Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), has announced that the social media platform will introduce two new subscription options. One option will have all the features but will still have ads, while the other option will be more expensive but will be ad-free. The details of these plans have not been revealed yet, and it is unclear if there will be any free options available.
X has already started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 to use the platform. If you don’t subscribe, you will have limited access and can only read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts. Musk thinks charging for the service will help get rid of bots and fake accounts. Since taking over the company last year, he has been trying to get users to pay for an enhanced service called X Premium. Some users already pay $8 per month for the blue check subscription, and the “Not A Bot” subscription is meant to reduce spam and bot activity.
Musk has faced challenges in making money from X, like advertisers stopping ads because of inappropriate content. He has made changes to the platform, like laying off employees and getting rid of content moderation teams, which have affected revenue. Musk blames activists for pressuring advertisers and has tried to bring them back with discounts. Other tech companies, like YouTube and Netflix, have also tried a mix of ads and subscriptions.
The European Commission is investigating X to see if it follows new rules about illegal and harmful content. This investigation started because of the spread of false information on the platform after Hamas attacked Israel. We don’t know yet how X will deal with these concerns and change its business model.
Original news source: Elon Musk says X to have two new premium tiers (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and write a brief summary of the main points. They can then share their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will form small groups and discuss their opinions on whether social media platforms should have subscription options. They will then conduct a poll within their group to see how many agree or disagree with the idea. Each group will share their findings with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a list of vocabulary words from the article. One member from each team will come to the front of the class and have one minute to draw representations of the words while their team guesses. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Write key words from the article on the board but leave out the vowels. Students will take turns guessing the missing vowels and trying to guess the word. The student who guesses correctly gets to choose the next word.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of social media platforms and subscription options. They will then share their predictions with the class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What are the two new subscription options that Elon Musk announced for X?
2. Why did X start charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines?
3. What is the purpose of the “Not A Bot” subscription on X?
4. What challenges has Elon Musk faced in making money from X?
5. How has Musk tried to bring back advertisers to X?
6. Why is the European Commission investigating X?
7. What triggered the investigation by the European Commission?
8. What changes might X make to its business model in response to the investigation?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), has announced that the social media platform will (1)______ two new subscription (2)______s. One option will have all the features but will still have ads, while the other option will be more expensive but will be ad-free. The details of these plans have not been revealed yet, and it is (3)______ if there will be any free options (4)______.
X has already started charging new (5)______ in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 to use the (6)______. If you don’t subscribe, you will have limited access and can only read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts. Musk thinks (7)______ for the service will help get rid of bots and fake accounts. Since taking over the company last year, he has been trying to get users to pay for an enhanced service called X Premium. Some users already pay $8 per (8)______ for the blue check subscription, and the “Not A Bot” subscription is meant to reduce spam and bot activity.
Musk has (9)______ challenges in making money from X, like advertisers stopping ads because of inappropriate content. He has made changes to the platform, like laying off employees and getting rid of content (10)______ teams, which have affected (11)______. Musk blames (12)______ for pressuring advertisers and has tried to bring them back with discounts. Other tech companies, like YouTube and Netflix, have also tried a mix of ads and (13)______.
The European Commission is investigating X to see if it follows new rules about illegal and harmful (14)______. This investigation (15)______ because of the (16)______ of false information on the platform after Hamas attacked Israel. We don’t know yet how X will deal with these concerns and change its business model.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What do you think about the idea of having to pay for a social media platform like X?
2. How would you feel if you had to pay extra to use X without ads?
3. Do you think charging for the service will actually help get rid of bots and fake accounts? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the concept of a “blue check subscription” on X? Do you think it’s worth paying for?
5. How do you feel about the changes that Musk has made to X, like laying off employees and getting rid of content moderation teams?
6. Do you think activists should have the power to pressure advertisers to stop using a platform like X? Why or why not?
7. What are your thoughts on the European Commission investigating X for illegal and harmful content? Do you think it’s necessary?
8. How do you think X should address the concerns about false information being spread on the platform?
9. Do you think it’s fair for tech companies like X, YouTube, and Netflix to use a mix of ads and subscriptions to make money?
10. What is your opinion on the idea of having limited access to X if you don’t subscribe?
11. How would you feel if X introduced free options with limited features alongside the subscription options?
12. Do you think it’s important for social media platforms to have ad-free options? Why or why not?
13. What do you think about Elon Musk’s approach to making money from X? Do you think it’s effective?
14. How do you think X can attract advertisers back to the platform after they stopped using it due to inappropriate content?
15. Do you think other social media platforms should follow X’s example and introduce subscription options? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. subscription
2. options
3. ads
4. expensive
5. access
6. bots
7. revenue
8. investigation
Meanings:
(a) Choices or alternatives
(b) A formal examination or inquiry into something
(c) The ability to use or enter something
(d) A service that you pay for regularly
(e) Short for advertisements, things that promote products
(f) Money that a company earns
(g) Costing a lot of money
(h) Automated accounts that pretend to be real people
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Who is the CEO of X?
