Listening, speaking and vocabulary: Silicon Valley

VBusiness

1Read the article and complete the factfile. 

You need to use normal letters and capital letters correctly in this task.

Bill Gates started the Microsoft Corporation in 1975. He owned the business with his friend Paul Allen. They started selling Microsoft Windows in 1985, and it was very successful. Since 1986, Microsoft has been in a huge office building called Microsoft Redmond Campus in the city of Redmond in Washington State in the USA. On the campus, they have a department that designs texts, videos, posters or pictures that try to persuade customers to spend more money. One example is a poster that says 'Microsoft: life without walls'.

FACTFILE

company: ¹

headquarters: ²

founder: ³

partner: ⁴

product: ⁵

advert: ⁶

VElectronic devices: compound nouns

2Put the words in the box in the correct places in the sentences. 

MOVE
• nav
• phone
• console
• camera
• player
• reader
• TV
• computer

• 1The first games   was the Magnavox Odyssey. It was in shops in 1972.

• 2In 2009, I bought the first digital   that could take 3D still photos.

• 3Using my smart , I can surf the internet, send emails and texts, read and edit files, take and store photos, and … oh, yes, call my friends.

• 4The world's lightest tablet   weighs less than 250 grams.

• 5Black and blue are the most popular colours for an MP3  .

• 6One in six Americans owns an e-book  .

• 7A sat   receives data from over 30 satellites in orbit around the Earth.

• 8The first programmes on HD   in Europe were football matches from the 1990 World Cup.

3 CHALLENGE! Read the adverts. Find five differences between the two products. Speak for no longer than one minute.

1.  Select Record Audio to record yourself.
2.  If you want to add a note to your teacher, write it in the Comments box.
3.  Select Submit to dropbox to send the recording to your teacher.

 

Asking for and giving advice

4Play the recording and listen to the dialogue. Which phone does James advise Hugo to buy? Which phone does Hugo decide to buy? 

James advises Hugo to buy DFG Switch XLunar Star Mini.

Hugo decides to buy Lunar Star MiniDFG Switch X.

Asking for and giving advice

5Put the words in order to make sentences. Then match sentences 1−6 to categories a−c. 

You need to use correct punctuation in this task.

• • you
  • Which phone
  • should
  • do
  • buy
  • I
  • think
  • ?

  1

   

• • to
  • Maybe
  • online
  • it's
  • look
  • good idea
  • a
  • .

  2

   

• • buy
  • Lunar Star Mini
  • Should
  • the
  • I
  • ?

  3

   

• • you,
  • If
  • were
  • I
  • compare
  • the specifications
  • I'd
  • .

  4

   

• • a good camera
  • a phone
  • You
  • to
  • with
  • get
  • ought
  • .

  5

   

• • bad
  • That's
  • idea
  • a
  • not
  • .

  6

   

aAsking for advice: , .

bGiving advice: , , .

cResponding to advice: .

6Play the recording and listen to the dialogue. Check your answers. 

7 CHALLENGE! Read the adverts for two MP3 players. Your best friend wants to buy one. Give them advice about which one to buy. Speak for no longer than one minute.

1. 1 Select Record Audio to record yourself.
2. 2 If you want to add a note to your teacher, write it in the Comments box.
3. 3 Select Submit to dropbox to send the recording to your teacher.