Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Amazon. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Amazon.com is one of the biggest success stories of the Internet. It was started by Jeff Bezos from a garage in Seattle, Washington in 1995 and is now the largest online retailer in the world. Bezos was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999 for popularizing online shopping. His company originally sold only books but has diversified into selling music, video games, toys, electronics and other popular ranges of goods. Amazon has cleverly marketed itself worldwide by establishing separate websites in different countries. In 2007 Amazon launched its Kindle e-book reader, which now enjoys a huge share of that market. A year later it teamed up with toy and electronics makers to sell goods with minimal packaging to help the environment. It remains an innovative leader in the area of online commerce.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Amazon on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. AMAZON MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Amazon. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Amazon. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Amazon and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Amazon. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Amazon. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
Amazon.com is __________________ success stories of the Internet. It was started by Jeff Bezos from a garage in Seattle, Washington in 1995 __________________ online retailer in the world. Bezos was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999 __________________ shopping. His company __________________ books but has diversified into selling music, video games, toys, electronics and other __________________ goods. Amazon has _____________________ worldwide by establishing separate websites in different countries. In 2007 Amazon launched its Kindle e-book reader, which now __________________ of that market. A year later it teamed up with toy and electronics makers to sell goods with minimal packaging to help the environment. It remains __________________ in the area of online commerce.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Amazon.com is one of the biggest sccsseu stories of the Internet. It was started by Jeff Bezos from a rgeaag in Seattle, Washington in 1995 and is now the largest online lrireate in the world. Bezos was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999 for popularizing onniel shopping. His company originally sold only books but has eiddivirsfe into selling music, video games, toys, electronics and other popular ranges of goods. Amazon has cyllevre marketed itself worldwide by establishing seaaetpr websites in different countries. In 2007 Amazon dcanhuel its Kindle e-book reader, which now enjoys a huge share of that market. A year later it teamed up with toy and electronics makers to sell goods with mmiialn packaging to help the environment. It remains an aivnoeitnv leader in the area of online commerce.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Amazon.com the of one is of stories success biggest the Internet. It was started by Jeff Bezos from a garage in Seattle, Washington the now is and 1995 in online largest retailer in the world. Bezos was Time magazine’s Person of the Year 1999 in shopping online popularizing for. His company originally sold only books but has diversified into selling music, video games, toys, electronics and ranges popular other goods of. Amazon has cleverly marketed by itself establishing worldwide separate websites in different countries. In 2007 Amazon launched its Kindle e-book reader, which share huge a enjoys now of that market. later year A toy with up teamed it and electronics makers to sell goods with minimal packaging to help the environment. It remains an innovative leader the in commerce online of area.
amazoncom is one of the biggest success stories of the internet it was started by jeff bezos from a garage in seattle washington in 1995 and is now the largest online retailer in the world bezos was time magazine’s person of the year in 1999 for popularizing online shopping his company originally sold only books but has diversified into selling music video games toys electronics and other popular ranges of goods amazon has cleverly marketed itself worldwide by establishing separate websites in different countries in 2007 amazon launched its kindle e-book reader which now enjoys a huge share of that market a year later it teamed up with toy and electronics makers to sell goods with minimal packaging to help the environment it remains an innovative leader in the area of online commerce
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Amazon.com is one of the biggest success stories of the Internet. It was started by Jeff Bezos from a garage in Seattle, Washington in 1995 and .......... (be) now the largest online retailer in the world. Bezos was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999 for popularizing online shopping. His company originally .......... (sell) only books but .......... (have) diversified into selling music, video games, toys, electronics and other popular ranges of goods. Amazon .......... (have) cleverly marketed itself worldwide by establishing separate websites in different countries. In 2007 Amazon .......... (launch) its Kindle e-book reader, which now .......... (enjoy) a huge share of that market. A year later it .......... (team) up with toy and electronics makers to sell goods with minimal packaging to help the environment. It .......... (remain) an innovative leader in the area of online commerce.
Amazon.com is one of the biggest ____________ stories of the Internet. It was started by Jeff Bezos from a ____________ in Seattle, Washington in 1995 and is now the largest online ____________ in the world. Bezos was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999 for popularizing online shopping. His company ____________ sold only books but has diversified into selling music, video games, toys, electronics and other popular ranges of goods. Amazon has ____________ marketed itself worldwide by establishing ____________ websites in different countries. In 2007 Amazon launched its Kindle e-book reader, which now ____________ a huge share of that market. A year later it teamed up with toy and electronics makers to sell goods with ____________ packaging to help the environment. It remains an ____________ leader in the area of online ____________.
success
originally
minimal
cleverly
garage
commerce
retailer
enjoys
innovative
separate
PROJECT AMAZON
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Amazon. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Amazon is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
AMAZON – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Amazon CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Amazon worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Amazon customer
You are a customer of Amazon. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Amazon. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
AMAZON – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Amazon New Products Director
You have created a new product for Amazon. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Amazon.
Role B – Amazon Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Amazon Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Amazon Shareholder
You know a lot about Amazon’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
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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 INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Amazon. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Amazon. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. AMAZON POSTERMake a poster about Amazon. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY AMAZON LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Amazon. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Amazon. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
