The Reading / Listening - Maps - Level 5

Tim Cook has spoken about his time as boss of the tech giant Apple. Mr Cook will step down as CEO in September. He revealed which Apple products he thought were less than perfect. He singled out Apple Maps, calling it a "really big mistake". In 2012, he recommended what he thought were more reliable map apps from Apple's competitors. He said admitting this was hard. The original Apple Maps was criticised for guiding drivers to strange places. This was because of faulty data and mapping errors. The places included non-existent bridges and businesses in the ocean.

Tim Cook became Apple CEO in 2011. He replaced pioneer and co-founder Steve Jobs. Cook transformed Apple from a $350 billion company into a $4 trillion company. It continues to generate huge profits and growth through products like the iPhone. Apple's brand represents a superlative lifestyle choice. Roughly one out of five people on Earth has an Apple device. Apple products are highly integrated in our lives. Cook said his greatest achievement was the Apple Watch. He said: "Apple's greatest contribution … will be in the health and wellness area."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Maps - Level 4 or  Maps - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2026/04/24/tim-cook-apple-maps-mistake/89772184007/
  • https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/04/23/apple-maps-was-tim-cooks-biggest-mistake
  • https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/23/tim-cook-apple-maps-launch-his-really-big-mistake/


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. Cook has spoken about his
  2. Cook will step
  3. products he thought were
  4. He singled
  5. more reliable
  6. He said admitting
  7. This was because of faulty
  8. The places included non-
  1. map apps
  2. less than perfect
  3. data
  4. down as CEO
  5. existent bridges
  6. out Apple Maps
  7. this was hard
  8. time as boss

Paragraph 2

  1. He replaced pioneer and co-
  2. It continues to generate
  3. a superlative lifestyle
  4. one out of five
  5. Apple products are highly integrated
  6. his greatest achievement was
  7. Apple's greatest
  8. in the health and
  1. contribution
  2. founder Steve Jobs
  3. in our lives
  4. wellness area
  5. huge profits
  6. people on Earth
  7. the Apple Watch
  8. choice

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Tim Cook has spoken about (1) ________________________________________________ boss of the tech giant Apple. Mr Cook will (2) ________________________________________________ CEO in September. He revealed which Apple products he thought were less than perfect. (3) ________________________________________________ Apple Maps, calling it a "really big mistake". In 2012, he recommended what he thought were more (4) ________________________________________________ from Apple's competitors. He said admitting this was hard. The original Apple Maps was criticised (5) ________________________________________________ to strange places. This was because of faulty data and mapping errors. The places (6) ________________________________________________ bridges and businesses in the ocean.

Tim Cook became Apple CEO in 2011. He (7) ________________________________________________ co-founder Steve Jobs. Cook transformed Apple from a $350 billion company into a $4 trillion company. It continues (8) ________________________________________________ profits and growth through products like the iPhone. Apple's brand represents a superlative lifestyle choice. (9) ________________________________________________ of five people on Earth has (10) ________________________________________________. Apple products are highly integrated in our lives. Cook said (11) ________________________________________________ was the Apple Watch. He said: "Apple's greatest contribution… will be in the (12) ________________________________________________ area."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TimCookhasspokenabouthistimeasbossofthetechgiantApple.MrCoo
kwillstepdownasCEOinSeptember.HerevealedwhichAppleproductsh
ethoughtwerelessthanperfect.HesingledoutAppleMaps,callingita"re
allybigmistake".In2012,herecommendedwhathethoughtweremore
reliablemapappsfromApple'scompetitors.Hesaidadmittingthiswash
ard.TheoriginalAppleMapswascriticisedforguidingdriverstostrangep
laces.Thiswasbecauseoffaultydataandmappingerrors.Theplacesincl
udednon-existentbridgesandbusinessesintheocean.TimCookbecam
eAppleCEOin2011.Hereplacedpioneerandco-founderSteveJobs.Coo
ktransformedApplefroma$350billioncompanyintoa$4trillioncompa
ny.Itcontinuestogeneratehugeprofitsandgrowththroughproductslik
etheiPhone.Apple'sbrandrepresentsasuperlativelifestylechoice.Rou
ghlyoneoutoffivepeopleonEarthhasanAppledevice.Appleproductsar
ehighlyintegratedinourlives.Cooksaidhisgreatestachievementwast
heAppleWatch.Hesaid:"Apple'sgreatestcontribution…willbeinthehe
althandwellnessarea."

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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