Elon Musk’s recent outburst against advertisers boycotting X, formerly known as Twitter, has raised concerns about the company’s financial stability. With advertisers leaving and showing no signs of returning, the question arises: can X survive under Musk’s leadership? Last year, around 90% of X’s revenue came from advertising, making it a crucial aspect of the business. Musk himself acknowledged this, stating that if the company fails, it will be due to the advertiser boycott. The ad boycott has already caused retail giant Walmart to withdraw its advertising from X.

The decline in advertising revenue poses a significant threat to X’s financial health. Musk has already reduced the company’s workforce and is burdened with loans totaling about $13 billion. The company’s ability to service these loans and pay its staff is crucial to its survival. While bankruptcy is an extreme scenario that Musk would likely want to avoid, it remains a possibility if X cannot meet its financial obligations.

Musk has a few options to prevent bankruptcy. He could inject more of his own money into the company, renegotiate with banks for more favorable interest payments, or explore alternative revenue streams. Musk has already launched a new audio and video calls service and aims to expand X’s offerings to include chat and online payments. Additionally, X possesses a vast amount of valuable data that can be used to train chatbots. However, these initiatives may not be enough to offset the loss of advertising revenue in the short term.

Finding a new revenue stream quickly is crucial for X’s survival. Musk’s profane outburst against advertisers has left many puzzled, as it does not align with a clear revenue strategy. While X may have potential in the long run, it currently faces significant financial challenges. Musk’s reputation and ability to borrow money in the future could be negatively impacted if bankruptcy were to occur. Ultimately, X must find a way to fill the void left by advertisers to secure its future.

Original news source: Could X go bankrupt under Elon Musk? (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In this activity, students will work in pairs or small groups to summarize the key points of the article. Each group will take turns presenting their summary to the class, focusing on the main ideas, supporting details, and any relevant vocabulary.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss their opinion on whether X can survive under Musk’s leadership. Each group should come up with at least three reasons to support their opinion. Afterward, conduct a class-wide poll to see the distribution of opinions and have a brief discussion on the different perspectives.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to choose a key moment or concept from the article to sketch. After a set amount of time, have students share their sketches with a partner or small group and explain the significance of their chosen scene. This activity encourages creativity and visual interpretation of the text.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Create a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into teams and have one student from each team come up to the board. The student will choose a word from the list and draw a picture to represent it, while their team tries to guess the word. This activity helps reinforce vocabulary retention and encourages teamwork.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a set amount of time (e.g., 1 minute) to summarize the article to their partner. After the time is up, have the pairs switch roles and summarize again. Repeat this process a few times, gradually reducing the time limit. This activity helps students practice summarizing skills and improves their ability to extract key information efficiently.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is Elon Musk’s outburst against advertisers boycotting X raising concerns about the company’s financial stability?
2. What percentage of X’s revenue came from advertising last year?
3. According to Musk, what would be the cause of X’s failure?
4. What company has already withdrawn its advertising from X due to the ad boycott?
5. What are some options that Musk has to prevent bankruptcy for X?
6. What initiatives has Musk already launched to try to offset the loss of advertising revenue?
7. Why is finding a new revenue stream quickly crucial for X’s survival?
8. How could bankruptcy negatively impact Musk’s reputation and ability to borrow money in the future?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Elon Musk’s recent (1)______ against (2)______s boycotting X, formerly known as Twitter, has raised concerns about the company’s (3)______ stability. With advertisers leaving and showing no signs of returning, the question arises: can X survive under Musk’s leadership? Last year, around 90% of X’s revenue came from advertising, making it a (4)______ aspect of the business. Musk himself acknowledged this, stating that if the company fails, it will be due to the advertiser boycott. The ad boycott has already caused retail giant Walmart to withdraw its (5)______ from X.

The decline in advertising revenue poses a significant (6)______ to X’s financial health. Musk has already reduced the company’s workforce and is burdened with loans totaling about $13 billion. The company’s ability to service these loans and pay its staff is crucial to its (7)______. While bankruptcy is an extreme scenario that Musk would likely want to (8)______, it remains a possibility if X cannot meet its financial obligations.

Musk has a few (9)______ to prevent bankruptcy. He could inject more of his own money into the company, renegotiate with banks for more favorable interest payments, or explore alternative revenue streams. Musk has already launched a new audio and video calls (10)______ and aims to expand X’s offerings to include chat and online payments. Additionally, X possesses a vast amount of valuable data that can be used to train chatbots. However, these initiatives may not be (11)______ to (12)______ the loss of advertising revenue in the short term.

