.2%) on Monday. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.9 per cent and the S&P 500 rose 1.9 per cent. The three are the most-followed stock markets in the USA. Apple was a key performer. Its stock went up six per cent. This was because investors think Apple will unveil its first 5G smartphone later this week. Facebook and Amazon also fared well.

Wall Street saw its best numbers in three months. Investor confidence remains strong, despite the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysts say tech companies are largely responsible for the confidence. Most tech companies have proved to be immune to the downturn. Their sales have skyrocketed as people stay at home more. Energy stocks were hit. Their prices dropped after a sudden fall in U.S. crude oil prices.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tech Stocks - Level 5 or  Tech Stocks - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/11/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html
  • https://finance.yahoo.com/news/asian-shares-mostly-higher-us-065647023.html
  • https://www.investors.com/market-trend/stock-market-today/dow-jones-up-200-points-stock-market-rallies-stimulus-deal-hopes/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Stock prices have
  2. The Dow Jones
  3. the S&P 500 rose
  4. the most-followed stock markets
  5. Apple was a key
  6. Its stock went
  7. Apple will unveil its first
  8. Amazon also fared
  1. index rose
  2. 5G smartphone later
  3. performer
  4. well
  5. risen
  6. 1.9 per cent
  7. up six per cent
  8. in the USA

Paragraph 2

  1. its best numbers
  2. Investor confidence remains
  3. despite the economic
  4. tech companies are largely
  5. tech companies have proved
  6. Their sales have
  7. Their prices
  8. crude
  1. oil prices
  2. skyrocketed
  3. responsible
  4. dropped
  5. damage caused
  6. in three months
  7. to be immune
  8. strong

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Stock prices have (1) ___________________ tech companies. The Dow Jones (2) ___________________ 353 points (or 1.2%) on Monday. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.9 per cent and the S&P 500 rose 1.9 per cent. (3) ___________________ the most-followed stock markets in the USA. Apple was (4) ___________________. Its stock went up six per cent. This was (5) ___________________ Apple will unveil its first 5G smartphone later this week. Facebook and Amazon (6) ___________________.

Wall Street saw (7) ___________________ in three months. Investor confidence remains strong, despite the economic (8) ___________________ the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysts say tech companies are largely responsible (9) ___________________. Most tech companies have proved to (10) ___________________ the downturn. Their sales have skyrocketed (11) ___________________ at home more. Energy stocks were hit. Their prices dropped after a sudden fall in U.S. (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Stockpriceshaverisenbecauseoftechcompanies.TheDowJonesindex
roseby353points(or1.2%)onMonday.TheNasdaqCompositeadvanc
ed2.9percentandtheS&P500rose1.9percent.Thethreearethemost-
followedstockmarketsintheUSA.Applewasakeyperformer.Itsstockw
entupsixpercent.ThiswasbecauseinvestorsthinkApplewillunveilitsfir
st5Gsmartphonelaterthisweek.FacebookandAmazonalsofaredwell.
WallStreetsawitsbestnumbersinthreemonths.Investorconfidencere
mainsstrong,despitetheeconomicdamagecausedbytheCOVID-19p
andemic.Analystssaytechcompaniesarelargelyresponsiblefortheco
nfidence.Mosttechcompanieshaveprovedtobeimmunetothedownto
wn.Theirsaleshaveskyrocketedaspeoplestayathomemore.Energyst
ockswerehit.TheirpricesdroppedafterasuddenfallinU.S.crudeoilpric
es.

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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