Elon Musk recently got upset about advertisers boycotting X, which used to be called Twitter. This has made people worried about whether X can stay financially stable. Last year, most of X’s money came from advertising, so this boycott is a big deal. Musk even said that if the company fails, it will be because of the boycott. Walmart has already stopped advertising on X because of it.

The boycott is causing X to lose a lot of money. Musk has already had to lay off some employees and the company owes about $13 billion in loans. It’s really important for X to be able to pay back these loans and keep paying its staff. Musk definitely doesn’t want the company to go bankrupt, but it could happen if X can’t meet its financial responsibilities.

Musk has a few options to avoid bankruptcy. He could put more of his own money into the company, talk to the banks to get better loan terms, or find other ways to make money. He’s already started a new service for calls and videos, and he wants to add chat and online payments too. X also has a lot of valuable data that could be used to train chatbots. But these things might not be enough to make up for the money lost from advertising right away.

It’s really important for X to find a new way to make money soon. Musk’s angry outburst at advertisers has confused a lot of people because it doesn’t seem like he has a clear plan for making money. While X might have potential in the future, it’s facing some big financial problems right now. If X goes bankrupt, it could hurt Musk’s reputation and make it harder for him to borrow money in the future. X needs to figure out how to replace the money it’s losing from advertisers to make sure it can keep going.

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:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Assign each group a specific aspect of the article to focus on (e.g. the boycott, Musk’s options, X’s financial problems).
3. Give the groups a few minutes to read and discuss their assigned aspect.
4. Instruct each group to summarize their assigned aspect in a sentence or two.
5. Have each group present their summary to the class.
6. Facilitate a class discussion to compare and contrast the different summaries.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Assign each group a specific question related to the article (e.g. Do you think X will go bankrupt? Should Musk invest more of his own money in the company?).
3. Instruct each group to discuss the question and come up with their own opinion.
4. Have each group present their opinion to the class.
5. Facilitate a class discussion to explore different viewpoints and reasoning.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper.
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Distribute the vocabulary words randomly to each group.
4. Instruct each group to take turns drawing a picture representing the vocabulary word, without using any letters or numbers.
5. The other group members must guess the word based on the drawing.
6. Rotate the roles until all the vocabulary words have been guessed.

– Sketch It
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Assign each group a specific scene or scenario from the article (e.g. Musk’s angry outburst, X losing money).
3. Instruct each group to create a sketch or comic strip illustrating their assigned scene or scenario.
4. Give the groups time to draw and discuss their sketches.
5. Have each group present their sketch to the class.
6. Facilitate a class discussion to analyze and interpret the different sketches.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Give each student a few minutes to read the article individually.
2. Instruct the students to think about the main idea or key takeaways from the article.
3. Pair up the students and have them discuss their thoughts with their partner.
4. After the discussion, bring the class back together and ask a few students to share their partner’s thoughts or their own thoughts.
5. Facilitate a class discussion to explore different perspectives and insights.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why are people worried about X’s financial stability?
2. How has the boycott affected X’s finances?
3. What options does Elon Musk have to avoid bankruptcy for X?
4. What new services has Musk started for X?
5. Why is it important for X to find a new way to make money soon?
6. Why did Musk’s angry outburst confuse a lot of people?
7. What could happen to Musk’s reputation if X goes bankrupt?
8. Why does X need to replace the money it’s losing from advertisers?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Elon Musk recently got (1)______ about (2)______ boycotting X, which used to be called Twitter. This has made (3)______ worried about whether X can stay financially stable. Last year, most of X’s money came from advertising, so this boycott is a big deal. Musk even said that if the company fails, it will be because of the boycott. Walmart has already stopped advertising on X because of it.

The boycott is (4)______ X to lose a lot of money. Musk has already had to lay off some employees and the company owes about $13 billion in (5)______. It’s really important for X to be able to pay back these loans and keep paying its staff. Musk definitely doesn’t want the company to go (6)______, but it could happen if X can’t meet its (7)______ responsibilities.

Musk has a few options to (8)______ bankruptcy. He could put more of his own money into the company, talk to the banks to get better loan (9)______, or find other ways to make money. He’s already started a new (10)______ for (11)______ and videos, and he wants to add chat and online payments too. X also has a lot of valuable data that could be used to train chatbots. But these things might not be enough to make up for the money lost from (12)______ right away.

