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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Virtual Economy
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Virtual goods set to boom in 2010 (29th December, 2009)

Virtual goods will be the big thing in 2010. Maggie Shiels, a technology reporter from the BBC, believes we are at the start of a boom in the virtual economy. More and more people will buy things that aren’t real. Virtual goods only exist on computers. Ms Shiels said a big growth area is gaming. She said gamers will spend billions of dollars buying imaginary weapons and avatars. The idea of virtual goods is growing. Most people nowadays are used to buying things like digital birthday cards. Some of us even pay to send digital flowers.

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The Internet is changing so many things in our lives. It is a big part of life today. We spend hours and hours online. It only makes sense we will spend money while surfing. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace have been quick to see money-making opportunities. An industry expert said: "We have found tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people playing these social games. They would never consider themselves as gamers. Yet they spend real money to play these games. In some cases, they spend lots of money.”

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	the big	a.	weapons
2	at the start	b.	that aren’t real
3.	buy things	c.	area
4.	a big growth	d.	thing in 2010
5.	imaginary	e.	digital flowers
6.	pay to send	f.	of a boom

Paragraph 2

1.	The Internet is changing	a.	opportunities
2	We spend hours	b.	cases
3.	Social networking sites	c.	of people
4.	money-making	d.	so many things
5.	hundreds of millions	e.	like Facebook
6.	In some	f.	and hours online

LISTENING GAP FILL

Virtual goods will be __________________ 2010. Maggie Shiels, a technology reporter from the BBC, believes we are at __________________ in the virtual economy. More and more people will buy things that aren’t real. Virtual __________________ on computers. Ms Shiels said a big growth area is gaming. She said gamers will __________________ dollars buying imaginary weapons and avatars. The idea of virtual goods is growing. Most people __________________ to buying things like digital birthday cards. Some __________________ to send digital flowers.

The Internet is changing so many __________________. It is a big part of life today. We spend hours __________________. It only makes sense we will spend money while surfing. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace __________________ to see money-making opportunities. An industry expert said: "We __________________ millions, hundreds of millions of people playing these social games. They __________________ themselves as gamers. Yet they spend real money to play these games. __________________, they spend lots of money.”

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Virtual goods will be the big (1) ____ in 2010. Maggie Shiels, a technology reporter from the BBC, believes we are at the start of a (2) ____ in the virtual economy. More and (3) ____ people will buy things that aren’t real. Virtual goods only exist on computers. Ms Shiels said a big growth area is gaming. She said gamers will spend billions of dollars (4) ____ imaginary weapons and avatars. The idea of virtual goods is growing. Most people nowadays are used to buying things like digital birthday cards. Some of us (5) ____ pay to send digital flowers.

The Internet is changing (6) ____ many things in our lives. It is a big part of life today. We spend hours and hours online. It only (7) ____ sense we will spend money while surfing. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace have been quick to see money-(8) ____ opportunities. An industry expert said: "We have found tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people playing these social games. They would never consider themselves (9) ____ gamers. Yet they spend real money to play these games. In some (10) ____, they spend lots of money.”

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	think	(b)	thing	(c)	thinsg
2.	(a)	boom	(b)	zoom	(c)	doom
3.	(a)	most	(b)	many	(c)	more
4.	(a)	bought	(b)	buying	(c)	buyers
5.	(a)	ever	(b)	even	(c)	never
6.	(a)	so	(b)	such	(c)	as
7.	(a)	does	(b)	has	(c)	makes
8.	(a)	taking	(b)	making	(c)	doing
9.	(a)	has	(b)	was	(c)	as
10.	(a)	cases	(b)	backpacks	(c)	wallets

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	the big nthig in 2010
2.	the start of a obom
3.	only etisx on computers
4.	spend snilblio of dollars
5.	Most people sonwdaya
6.	send tigdail flowers
Paragraph 2
7.	The Internet is gnhngcai
8.	It only makes eessn
9.	An industry xteepr
10.	hundreds of ilolnims of people
11.	oscerdni themselves as gamers
12.	In some ecass

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	exist on computers. Ms Shiels said a big growth area is gaming. She said gamers will spend billions
( )	nowadays are used to buying things like digital birthday cards. Some of us even pay to send digital flowers.
( )	start of a boom in the virtual economy. More and more people will buy things that aren’t real. Virtual goods only
( )	Facebook and MySpace have been quick to see money-making opportunities. An industry expert said: "We have
( )	of dollars buying imaginary weapons and avatars. The idea of virtual goods is growing. Most people
( )	found tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people playing these social games. They would never consider
( 1 )	Virtual goods will be the big thing in 2010. Maggie Shiels, a technology reporter from the BBC, believes we are at the
( )	hours online. It only makes sense we will spend money while surfing. Social networking sites like
( )	themselves as gamers. Yet they spend real money to play these games. In some cases, they spend lots of money.”
( )	The Internet is changing so many things in our lives. It is a big part of life today. We spend hours and

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	goods the in Virtual be thing will big 2010.
2.	start We of are a at boom the.
3.	computers Virtual on exist . only goods
4.	dollars of billions Spend weapons imaginary buying.
5.	Some even send us to flowers of pay digital.
6.	The things many so changing is Internet.
7.	big part It of is life a today.
8.	sites Social like networking Facebook
9.	themselves never They as consider would gamers.
10.	these real games money to They play spend.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

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

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about the Internet for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

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 more information about the virtual economy. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the Internet. Include imaginary interviews with two people who like it and hate it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to someone who sells virtual goods. Ask him/her three questions about the Internet and his/her business. Give him/her three of your opinions on the virtual economy. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Virtual Economy (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)