(a) Mark Zuckerberg
(b) Elon Musk
(c) Jack Dorsey
(d) Sundar Pichai
2. What are the two new subscription options on X?
(a) One with ads and one ad-free
(b) One with ads and one with limited features
(c) One with limited features and one ad-free
(d) One with limited features and one with ads
3. Which countries are currently being charged $1 to use X?
(a) United States and Canada
(b) United Kingdom and Australia
(c) Germany and France
(d) New Zealand and the Philippines
4. Why does Elon Musk think charging for the service will help?
(a) To increase revenue for X
(b) To attract more advertisers
(c) To get rid of bots and fake accounts
(d) To improve the user experience
5. What are some of the changes Musk has made to X?
(a) Adding more features and improving content moderation
(b) Increasing the number of ads and reducing subscription prices
(c) Laying off employees and getting rid of content moderation teams
(d) Hiring more employees and improving customer support
6. What has affected X’s revenue?
(a) Advertisers stopping ads because of inappropriate content
(b) Lack of user engagement
(c) Competition from other social media platforms
(d) Technical issues and server crashes
7. Why is the European Commission investigating X?
(a) To determine its market dominance in Europe
(b) To see if it follows new rules about illegal and harmful content
(c) To assess its impact on user privacy
(d) To investigate its advertising practices
8. What event triggered the investigation by the European Commission?
(a) X’s failure to comply with data protection regulations
(b) A major data breach on the platform
(c) X’s involvement in a political scandal
(d) The spread of false information after Hamas attacked Israel
True or False Questions:
1. Musk believes charging for the service will help eliminate bots and fake accounts.
2. Some users do not pay $8 per month for a subscription called X Premium, while another subscription called “Not A Bot” aims to increase spam and bot activity.
3. One subscription option will not include all the features and will still have ads, while the other option will be less expensive but will have ads.
4. If you don’t subscribe, you will have limited access and can only read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts.
5. X has not yet started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 to use the platform.
6. X has faced challenges in making money, such as advertisers stopping ads due to inappropriate content, leading to changes in the platform and employee layoffs.
7. Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), has announced that the social media platform will introduce two new subscription options.
8. The details of these subscription plans have been revealed, and there will be free options available.
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 are the two new subscription options that Elon Musk announced for X?
2. Why does Musk think charging for the service will help get rid of bots and fake accounts?
3. What challenges has Musk faced in making money from X?
4. How has Musk tried to bring back advertisers to X?
5. Why is the European Commission investigating X?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What are the two new subscription options that Elon Musk announced for X?
Elon Musk announced that X will introduce two new subscription options: one option will have all the features but will still have ads, while the other option will be more expensive but will be ad-free.
2. Why did X start charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines?
X started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines to help get rid of bots and fake accounts, as well as to generate revenue for the platform.
3. What is the purpose of the “Not A Bot” subscription on X?
The purpose of the “Not A Bot” subscription on X is to reduce spam and bot activity on the platform.
4. What challenges has Elon Musk faced in making money from X?
Elon Musk has faced challenges in making money from X, such as advertisers stopping ads because of inappropriate content. He has also had to make changes to the platform, like laying off employees and getting rid of content moderation teams, which have affected revenue.
5. How has Musk tried to bring back advertisers to X?
Musk has tried to bring back advertisers to X by offering them discounts and making changes to the platform to address their concerns about inappropriate content.
6. Why is the European Commission investigating X?
The European Commission is investigating X to see if it follows new rules about illegal and harmful content.
7. What triggered the investigation by the European Commission?
The investigation by the European Commission was triggered by the spread of false information on X after Hamas attacked Israel.
8. What changes might X make to its business model in response to the investigation?
It is unclear what changes X might make to its business model in response to the investigation, but they will likely need to address concerns about illegal and harmful content and potentially make adjustments to their content moderation practices.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) introduce
(2) option
(3) unclear
(4) available
(5) users
(6) platform
(7) charging
(8) month
(9) faced
(10) moderation
(11) revenue
(12) activists
(13) subscriptions
(14) content
(15) started
(16) spread
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. subscription
Answer: (d) A service that you pay for regularly
2. options
Answer: (a) Choices or alternatives
3. ads
Answer: (e) Short for advertisements, things that promote products
4. expensive
Answer: (g) Costing a lot of money
5. access
Answer: (c) The ability to use or enter something
6. bots
Answer: (h) Automated accounts that pretend to be real people
7. revenue
Answer: (f) Money that a company earns
8. investigation
Answer: (b) A formal examination or inquiry into something
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Who is the CEO of X?
Answer: (b) Elon Musk
2. What are the two new subscription options on X?
Answer: (a) One with ads and one ad-free
3. Which countries are currently being charged $1 to use X?
Answer: (d) New Zealand and the Philippines
4. Why does Elon Musk think charging for the service will help?
Answer: (c) To get rid of bots and fake accounts
5. What are some of the changes Musk has made to X?
Answer: (c) Laying off employees and getting rid of content moderation teams
6. What has affected X’s revenue?
Answer: (a) Advertisers stopping ads because of inappropriate content
7. Why is the European Commission investigating X?
Answer: (b) To see if it follows new rules about illegal and harmful content
8. What event triggered the investigation by the European Commission?
Answer: (d) The spread of false information after Hamas attacked Israel
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Musk believes charging for the service will help eliminate bots and fake accounts. (Answer: True)
2. Some users do not pay $8 per month for a subscription called X Premium, while another subscription called “Not A Bot” aims to increase spam and bot activity. (Answer: False)
3. One subscription option will not include all the features and will still have ads, while the other option will be less expensive but will have ads. (Answer: False)
4. If you don’t subscribe, you will have limited access and can only read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts. (Answer: True)
5. X has not yet started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 to use the platform. (Answer: False)
6. X has faced challenges in making money, such as advertisers stopping ads due to inappropriate content, leading to changes in the platform and employee layoffs. (Answer: True)
7. Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), has announced that the social media platform will introduce two new subscription options. (Answer: True)
8. The details of these subscription plans have been revealed, and there will be free options available. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
