News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Microsoft Buys Skype
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Microsoft Buys Skype (11th May, 2011)

Software giant Microsoft has bought the Internet telecommunications website Skype for $8.5 billion. Microsoft hopes to link Skype’s free and low-cost telephone and video services to products like the Xbox 360 game system and its Bing search engine. Industry experts say Microsoft really needs Skype and its 600 million customers to compete with rivals Apple and Google in the video chat market. One analyst Richard Edwards said: “Skype is undoubtedly the product Microsoft needs to stay in the game."

Advertisements

The Skype deal is one of the largest purchases ever made by Microsoft. Executives say the company needs to expand. It currently has only two main sources of revenue – from its Windows operating system and its Office suite of programmes. The latter is used largely by businesses. Microsoft needs to turn Skype around. In 2010, the company made a loss of $7 million and has a debt of $686 million. Only 12 per cent of its customers use Skype’s Internet-to-land-line pay service. The rest use the free Internet service.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Software	a.	engine
2	Skype’s free and low-	b.	giant Microsoft
3.	Bing search	c.	chat market
4.	compete with rivals	d.	in the game
5.	the video	e.	cost telephone
6.	Microsoft needs to stay	f.	Apple and Google

Paragraph 2

1.	The Skype deal is one	a.	revenue
2	the company needs	b.	Internet service
3.	two main sources of	c.	to expand
4.	used largely by	d.	Skype around
5.	Microsoft needs to turn	e.	of the largest
6.	The rest use the free	f.	businesses

LISTENING GAP FILL

Software giant Microsoft _____________________ Internet telecommunications website Skype for $8.5 billion. Microsoft hopes to link Skype’s _____________________ telephone and video services _____________________ the Xbox 360 game system and its Bing search engine. _____________________ Microsoft really needs Skype and its 600 million customers to _____________________ Apple and Google in the video chat market. One analyst Richard Edwards said: “Skype is undoubtedly the product Microsoft needs _____________________."

The Skype deal is one of _____________________ ever made by Microsoft. Executives say the company _____________________. It currently has only two main sources of revenue – from its Windows operating system and its Office suite of programmes. The latter _____________________ businesses. Microsoft needs to turn Skype around. In 2010, the company made a loss of $7 million _____________________ $686 million. Only 12 per cent _____________________ Skype’s Internet-to-land-line pay service. The _____________________ Internet service.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Software giant Microsoft has (1) ____ the Internet telecommunications website Skype for $8.5 billion. Microsoft hopes to (2) ____ Skype’s free and low-cost telephone and video services to products (3) ____ the Xbox 360 game system and its Bing search engine. Industry experts say Microsoft really needs Skype and its 600 million customers to compete with (4) ____ Apple and Google in the video chat market. One (5) ____ Richard Edwards said: “Skype is undoubtedly the product Microsoft needs to stay in the (6) ____."

Put the correct words from this table into the article.The Skype (7) ____ is one of the largest purchases ever made by Microsoft. Executives say the company needs to expand. It (8) ____ has only two main sources of revenue – from its Windows operating system and its Office suite of programmes. The (9) ____ is used largely by businesses. Microsoft needs to turn Skype (10) ____. In 2010, the company made a (11) ____ of $7 million and has a debt of $686. Only 12 per cent of its customers use Skype’s Internet-to-land-line pay service. The (12) ____ use the free Internet service.

1.	(a)	buy	(b)	bought	(c)	buying
2.	(a)	link	(b)	rink	(c)	sink
3.	(a)	likely	(b)	like	(c)	liking
4.	(a)	radius	(b)	routes	(c)	rivals
5.	(a)	analyst	(b)	analysis	(c)	analyze
6.	(a)	video	(b)	console	(c)	game
7.	(a)	deal	(b)	dealt	(c)	dealer
8.	(a)	currant	(b)	currently	(c)	currents
9.	(a)	fatter	(b)	matter	(c)	latter
10.	(a)	around	(b)	down	(c)	through
11.	(a)	lost	(b)	loss	(c)	losses
12	(a)	relax	(b)	other	(c)	rest

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	Software itnag
2.	video vsircees
3.	utopdsrc like the Xbox
4.	Industry perxets
5.	ptmeeco with rivals Apple
6.	the pdctrou Microsoft needs
Paragraph 2
7.	one of the rasglet purchases
8.	the company needs to pxaden
9.	scorsue of revenue
10.	operating ymsets
11.	used legyrla by businesses
12.	12% of its omesctrsu

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( 1 )	Software giant Microsoft has bought the Internet telecommunications website Skype
( )	say the company needs to expand. It currently has only two main sources of
( )	a loss of $7 million and has a debt of $686 million. Only 12 per cent of its customers
( )	like the Xbox 360 game system and its Bing search engine. Industry experts say Microsoft really
( )	revenue – from its Windows operating system and its Office suite of programmes. The latter is used largely
( )	for $8.5 billion. Microsoft hopes to link Skype’s free and low-cost telephone and video services to products
( )	use Skype’s Internet-to-land-line pay service. The rest use the free Internet service.
( )	The Skype deal is one of the largest purchases ever made by Microsoft. Executives
( )	and Google in the video chat market. One analyst Richard Edwards said: “Skype is
( )	businesses. Microsoft needs to turn Skype around. In 2010, the company made
( )	needs Skype and its 600 million customers to compete with rivals Apple
( )	undoubtedly the product Microsoft needs to stay in the game."

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	telephone and low Link - Skype’s cost free.
2.	like Products system game 360 Xbox the.
3.	say experts Industry Skype needs really Microsoft.
4.	Apple Google Compete rivals and with.
5.	the in stay to needs Microsoft game.
6.	the deal largest is one The of Skype.
7.	of It only sources has main revenue currently two.
8.	The businesses by largely used is latter.
9.	Skype needs turn around Microsoft to.
10.	Internet free the use rest The service.

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Skype. Include imaginary interviews with the boss 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 a Skype user. Ask him/her three questions about Skype. Give him/her three of your opinions on Microsoft buying Skype. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Microsoft Buys Skype (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)