Carlos Vasquez is a special video game player who plays games without seeing. He is blind and listens to the sounds in the game to know what to do. Carlos started playing games when he was little, but he lost his sight when he was 11. He plays a fighting game called Mortal Kombat because he can hear the different sounds very well.

Now, some new video games are made so that people who can’t see can still play. There is a racing game that talks to the player to help them drive the car. In Mortal Kombat, they added new sounds to help players know where they are and what the other player is doing. These special sounds help players who can’t see understand where things are in the game.

A long time ago, it was hard to make games for players who can’t see, and big companies didn’t do it much. But some people who make games for fun started to add special things to help blind players. One person made a popular game easier to play for blind people by adding sounds that give information. Carlos now helps make games better for people with disabilities and says that game companies should talk to disabled players to make sure their games can be played by everyone.

Original news source: The pro gamer who has to rely upon sound alone (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. “video game,” “blind player,” “special sounds”). One student from each group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the rest of the group tries to guess what it is.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, have students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and keep their summaries concise.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article (e.g. “Video games should be made accessible for all players,” “Blind people can’t enjoy video games”). Have students walk around the room and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can mark whether they agree or disagree on a scale of 1 to 5. Afterwards, discuss the results as a class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Provide students with a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. “blind,” “sound,” “disabilities”). In pairs, one student chooses a word and draws a picture to represent it, while the other student tries to guess the word based on the drawing. They can also use gestures and actions to help convey the meaning.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In groups of 3-4, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of video games for players with disabilities. They should consider what improvements might be made, what new technologies could be developed, and how these changes could impact the gaming industry. Afterwards, each group can share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is Carlos Vasquez?
2. How does Carlos play video games?
3. What kind of game does Carlos like to play?
4. How do the new video games help people who can’t see?
5. Why didn’t big companies used to make games for players who can’t see?
6. How did some people make games easier for blind players?
7. What does Carlos think game companies should do to make games better for people with disabilities?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Carlos Vasquez is a special video game player who plays games without seeing. He is blind and listens to the sounds in the game to know what to do. Carlos (1)______ playing games when he was (2)______, but he lost his sight when he was 11. He plays a fighting game called (3)______ Kombat because he can hear the different sounds very well.

Now, some new video (4)______s are made so that people who can’t see can still play. There is a racing game that (6)______ to the player to help them drive the car. In Mortal Kombat, they added new sounds to help players know where they are and what the other player is doing. These (7)______ sounds help players who can’t see (8)______ where things are in the game.

A (9)______ time ago, it was hard to make games for players who can’t see, and big companies didn’t do it much. But some people who make games for fun started to add special things to help (10)______ players. One (11)______ made a popular game easier to play for blind people by adding sounds that give information. (12)______ now helps make games better for people with disabilities and says that game companies should talk to disabled players to make sure their games can be played by everyone.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a video game player?
2. How would you feel if you couldn’t see but still wanted to play video games?
3. Do you like playing video games? Why or why not?
4. What is Mortal Kombat?
5. How do you think Carlos knows what to do in the game if he can’t see?
6. Do you think it’s important for video games to be accessible to people with disabilities? Why or why not?
7. What do you think about the idea of adding special sounds to video games to help blind players?
8. How do you think the special sounds in Mortal Kombat help players who can’t see?
9. What do you think about Carlos helping make games better for people with disabilities?
10. Why do you think game companies should talk to disabled players?
11. Have you ever played a video game that had special features for people with disabilities? How did you feel about it?
12. Do you think it’s fair that everyone should be able to play video games, even if they have disabilities? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. special
2. blind
3. sounds
4. sight
5. fighting
6. racing
7. added
8. understand
9. disabilities
10. companies
11. popular
12. information

Meanings:
(A) Facts or details that tell you something about something else
(B) When people or characters struggle against each other in a game or sport
(C) Liked by many people
(D) Unable to see
(E) Things you can hear
(F) Not the same as others, unusual or different in some way
(G) The ability to see with your eyes
(H) Big businesses that make or sell things
(I) A type of game or sport where you try to move fast to win
(J) Conditions that make it difficult for some people to do things that others can do easily
(K) To know what something means or to get the meaning of something
(L) Put something new into something that was there before
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How does Carlos Vasquez play video games?
(a) By watching the screen
(b) By using a special controller
(c) By reading the instructions
(d) By listening to the sounds

2. What game does Carlos Vasquez like to play?
(a) Mario Kart
(b) Mortal Kombat
(c) Minecraft
(d) Fortnite

3. What do the new sounds in Mortal Kombat help players do?
(a) Understand where things are in the game
(b) See the screen better
(c) Control the characters
(d) Play the game faster

4. Why didn’t big companies make games for players who can’t see in the past?
(a) They didn’t think it was important
(b) They didn’t have the technology
(c) They didn’t know how to add sounds
(d) It was difficult to make games for them