It’s really important for X to find a new way to make money soon. Musk’s angry outburst at advertisers has confused a lot of people because it doesn’t seem like he has a (13)______ plan for making money. While X might have (14)______ in the future, it’s facing some big financial problems right now. If X goes bankrupt, it could hurt Musk’s reputation and make it harder for him to borrow money in the future. X needs to (15)______ out how to replace the money it’s losing from advertisers to make sure it can keep (16)______.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a boycott and why do you think advertisers are boycotting X?
2. How would you feel if you lost your job because the company you worked for couldn’t pay its bills?
3. Do you think it’s fair for Elon Musk to blame the boycott for X’s potential failure? Why or why not?
4. What do you think are some other options that Elon Musk could explore to save X from bankruptcy?
5. How do you think the boycott will affect X’s reputation among other companies?
6. Do you think it’s important for X to find a new way to make money quickly? Why or why not?
7. What are some potential consequences for Elon Musk if X goes bankrupt?
8. How do you think the boycott will impact Elon Musk’s ability to borrow money in the future?
9. What is a chatbot and how do you think X’s valuable data could be used to train them?
10. How do you think the new services for calls, videos, chat, and online payments will help X make money?
11. Do you think X will be able to recover from the financial problems it’s facing? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the boycott will affect X’s employees and their job security?
13. What are some other companies or industries that have faced financial problems due to boycotts or other reasons?
14. How do you think the boycott will impact X’s ability to compete with other social media platforms?
15. Do you think X should rebrand itself to distance from the boycott? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. stable
2. boycott
3. financially
4. advertising
5. bankrupt
6. responsibilities
7. options
8. loan
9. valuable
10. chatbots
11. potential
12. reputation
13. borrow
14. replace
15. figure out

Meanings:
(A) Not changing or likely to change; steady
(B) Computer programs that simulate conversation with human users
(C) Duties or tasks that one is required to fulfill
(D) Refusing to buy or support something as a form of protest
(E) To understand or solve a problem or mystery
(F) Money that is borrowed and must be paid back with interest
(G) Promoting a product or service through paid announcements
(H) To take and use something with the intention of returning it
(I) Unable to pay debts and meet financial obligations
(J) Choices or alternatives that can be taken
(K) To find a substitute or fill a vacancy
(L) Relating to money and finances
(M) Having great worth or importance
(N) The opinion or view that others have of someone or something
(O) Having the possibility to become successful or achieve something
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the main concern regarding X’s financial stability?
(a) The boycott by advertisers
(b) Elon Musk’s anger
(c) Walmart’s decision to stop advertising
(d) X’s potential for bankruptcy

2. How did the boycott affect X’s finances?
(a) X gained more money
(b) X lost a lot of money
(c) X’s loans were paid off
(d) X’s staff received a raise

3. What options does Musk have to avoid bankruptcy?
(a) Putting more of his own money into the company
(b) Talking to the banks for better loan terms
(c) Finding other ways to make money
(d) All of the above

4. What new services has Musk started to generate income?
(a) Chat and online payments
(b) Advertising and marketing
(c) None of the above
(d) Calls and videos

5. Why did Musk’s angry outburst confuse people?
(a) People were unsure about X’s future potential
(b) It didn’t seem like he had a clear plan for making money
(c) Advertisers were not affected by the boycott
(d) Musk’s reputation was already damaged

6. What could happen if X goes bankrupt?
(a) It could make it harder for Musk to borrow money in the future
(b) X’s employees would lose their jobs
(c) It could hurt Musk’s reputation
(d) All of the above

7. What does X need to do to ensure its survival?
(a) Increase advertising efforts
(b) Lay off more employees
(c) Ignore the boycott
(d) Find a new way to make money

8. What is the main concern for X’s future?
(a) Musk’s anger towards advertisers
(b) Walmart’s decision to stop advertising
(c) Replacing the money lost from advertisers
(d) X’s potential for bankruptcy

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Walmart has already stopped advertising on X due to the boycott.
2. If X goes bankrupt, it could harm Musk’s reputation and make it more difficult for him to borrow money in the future.
3. X owes around $13 billion in loans but has not had to lay off any employees as a result of the financial strain.
4. Musk has no options to avoid bankruptcy, such as investing more of his own money, negotiating better loan terms, or finding alternative sources of income.
5. The boycott is not causing X to lose a significant amount of money and has not made people worried about its financial stability.
6. Last year, most of X’s revenue came from advertising, so the boycott is a major issue for the company.
7. Elon Musk is upset about advertisers boycotting a platform called X, which used to be called Twitter.
8. X has not started a new service for calls and videos and has no plans to add chat and online payments, but it may be enough to compensate for the lost advertising revenue immediately.
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. Why are people worried about the financial stability of X, formerly known as Twitter?
2. What is the main source of X’s income?
3. Why did Walmart stop advertising on X?
4. What are some consequences of the boycott on X’s finances?
5. What are some options that Elon Musk has to prevent X from going bankrupt?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why are people worried about X’s financial stability?
People are worried because X relies heavily on advertising for its revenue, and the recent boycott by advertisers has caused a significant loss of money.

