Start something” with old Microsoft. 1. Vocabulary extension: Choose several of the words from the text

ANSWERS

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. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find information on Microsoft. Share your findings with your class next lesson.

3. REVIEW: Imagine you are a reviewer for a computer magazine. Write a review of the operating system you use. Read your review in your next class and see how many people agree with you.

4. LETTER: Write a letter to Microsoft or Apple outlining what you really want to see included in the next releases of their operating systems. Read your letter in your next class and see how many people want the same things.

TRUE / FALSE:

a. Microsoft has a new and expensive advertising campaign. T

b. The latest Microsoft operating system came out last year. F

c. The next Microsoft OS is slated for sometime late next year. T

d. Microsoft has more than 95 per cent of the sales for operating systems. F

e. Microsoft wants its products to enable us to pursue our passions. T

f. The new Windows “Passion” website lists a multitude of passions. F

g. The new website invites us to start something new. T

h. Microsoft wants us to believe its aged software can fire our passions. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

PHRASE MATCH:

SYNONYM FILL:

Microsoft is about to ----- 5 ----- on one of the biggest, longest and most expensive advertising campaigns ever – for a product that is at least four years old. The massive fifteen-month, $200 million extravaganza will focus solely on the Windows operating system, the last release of which was Windows XP in 2001. Many industry analysts see the move as filling the gap until the next version of Windows, codenamed Longhorn, arrives, ----- 3 ----- for sometime late next year. Other marketing experts believe the campaign is in partial response to Apple’s yearly releases of its significantly improving and impressive OS. This seems unlikely considering Microsoft enjoys a near 95 percent slice of the OS market. Microsoft’s take is simply that it wants to ----- 6 ----- consumer interest in Windows.

The campaign is called “Start Something” and will be encouraging all computer users literally to start something new, follow their dreams and ----- 1 ----- what they are passionate about, of course by buying and using Windows. The ads show a window over the hearts of people, revealing a ----- 2 ----- of “passions”. Strangely, the new www.windows.com/Passion website is somewhat limited to just five passions – cooking, education, music, sports and travel. Visitors to this site are invited to “Start something fun. Start something productive.” Further clicking will lead to starting things ----- 4 -----, educational, sonic, athletic or worldly. Unfortunately, these new “somethings” seem as unoriginal as the outdated Windows OS itself. Regardless, Microsoft wants us to believe its aged software can rekindle and fire our passions.