Finding a new revenue (13)______ quickly is crucial for X’s survival. Musk’s profane outburst against advertisers has left many puzzled, as it does not align with a clear revenue strategy. While X may have potential in the long run, it currently faces significant financial challenges. Musk’s (14)______ and ability to borrow money in the future could be negatively (15)______ if (16)______ were to occur. Ultimately, X must find a way to fill the void left by advertisers to secure its future.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What do you think about Elon Musk’s outburst against advertisers boycotting X? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you were an advertiser considering whether or not to continue advertising on X? Why?
3. Do you think X can survive under Musk’s leadership? Why or why not?
4. What do you think are the biggest financial challenges that X is currently facing?
5. How do you think Musk could prevent bankruptcy for X? Why or why not?
6. What do you think are the potential risks of Musk injecting more of his own money into the company?
7. How would you feel if you were a current employee of X, knowing that the company is burdened with loans and facing financial challenges? Why?
8. Do you think X’s new audio and video calls service will be successful in generating revenue? Why or why not?
9. How do you think X could use its valuable data to train chatbots and generate revenue?
10. What do you think are the long-term potential revenue streams for X, aside from advertising?
11. How do you think Musk’s reputation and ability to borrow money could be affected if X were to declare bankruptcy?
12. How would you feel if you were a shareholder of X, knowing that the company is in financial trouble? Why?
13. Do you think X should prioritize finding a new revenue stream quickly, or focus on improving its advertising strategy? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the advertiser boycott will impact X’s future growth and success?
15. What do you think X needs to do in order to fill the void left by advertisers and secure its future? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. outburst
2. advertisers
3. stability
4. revenue
5. crucial
6. decline
7. threat
8. workforce
9. loans
10. bankruptcy
11. inject
12. renegotiate
13. revenue streams
14. offset
15. void

Meanings:
(A) The state of being unable to pay debts and having assets taken over by a court
(B) Money that is borrowed and must be paid back with interest
(C) The state of being steady and not likely to change or fail
(D) Extremely important or necessary
(E) An empty or unfilled space or gap
(F) To balance or counteract something, especially a loss or disadvantage
(G) To introduce or add something, especially money or resources, into a situation
(H) The group of people who work for a particular company or organization
(I) A sudden and intense expression of emotion or anger
(J) The income generated from business activities
(K) To negotiate or discuss again in order to reach a new agreement
(L) A decrease or reduction in quantity or quality
(M) Something that has the potential to cause harm or damage
(N) Companies or individuals who pay to have their products or services promoted
(O) Different sources of income or revenue for a business or organization
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the main source of revenue for X?
(a) Online payments
(b) Advertising
(c) Chatbots
(d) Audio and video calls

2. Who recently withdrew its advertising from X?
(a) Walmart
(b) Target
(c) Amazon
(d) Best Buy

3. What is the potential consequence if X cannot meet its financial obligations?
(a) Expansion
(b) Bankruptcy
(c) Renegotiation
(d) Profit

4. What are some options that Musk has to prevent bankruptcy?
(a) Inject more of his own money, renegotiate with banks, explore alternative revenue streams
(b) Increase advertising revenue, reduce workforce, launch new products
(c) Sell the company, take out more loans, increase interest payments
(d) Ignore the financial challenges, focus on long-term potential, rely on investor funding

5. What new service has Musk recently launched?
(a) Online payments
(b) Chatbots
(c) Advertising platform
(d) Audio and video calls

6. What is crucial for X’s survival?
(a) Increasing advertising revenue
(b) Filling the void left by advertisers
(c) Expanding the workforce
(d) Finding a new revenue stream quickly

7. What could be negatively impacted if bankruptcy were to occur?
(a) X’s long-term potential
(b) Advertisers’ confidence in the company
(c) Musk’s reputation and ability to borrow money in the future
(d) X’s ability to launch new products

8. What does Musk attribute the potential failure of X to?
(a) Lack of innovation
(b) Poor leadership
(c) The advertiser boycott
(d) Economic recession

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The ad boycott has already led to Walmart withdrawing its advertising from X.
2. The decline in advertising revenue does not pose a significant threat to X’s financial health.
3. Finding a new revenue stream quickly is crucial for X’s survival.
4. Musk himself has not acknowledged that if X fails, it will be due to the advertiser boycott.
5. The advertiser boycott has not raised concerns about X’s financial stability.
6. Last year, 90% of X’s revenue came from advertising.
7. Elon Musk recently expressed frustration with advertisers boycotting X, formerly known as Twitter.
8. Musk does not have options to prevent bankruptcy and cannot inject more of his own money into the company or explore alternative revenue streams.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the main concern regarding X’s financial stability?
2. How much of X’s revenue came from advertising last year?
3. What has the ad boycott already caused?
4. What options does Musk have to prevent bankruptcy?
5. Why is finding a new revenue stream quickly crucial for X’s survival?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Elon Musk’s outburst against advertisers boycotting X raises concerns about the company’s financial stability because it indicates that the company is losing advertisers and there are no signs of them returning. This decline in advertising revenue poses a significant threat to X’s financial health.

