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Swiss Politicians Try to Ban PowerPoint (6th July, 2011)

A political party in Switzerland wants to ban PowerPoint presentations. The Anti-PowerPoint Party says the software is costing the country US$2.5 billion every year. It says PowerPoint is almost like a disease that has infected most Swiss companies. Party spokesman Matthias Poehm also says companies lose a lot of productivity because of PowerPoint. He calculated that workers have to listen to thousands of presentations every week and that 85 per cent of these are a waste of time for workers.

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Mr Poehm says there is a great alternative to PowerPoint - the flipchart. He said this would get more workers focusing on what the presenter is talking about. He believes flipcharts encourage creativity and are three to five times more effective than PowerPoint slides. Poehm said: “We just want people to be aware of this issue and the alternative to it. The solutions are available, but nobody is using them.” PowerPoint maker Microsoft has not yet responded to the Anti-PowerPoint Party’s campaign.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A political	a.	lot of productivity
2	the software is costing	b.	most Swiss companies
3.	a disease that has infected	c.	of presentations
4.	companies lose a	d.	party in Switzerland
5.	thousands	e.	of time
6.	a waste	f.	the country US$2.5 bn

Paragraph 2

1.	there is a great alternative	a.	is talking about
2	focusing on what the presenter	b.	times more effective
3.	flipcharts encourage	c.	to PowerPoint
4.	three to five	d.	of this issue
5.	be aware	e.	yet responded
6.	Microsoft has not	f.	creativity

LISTENING GAP FILL

A political party in Switzerland _________________ PowerPoint presentations. The Anti-PowerPoint Party says the software is _________________ US$2.5 billion every year. It says PowerPoint _________________ disease that has infected most Swiss companies. Party spokesman Matthias Poehm also says companies _________________ productivity because of PowerPoint. He calculated that workers _________________ to thousands of presentations every week and that 85 per cent of these are a _________________ for workers.

Mr Poehm says there is _________________ to PowerPoint - the flipchart. He said this would get more workers _________________ the presenter is talking about. He believes flipcharts encourage creativity and are three _________________ effective than PowerPoint slides. Poehm said: “We just want people _________________ this issue and the alternative to it. _________________ available, but nobody is using them.” PowerPoint maker Microsoft has _________________ to the Anti-PowerPoint Party’s campaign.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A political (1) ____ in Switzerland wants to ban PowerPoint presentations. The Anti-PowerPoint Party says the software is (2) ____ the country US$2.5 billion every year. It says PowerPoint is almost (3) ____ a disease that has infected most Swiss companies. Party spokesman Matthias Poehm also says companies (4) ____ a lot of productivity because of PowerPoint. He calculated that workers (5) ____ to listen to thousands of presentations every week and that 85 per cent of these are a (6) ____ of time for workers.

Mr Poehm says there is a (7) ____ alternative to PowerPoint - the flipchart. He said this would get more workers focusing (8) ____ what the presenter is talking about. He believes flipcharts encourage creativity and are three to five times (9) ____ effective than PowerPoint slides. Poehm said: “We just want people to be (10) ____ of this issue and the alternative to (11) ____. The solutions are available, but nobody is using them.” PowerPoint maker Microsoft has not (12) ____ responded to the Anti-PowerPoint Party’s campaign.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	party	(b)	event	(c)	get-together
2.	(a)	costs	(b)	cost	(c)	costing
3.	(a)	like	(b)	likely	(c)	likelihood
4.	(a)	forget	(b)	lose	(c)	remember
5.	(a)	must	(b)	have	(c)	do
6.	(a)	waste	(b)	paste	(c)	haste
7.	(a)	greet	(b)	grate	(c)	great
8.	(a)	in	(b)	of	(c)	on
9.	(a)	many	(b)	more	(c)	much
10.	(a)	aware	(b)	know	(c)	see
11.	(a)	them	(b)	it	(c)	him
12	(a)	still	(b)	just	(c)	yet

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A ilclitpao party
2.	isotngc the country US$2.5 billion
3.	almost like a esdisae
4.	iasnmecop lose a lot of productivity
5.	letisn to thousands of presentations
6.	a tseaw of time
Paragraph 2
7.	a rtega alternative to PowerPoint
8.	get more workers suinfcgo
9.	flipcharts encourage atcriyitev
10.	more etcfiveef
11.	be raeaw of this issue
12.	the Anti-PowerPoint Party’s ipaamgnc

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	year. It says PowerPoint is almost like a disease that has infected most Swiss
( )	about. He believes flipcharts encourage creativity and are three to five times more
( )	them.” PowerPoint maker Microsoft has not yet responded to the Anti-PowerPoint Party’s campaign.
( )	Party says the software is costing the country US$2.5 billion every
( )	Mr Poehm says there is a great alternative to PowerPoint - the
( )	issue and the alternative to it. The solutions are available, but nobody is using
( )	flipchart. He said this would get more workers focusing on what the presenter is talking
( )	companies. Party spokesman Matthias Poehm also says companies lose a lot of
( 1 )	A political party in Switzerland wants to ban PowerPoint presentations. The Anti-PowerPoint
( )	productivity because of PowerPoint. He calculated that workers have to listen to thousands of
( )	effective than PowerPoint slides. Poehm said: “We just want people to be aware of this
( )	presentations every week and that 85 per cent of these are a waste of time for workers.

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	Costing year every billion $2.5 US country the.
2.	like disease PowerPoint almost a is.
3.	lot PowerPoint of productivity Lose because a of.
4.	to presentations listen to Workers thousands have of.
5.	waste of These time are for a workers.
6.	There PowerPoint to alternative great a is.
7.	what about the presenter Focusing is on talking.
8.	creativity encourage flipcharts believes He.
9.	than times effective PowerPoint Five more.
10.	responded yet not has Microsoft maker PowerPoint.

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 PowerPoint 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. POWERPOINT: Search the Internet and find more information about PowerPoint. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about PowerPoint. Include imaginary interviews with the head of the Anti-PowerPoint Party and the CEO of Microsoft. 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 the Anti-PowerPoint Party. Ask him/her three questions about PowerPoint. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. 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 - PowerPoint (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)