Breaking News English

        

1. SOCIAL NETWORKING: Walk around the class and talk to other students about social networking. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

reports / social media / projects / the Internet / popularity / Facebook / profile / differences / privacy / delete friends / posted messages / being cautious / sharing

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. INTERNET: How good is it? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners and share what you wrote. Change and share again.

For…	How good?	How to improve it?
keeping in touch
shopping
news
gaming
travel info
studying English

4. FACEBOOK: Students A strongly believe Facebook has changed the world; Students B strongly believe it hasn’t.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
5. SITES: Rank these sites and share your rankings with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners and share your rankings again.

BBC News Google Facebook BreakingNewsEnglish.com

Amazon.com Dictionary.com Yahoo! Twitter

6. POPULARITY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘popularity’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if  a-h  below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	A new report says women are more reluctant to join social media sites.	T / F
b.	A research center questioned over 2,200 people about social media.	T / F
c.	Facebook is experiencing opposite fortunes to MySpace.	T / F
d.	Eleven per cent of those questioned said they use Twitter.	T / F
e.	It is more probable for a man to delete friends on social media sites.	T / F
f.	Men are more likely to have posted something they now regret.	T / F
g.	The report says women share information more freely than men.	T / F
h.	The report says men use more privacy settings than women.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	report	a.	increase
2.	surveyed	b.	removed
3.	rise	c.	fall
4.	decline	d.	handle
5.	attract	e.	questioned
6.	manage	f.	information
7.	deleted	g.	woo
8.	regret	h.	study
9.	likely	i.	feel sorry about
10.	data	j.	probable

3. PHRASE MATCH:  (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	the Internet and how	a.	our privacy
2.	surveyed	b.	popularity
3.	up from 73	c.	attract more users
4.	The continued rise in Facebook’s	d.	to delete friends
5.	Twitter continues to	e.	2,277 U.S. adults
6.	how we manage	f.	settings
7.	Women are more likely than men to delete friends	g.	we use it
8.	men are almost twice	h.	regret
9.	videos that they later	i.	per cent in 2009
10.	the highest privacy	j.	as likely as women

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

A new (1) ____________ on the Internet and how we use it says that more of us are (2) ____________ social media. The Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project surveyed 2,277 U.S. adults about their Internet (3) ____________. About two-thirds of Internet users now (4) ____________ to social networking sites. Pew reports that ninety-three per cent of social network (5) ____________ have joined Facebook, up from 73 per cent in 2009. The continued rise in Facebook’s popularity           (6) ____________ with the decline of MySpace. Twenty-three per cent of those questioned said they had a MySpace profile, down from 48 per cent in 2009. Twitter continues to (7) ____________ more users, with 11 per cent of respondents saying they use it, (8) ____________ from 6 per cent in 2009.		users use up belong report attract using contrasts
The report showed big (9) ____________ between how men and women use social media and how we manage our                   (10) ____________. Women are more likely than men to delete friends. Sixty-seven per cent of women said they have            (11) ____________ friends compared with 58 per cent of men. The study reported that men are almost twice as                     (12) ____________ as women to have posted messages, photos or videos that they later (13) ____________. Fifteen per cent of men said they have done this, compared with eight per cent of women. The study also showed women to be more                  (14) ____________ who they share information with. Two-thirds of women use the (15) ____________ privacy settings, sharing data only with friends. Less than half of the men did                (16) ____________.		likely cautious differences so regret privacy deleted highest

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

A new report on the Internet and how we use it _____________________ are using social media. The Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project surveyed 2,277 U.S. adults about their Internet use. About two-thirds of Internet users _____________________ networking sites. Pew reports that ninety-three per cent of social network users have joined Facebook, up from 73 per cent in 2009. _____________________ Facebook’s _____________________ with the decline of MySpace. Twenty-three per cent of those questioned said they had a MySpace profile, down from 48 per cent in 2009. Twitter _____________________ more users, with 11 per cent of respondents _____________________, up from 6 per cent in 2009.
The report _____________________ between how men and women use social media and how we manage our privacy. Women _____________________ men to delete friends. Sixty-seven per cent of women said they have deleted friends compared with 58 per cent of men. The study reported that men _____________________ likely as women to have posted messages, photos or videos that _____________________. Fifteen per cent of men said they have done this, compared with eight per cent of women. The study also showed women to _____________________ who they share information with. Two-thirds of women use the highest privacy settings, _____________________ with friends. Less than half of the men did so.

 
 

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘social’ and ‘media’.

social

media

• Share your findings with your partners.

• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?
4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.
5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

how 2,277 93 decline 23 6

big 67 twice later cautious so

SOCIAL NETWORKING SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about social networking 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.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

SOCIAL NETWORKING DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)	What did you think when you read the headline?
b)	What springs to mind when you hear the term ‘social media’?
c)	How do you use social media?
d)	How did we communicate before social media came along? Was it better in any way
e)	Which is better, Facebook or Twitter?
f)	What would life be like without the Internet?
g)	Why is Facebook so popular?
h)	Do you prefer communicating with your friends via the Internet or face to face?
i)	What do you think of the name “social networking”?
j)	What will social networking be like in the future?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)	Did you like reading this article?
b)	Why are there differences between the way men and women use the Internet?
c)	What concerns do you have about your privacy online?
d)	What would you do if your online identity was stolen?
e)	Have you ever deleted friends online? Why?
f)	Have you ever posted anything online you later regretted? What?
g)	In what ways are you cautious online?
h)	Do you think everyone should use the highest privacy settings?
i)	Are women generally more cautious than men?
j)	What questions would you like to ask the lead researcher of the study?