5. Who started adding special things to help blind players?
(a) Big video game companies
(b) Carlos Vasquez
(c) People who make games for fun
(d) Players who can’t see

6. How did one person make a popular game easier to play for blind people?
(a) By adding sounds that give information
(b) By making the game simpler
(c) By adding more levels
(d) By changing the characters

7. What does Carlos Vasquez do now to help make games better for people with disabilities?
(a) He talks to game companies
(b) He helps add sounds to games
(c) He teaches blind people how to play
(d) He plays games professionally

8. What does Carlos Vasquez think game companies should do?
(a) Make games more difficult
(b) Stop making games for blind people
(c) Talk to disabled players
(d) Only make games for people who can see

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. In the past, it was easy to make games for blind players, and big companies did it often.
2. There is a racing game that talks to the player and helps them drive the car.
3. Some new video games are not designed for people who can’t see and cannot be played by them.
4. Carlos now hinders making games better for people with disabilities and believes that game companies should not talk to disabled players to ensure their games can be played by everyone.
5. He started playing games when he was young, but lost his sight when he was 11 years old.
6. Carlos Vasquez is a blind video game player who uses his hearing to play games.
7. In Mortal Kombat, no new sounds have been added to help blind players understand where things are in the game.
8. Carlos plays a game called Mortal Kombat because he can hear the different sounds in the game very well.
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. Who is Carlos Vasquez and what is special about him?
2. How does Carlos play video games even though he can’t see?
3. What is the name of the fighting game that Carlos plays?
4. How do the new video games help people who can’t see?
5. Why is it important for game companies to talk to disabled players?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who is Carlos Vasquez?
Carlos Vasquez is a special video game player who is blind.

2. How does Carlos play video games?
Carlos plays video games by listening to the sounds in the game.

3. What kind of game does Carlos like to play?
Carlos likes to play a fighting game called Mortal Kombat.

4. How do the new video games help people who can’t see?
The new video games help people who can’t see by adding special sounds and talking to the player to give them information about the game.

5. Why didn’t big companies used to make games for players who can’t see?
Big companies didn’t used to make games for players who can’t see because it was difficult to do and they didn’t think there were enough players who would want to play.

6. How did some people make games easier for blind players?
Some people made games easier for blind players by adding special sounds and features that give information to the player.

7. What does Carlos think game companies should do to make games better for people with disabilities?
Carlos thinks game companies should talk to disabled players to make sure their games can be played by everyone.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) started
(2) little
(3) Mortal
(4) game
(5) games
(6) talks
(7) special
(8) understand
(9) long
(10) blind
(11) person
(12) Carlos
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. special
Answer: (F) Not the same as others, unusual or different in some way

2. blind
Answer: (D) Unable to see

3. sounds
Answer: (E) Things you can hear

4. sight
Answer: (G) The ability to see with your eyes

5. fighting
Answer: (B) When people or characters struggle against each other in a game or sport

6. racing
Answer: (I) A type of game or sport where you try to move fast to win

7. added
Answer: (L) Put something new into something that was there before

8. understand
Answer: (K) To know what something means or to get the meaning of something

9. disabilities
Answer: (J) Conditions that make it difficult for some people to do things that others can do easily

10. companies
Answer: (H) Big businesses that make or sell things

11. popular
Answer: (C) Liked by many people

12. information
Answer: (A) Facts or details that tell you something about something else
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How does Carlos Vasquez play video games?
Answer: (d) By listening to the sounds

2. What game does Carlos Vasquez like to play?
Answer: (b) Mortal Kombat

3. What do the new sounds in Mortal Kombat help players do?
Answer: (a) Understand where things are in the game

4. Why didn’t big companies make games for players who can’t see in the past?
Answer: (d) It was difficult to make games for them

5. Who started adding special things to help blind players?
Answer: (c) People who make games for fun

6. How did one person make a popular game easier to play for blind people?
Answer: (a) By adding sounds that give information

7. What does Carlos Vasquez do now to help make games better for people with disabilities?
Answer: (b) He helps add sounds to games

8. What does Carlos Vasquez think game companies should do?
Answer: (c) Talk to disabled players
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. In the past, it was easy to make games for blind players, and big companies did it often. (Answer: False)
2. There is a racing game that talks to the player and helps them drive the car. (Answer: True)
3. Some new video games are not designed for people who can’t see and cannot be played by them. (Answer: False)
4. Carlos now hinders making games better for people with disabilities and believes that game companies should not talk to disabled players to ensure their games can be played by everyone. (Answer: False)
5. He started playing games when he was young, but lost his sight when he was 11 years old. (Answer: True)
6. Carlos Vasquez is a blind video game player who uses his hearing to play games. (Answer: True)
7. In Mortal Kombat, no new sounds have been added to help blind players understand where things are in the game. (Answer: False)
8. Carlos plays a game called Mortal Kombat because he can hear the different sounds in the game very well. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