The Reading / Listening - Tech - Level 4

Smartphones and computers are a big part of our lives. People spend a small fortune on them. However, keeping up to date with the latest models will be more expensive. This is because of the huge rise in demand for AI memory chips. AI data centres need to store huge amounts of data and move it much faster than before. Chip makers cannot keep up with demand. Yahoo.com wrote: "The enormous sums of money going into the AI race are driving up costs."

Apple announced price rises for its products. However, the iPhone will be protected from price rises. Apple said: "We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly." It added: "We have shielded our customers… but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices." People are worried about rising tech prices. In addition, the growth of AI data centres has increased demand for and price of electricity.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tech - Level 5 or  Tech - Level 6

Sources
  • https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/asian-tech-stocks-slide-ai-174301361.html
  • https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/apple-raises-ipad-macbook-prices-memory-chip-costs-surge
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/26/ai-memory-chip-shortage-consumer-electronics-prices.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. computers are a big
  2. People spend a small
  3. keeping up
  4. the latest
  5. This is because of the huge
  6. AI data
  7. store huge amounts
  8. Chip makers cannot keep
  1. fortune on them
  2. centres
  3. models
  4. up with demand
  5. part of our lives
  6. of data
  7. to date
  8. rise in demand

Paragraph 2

  1. the iPhone will be protected
  2. We have never seen a component
  3. We have shielded our
  4. we have now reached
  5. we need to
  6. People are worried about
  7. the growth
  8. increased demand for and
  1. of AI data centres
  2. from price rises
  3. a point
  4. price of electricity
  5. price increase
  6. customers
  7. rising tech prices
  8. begin raising prices

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Smartphones and computers are (1) ________________________________________________ of our lives. People spend a (2) ________________________________________________ them. However, keeping up to date with the latest models will be more expensive. This is because of the (3) ________________________________________________ demand for AI memory chips. AI data centres need to (4) ________________________________________________ of data and move it much faster than before. Chip makers (5) ________________________________________________ with demand. Yahoo.com wrote: "The enormous (6) ________________________________________________ going into the AI race are driving up costs."

Apple announced price rises (7) ________________________________________________. However, the iPhone (8) ________________________________________________ from price rises. Apple said: "We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly." It added: "We (9) ________________________________________________ customers... but we have now (10) ________________________________________________ where we need to begin raising prices." People are worried about (11) ________________________________________________. In addition, the growth of AI data centres has increased demand (12) ________________________________________________ of electricity.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Smartphonesandcomputersareapartofourlives.Peoplespendasmallf
ortuneonthem.However,keepinguptodatewiththelatestmodelswillb
emoreexpensive.ThisisbecauseofthehugeriseindemandforAImemor
ychips.AIdatacentresneedtostorehugeamountsofdataandmoveitm
uchfasterthanbefore.Chipmakerscannotkeepupwithdemand.Yahoo
.comwrote:"TheenormoussumsofmoneygoingintotheAIracearedrivi
ngupcosts."Appleannouncedpricerisesforitsproducts.However,thei
Phonewillbeprotectedfrompricerises.Applesaid:"Wehaveneverseen
acomponentpriceincreasethismuch,thisquickly."Itadded:"Wehaves
hieldedourcustomers...butwehavenowreachedapointwhereweneed
tobeginraisingprices."Peopleareworriedaboutrisingtechprices.Inad
dition,thegrowthofAIdatacentreshasincreaseddemandforandpriceo
felectricity.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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