LANGUAGE – MULTIPLE CHOICE

A new report on the Internet and how we use it says that more of us are (1) ____ social media. The Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project surveyed 2,277 U.S. adults about their Internet (2) ____. About two-thirds of Internet users now belong (3) ____ social networking sites. Pew reports that ninety-three per cent of social network users have joined Facebook, up from 73 per cent in 2009. The continued (4) ____ in Facebook’s popularity contrasts with the decline of MySpace. Twenty-three per cent of (5) ____ questioned said they had a MySpace profile, down from 48 per cent in 2009. Twitter continues to attract more users, with 11 per cent of respondents saying they use it, (6) ____ from 6 per cent in 2009.
The report showed big differences between how men and women use social media and how we manage our (7) ____. Women are more (8) ____ than men to delete friends. Sixty-seven per cent of women said they have deleted friends compared with 58 per cent of men. The study reported that men are almost twice as likely as women to (9) ____ posted messages, photos or videos that they later (10) ____. Fifteen per cent of men said they have done this, compared with eight per cent of women. The study also showed women to be more cautious who they share information with. Two-(11) ____ of women use the highest privacy settings, sharing data only with friends. Less than half of the men did (12) ____.
Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	using	(b)	usage	(c)	used	(d)	used to it
2.	(a)	using	(b)	used	(c)	use	(d)	users
3.	(a)	of	(b)	to	(c)	by	(d)	as
4.	(a)	rise	(b)	rose	(c)	riser	(d)	arisen
5.	(a)	them	(b)	they	(c)	those	(d)	these
6.	(a)	increase	(b)	higher	(c)	rise	(d)	up
7.	(a)	private	(b)	privacy	(c)	privates	(d)	privation
8.	(a)	likely	(b)	liked	(c)	likelihood	(d)	likeable
9.	(a)	had	(b)	have	(c)	having	(d)	has
10.	(a)	regress	(b)	regale	(c)	regret	(d)	regale
11.	(a)	thirds	(b)	third	(c)	thirdly	(d)	thrice
12.	(a)	then	(b)	all	(c)	to	(d)	so

 
 

WRITING

Write about social networking for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about social networking. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. SOCIAL NETWORKING: Make a poster about social networking sites. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. PEW RESEARCH: Write a magazine article about the Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against social media.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
5. LETTER: Write a letter to a social media expert. Ask him/her three questions about social networking. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

 

 
 

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a.

F

b.

T

c.

T

d.

T

e.

F

f.

T

g.

F

h.

F

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.	report	a.	study
2.	surveyed	b.	questioned
3.	rise	c.	increase
4.	decline	d.	fall
5.	attract	e.	woo
6.	manage	f.	handle
7.	deleted	g.	removed
8.	regret	h.	feel sorry about
9.	likely	i.	probable
10.	data	j.	information

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	the Internet and how	a.	we use it
2.	surveyed	b.	2,277 U.S. adults
3.	up from 73	c.	per cent in 2009
4.	The continued rise in Facebook’s	d.	popularity
5.	Twitter continues to	e.	attract more users
6.	how we manage	f.	our privacy
7.	Women are more likely than men	g.	to delete friends
8.	men are almost twice	h.	as likely as women
9.	videos that they later	i.	regret
10.	the highest privacy	j.	settings

GAP FILL:

Women more cautious on social media

A new (1) report on the Internet and how we use it says that more of us are (2) using social media. The Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project surveyed 2,277 U.S. adults about their Internet (3) use. About two-thirds of Internet users now (4) belong to social networking sites. Pew reports that ninety-three per cent of social network (5) users have joined Facebook, up from 73 per cent in 2009. The continued rise in Facebook’s popularity (6) contrasts with the decline of MySpace. Twenty-three per cent of those questioned said they had a MySpace profile, down from 48 per cent in 2009. Twitter continues to (7) attract more users, with 11 per cent of respondents saying they use it, (8) up from 6 per cent in 2009.
The report showed big (9) differences between how men and women use social media and how we manage our (10) privacy. Women are more likely than men to delete friends. Sixty-seven per cent of women said they have (11) deleted friends compared with 58 per cent of men. The study reported that men are almost twice as (12) likely as women to have posted messages, photos or videos that they later (13) regret. Fifteen per cent of men said they have done this, compared with eight per cent of women. The study also showed women to be more (14) cautious who they share information with. Two-thirds of women use the (15) highest privacy settings, sharing data only with friends. Less than half of the men did (16) so.
LANGUAGE WORK

1 - d

2 - c

3 - b

4 - a

5 - c

6 - d

7 - b

8 - a

9 - b

10 -c

11 - a

12 - d

Back to the top