The Reading / Listening - TikTok - Level 0

The on-off talks between Microsoft and TikTok are back on. Microsoft wants to buy part of TikTok. However, Donald Trump said he might ban TikTok in the USA. He changed his mind after the Microsoft CEO phoned him. Microsoft said it would make sure that all private data of US users would stay in the United States.

TikTok is very popular. It has over 800 million users worldwide. Users upload short videos of themselves singing to songs, dancing, making faces or doing other funny things. A Chinese businessman started TikTok in 2012. Microsoft will pay $50 billion for a part of the company. A business website said this was too much.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    TikTok - Level 1,  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. The on-
  2. Microsoft wants to buy
  3. Trump said he might
  4. He changed his
  5. the Microsoft CEO
  6. Microsoft said it
  7. make
  8. private
  1. would
  2. ban TikTok
  3. phoned him
  4. data
  5. off talks
  6. sure
  7. part of TikTok
  8. mind

Paragraph 2

  1. It has over 800
  2. videos of themselves
  3. doing other funny
  4. A Chinese businessman
  5. Microsoft will
  6. part of
  7. A business
  8. this was too
  1. much
  2. pay $50 billion
  3. million users
  4. website
  5. things
  6. started TikTok
  7. singing to songs
  8. the company

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ between Microsoft and TikTok are back on. Microsoft (2) ___________________ part of TikTok. However, Donald Trump (3) ___________________ ban TikTok in the USA. He changed (4) ___________________ the Microsoft CEO phoned him. Microsoft said it would (5) ___________________ all private data of US (6) ___________________ in the United States.

TikTok (7) ___________________. It has over 800 million users worldwide. Users (8) ___________________ of themselves singing (9) ___________________, making faces or doing (10) ___________________. A Chinese businessman started TikTok in 2012. Microsoft will pay $50 billion (11) ___________________ of the company. A business website said this (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theon-offtalksbetweenMicrosoftandTikTokarebackon.Microsoftwa
ntstobuypartofTikTok.However,DonaldTrumpsaidhemightbanTikTo
kintheUSA.HechangedhismindaftertheMicrosoftCEOphonedhim.Mic
rosoftsaiditwouldmakesurethatallprivatedataofUSuserswouldstayin
theUnitedStates.TikTokisverypopular.Ithasover800millionuserswo
rldwide.Usersuploadshortvideosofthemselvessingingtosongs,danci
ng,makingfacesordoingotherfunnythings.AChinesebusinessmansta
rtedTikTokin2012.Microsoftwillpay$50billionforapartofthecompany
.Abusinesswebsitesaidthiswastoomuch.

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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