2. Around 90% of X’s revenue came from advertising last year, making it a crucial aspect of the business.

3. According to Musk, if X fails, it will be due to the advertiser boycott.

4. Retail giant Walmart has already withdrawn its advertising from X due to the ad boycott.

5. Some options that Musk has to prevent bankruptcy for X include injecting more of his own money into the company, renegotiating with banks for more favorable interest payments, and exploring alternative revenue streams.

6. Musk has already launched a new audio and video calls service and aims to expand X’s offerings to include chat and online payments.

7. Finding a new revenue stream quickly is crucial for X’s survival because the decline in advertising revenue is threatening the company’s financial health. Without a new source of revenue, X may not be able to meet its financial obligations and could potentially face bankruptcy.

8. Bankruptcy could negatively impact Musk’s reputation and ability to borrow money in the future because it would indicate a failure in managing X’s finances. Lenders and investors may be less willing to trust Musk with their money if he is associated with a bankrupt company.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) outburst
(2) advertiser
(3) financial
(4) crucial
(5) advertising
(6) threat
(7) survival
(8) avoid
(9) options
(10) service
(11) enough
(12) offset
(13) stream
(14) reputation
(15) impacted
(16) bankruptcy
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. outburst
Answer: (I) A sudden and intense expression of emotion or anger

2. advertisers
Answer: (N) Companies or individuals who pay to have their products or services promoted

3. stability
Answer: (C) The state of being steady and not likely to change or fail

4. revenue
Answer: (J) The income generated from business activities

5. crucial
Answer: (D) Extremely important or necessary

6. decline
Answer: (L) A decrease or reduction in quantity or quality

7. threat
Answer: (M) Something that has the potential to cause harm or damage

8. workforce
Answer: (H) The group of people who work for a particular company or organization

9. loans
Answer: (B) Money that is borrowed and must be paid back with interest

10. bankruptcy
Answer: (A) The state of being unable to pay debts and having assets taken over by a court

11. inject
Answer: (G) To introduce or add something, especially money or resources, into a situation

12. renegotiate
Answer: (K) To negotiate or discuss again in order to reach a new agreement

13. revenue streams
Answer: (O) Different sources of income or revenue for a business or organization

14. offset
Answer: (F) To balance or counteract something, especially a loss or disadvantage

15. void
Answer: (E) An empty or unfilled space or gap
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the main source of revenue for X?
Answer: (b) Advertising

2. Who recently withdrew its advertising from X?
Answer: (a) Walmart

3. What is the potential consequence if X cannot meet its financial obligations?
Answer: (b) Bankruptcy

4. What are some options that Musk has to prevent bankruptcy?
Answer: (a) Inject more of his own money, renegotiate with banks, explore alternative revenue streams

5. What new service has Musk recently launched?
Answer: (d) Audio and video calls

6. What is crucial for X’s survival?
Answer: (d) Finding a new revenue stream quickly

7. What could be negatively impacted if bankruptcy were to occur?
Answer: (c) Musk’s reputation and ability to borrow money in the future

8. What does Musk attribute the potential failure of X to?
Answer: (c) The advertiser boycott
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The ad boycott has already led to Walmart withdrawing its advertising from X. (Answer: True)
2. The decline in advertising revenue does not pose a significant threat to X’s financial health. (Answer: False)
3. Finding a new revenue stream quickly is crucial for X’s survival. (Answer: True)
4. Musk himself has not acknowledged that if X fails, it will be due to the advertiser boycott. (Answer: False)
5. The advertiser boycott has not raised concerns about X’s financial stability. (Answer: False)
6. Last year, 90% of X’s revenue came from advertising. (Answer: True)
7. Elon Musk recently expressed frustration with advertisers boycotting X, formerly known as Twitter. (Answer: True)
8. Musk does not have options to prevent bankruptcy and cannot inject more of his own money into the company or explore alternative revenue streams. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