2. How has the boycott affected X’s finances?
The boycott has caused X to lose a lot of money, leading to layoffs and the accumulation of $13 billion in loans.

3. What options does Elon Musk have to avoid bankruptcy for X?
Elon Musk could invest more of his own money into the company, negotiate better loan terms with banks, or find new ways to generate revenue.

4. What new services has Musk started for X?
Musk has started a new service for calls and videos and plans to add chat and online payments as well.

5. Why is it important for X to find a new way to make money soon?
It is important for X to find a new way to make money soon because the company is facing financial problems and needs to pay back its loans and continue paying its staff.

6. Why did Musk’s angry outburst confuse a lot of people?
Musk’s angry outburst confused a lot of people because it seemed like he didn’t have a clear plan for making money to replace the lost revenue from advertising.

7. What could happen to Musk’s reputation if X goes bankrupt?
If X goes bankrupt, it could hurt Musk’s reputation and make it more difficult for him to borrow money in the future.

8. Why does X need to replace the money it’s losing from advertisers?
X needs to replace the money it’s losing from advertisers in order to meet its financial responsibilities, pay back its loans, and continue operating as a company.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) upset
(2) advertisers
(3) people
(4) causing
(5) loans
(6) bankrupt
(7) financial
(8) avoid
(9) terms
(10) service
(11) calls
(12) advertising
(13) clear
(14) potential
(15) figure
(16) going
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. stable
Answer: (A) Not changing or likely to change; steady

2. boycott
Answer: (D) Refusing to buy or support something as a form of protest

3. financially
Answer: (L) Relating to money and finances

4. advertising
Answer: (G) Promoting a product or service through paid announcements

5. bankrupt
Answer: (I) Unable to pay debts and meet financial obligations

6. responsibilities
Answer: (C) Duties or tasks that one is required to fulfill

7. options
Answer: (J) Choices or alternatives that can be taken

8. loan
Answer: (F) Money that is borrowed and must be paid back with interest

9. valuable
Answer: (M) Having great worth or importance

10. chatbots
Answer: (B) Computer programs that simulate conversation with human users

11. potential
Answer: (O) Having the possibility to become successful or achieve something

12. reputation
Answer: (N) The opinion or view that others have of someone or something

13. borrow
Answer: (H) To take and use something with the intention of returning it

14. replace
Answer: (K) To find a substitute or fill a vacancy

15. figure out
Answer: (E) To understand or solve a problem or mystery
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the main concern regarding X’s financial stability?
Answer: (a) The boycott by advertisers

2. How did the boycott affect X’s finances?
Answer: (b) X lost a lot of money

3. What options does Musk have to avoid bankruptcy?
Answer: (a) Putting more of his own money into the company

4. What new services has Musk started to generate income?
Answer: (d) Calls and videos

5. Why did Musk’s angry outburst confuse people?
Answer: (b) It didn’t seem like he had a clear plan for making money

6. What could happen if X goes bankrupt?
Answer: (c) It could hurt Musk’s reputation

7. What does X need to do to ensure its survival?
Answer: (d) Find a new way to make money

8. What is the main concern for X’s future?
Answer: (c) Replacing the money lost from advertisers
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Walmart has already stopped advertising on X due to the boycott. (Answer: True)
2. If X goes bankrupt, it could harm Musk’s reputation and make it more difficult for him to borrow money in the future. (Answer: True)
3. X owes around $13 billion in loans but has not had to lay off any employees as a result of the financial strain. (Answer: False)
4. Musk has no options to avoid bankruptcy, such as investing more of his own money, negotiating better loan terms, or finding alternative sources of income. (Answer: False)
5. The boycott is not causing X to lose a significant amount of money and has not made people worried about its financial stability. (Answer: False)
6. Last year, most of X’s revenue came from advertising, so the boycott is a major issue for the company. (Answer: True)
7. Elon Musk is upset about advertisers boycotting a platform called X, which used to be called Twitter. (Answer: True)
8. X has not started a new service for calls and videos and has no plans to add chat and online payments, but it may be enough to compensate for the lost advertising revenue immediately. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