A car company from China called BYD sold more electric cars than Tesla in the last part of the year. BYD sold 526,000 cars that only use batteries, which is more than Tesla sold at that time. But for the whole year, Tesla sold more cars, with 1.8 million cars. Tesla did better than people thought they would, selling 20% more cars than last year.

BYD did really well and it shows that it’s getting harder for Tesla because more companies are making electric cars. BYD made over 3 million cars that are good for the air, including ones with batteries and ones that use both gas and batteries. BYD makes its own batteries, which saves them money. Tesla’s other rivals have to buy batteries from different companies.

Original news source: China’s BYD overtakes Tesla’s electric car sales in last quarter of 2023 (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a piece of paper with a word or phrase related to the article written on it (e.g. “electric car,” “BYD,” “Tesla”). One member of the group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the other members try to guess what it is. The group that guesses correctly gets a point.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pencil. Ask them to sketch a scene or object related to the article (e.g. a car, a battery, a factory). After a few minutes, have each student show their sketch to the class and explain what it represents.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. “electric cars,” “batteries,” “rivals”). One student will draw a picture to represent a word, while the other student tries to guess what it is. After a set amount of time, have the pairs switch roles.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Write the following sentence on the board: “Chinese car company outsells Tesla in electric car market.” Ask students to create a headline using this information. Give them a few minutes to think of their own headline and then have them share with the class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to discuss and make predictions about the future of electric cars. They can use information from the article and their own ideas. After a few minutes, have each group share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who sold more electric cars, BYD or Tesla?
2. How many cars did BYD sell that use batteries?
3. Did Tesla sell more cars than BYD for the whole year?
4. Did Tesla sell more cars this year compared to last year?
5. Why is it getting harder for Tesla to sell cars?
6. How many cars did BYD make that are good for the air?
7. Does BYD make its own batteries?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A car company from China called BYD sold more (1)______ cars than Tesla in the last part of the year. BYD sold 526,000 cars that only use (2)______, which is more than Tesla sold at that time. But for the whole year, Tesla sold (3)______ cars, with 1.8 million cars. Tesla did better than people thought they would, (4)______ 20% more cars than last year.

BYD did really well and it shows that it’s getting (5)______ for Tesla because more (6)______ are making electric cars. BYD made over 3 million cars that are good for the air, including ones with batteries and ones that use both gas and batteries. BYD (7)______ its own batteries, which saves them money. Tesla’s other rivals have to buy batteries from (8)______ companies.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is an electric car?
2. How would you feel if you had an electric car?
3. Do you like cars that use batteries? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s good for the air if cars use batteries? Why or why not?
5. What is a car company?
6. How would you feel if you worked for a car company?
7. Do you think it’s important for a car company to make its own batteries? Why or why not?
8. What is a rival?
9. How would you feel if you had a rival at school?
10. Do you think it’s fair that Tesla has to buy batteries from different companies? Why or why not?
11. How would you feel if you had a Tesla car?
12. Do you think it’s good that more companies are making electric cars? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. electric
2. batteries
3. rivals
4. company
5. sold
6. million
7. air
8. including
9. saves
10. getting

Meanings:
(A) A group of people who make or sell things
(B) Keeping money so you can use it later
(C) The stuff around us that we breathe
(D) When you give something to someone else and they give you money for it
(E) Starting to do something more or be more than before
(F) When you have this and that, all together
(G) Things that store energy so toys and other stuff can work
(H) Other businesses or people who try to do better than you
(I) Something that uses energy that comes from things like lightning
(J) A really, really big number that’s more than a thousand or a hundred
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Which car company sold more electric cars than Tesla?
(a) Ford
(b) Toyota
(c) Honda
(d) BYD

2. How many cars did BYD sell that only use batteries?
(a) 1.8 million
(b) 3 million
(c) 526,000
(d) 20%

3. Who sold more cars for the whole year?
(a) Tesla
(b) BYD
(c) Ford
(d) Toyota

4. How much more cars did Tesla sell compared to last year?
(a) 50%
(b) 100%
(c) 200%
(d) 20%

5. Why is it getting harder for Tesla?
(a) They don’t make their own batteries
(b) More companies are making electric cars
(c) They sold less cars than BYD
(d) They are losing money

6. How many cars did BYD make that are good for the air?
(a) 526,000
(b) 1.8 million
(c) Over 3 million
(d) 20%

7. What does BYD make its own of?
(a) Batteries
(b) Cars
(c) Gas
(d) Money

8. What do Tesla’s rivals have to buy from different companies?
(a) Cars
(b) Batteries
(c) Gas
(d) Money

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Tesla sold more cars than the car company for the whole year.
2. The car company sold 526,000 cars that only use batteries.
3. The car company did not do well.
4. A car company from China sold less electric cars than Tesla.
5. Tesla sold 1.8 million cars in total.
6. Fewer companies are making electric cars, which makes it easier for Tesla.
7. The car company makes its own batteries, which saves them money.
8. Tesla sold 20% fewer cars than last year.
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. Who sold more electric cars, BYD or Tesla?
2. Did BYD sell more cars than Tesla in the last part of the year?
3. Did Tesla sell more cars than BYD for the whole year?
4. Why is it getting harder for Tesla?
5. Does BYD make its own batteries?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who sold more electric cars, BYD or Tesla?
BYD sold more electric cars than Tesla.

2. How many cars did BYD sell that use batteries?
BYD sold 526,000 cars that use batteries.

3. Did Tesla sell more cars than BYD for the whole year?
No, Tesla sold more cars for the whole year.

4. Did Tesla sell more cars this year compared to last year?
Yes, Tesla sold 20% more cars this year compared to last year.

5. Why is it getting harder for Tesla to sell cars?
It is getting harder for Tesla because more companies are making electric cars.

6. How many cars did BYD make that are good for the air?
BYD made over 3 million cars that are good for the air.

7. Does BYD make its own batteries?
Yes, BYD makes its own batteries.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) electric
(2) batteries
(3) more
(4) selling
(5) harder
(6) companies
(7) makes
(8) different
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. electric
Answer: (I) Something that uses energy that comes from things like lightning

2. batteries
Answer: (G) Things that store energy so toys and other stuff can work

3. rivals
Answer: (H) Other businesses or people who try to do better than you

4. company
Answer: (A) A group of people who make or sell things

5. sold
Answer: (D) When you give something to someone else and they give you money for it

6. million
Answer: (J) A really, really big number that’s more than a thousand or a hundred

7. air
Answer: (C) The stuff around us that we breathe

8. including
Answer: (F) When you have this and that, all together

9. saves
Answer: (B) Keeping money so you can use it later

10. getting
Answer: (E) Starting to do something more or be more than before
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Which car company sold more electric cars than Tesla?
Answer: (d) BYD

2. How many cars did BYD sell that only use batteries?
Answer: (c) 526,000

3. Who sold more cars for the whole year?
Answer: (a) Tesla

4. How much more cars did Tesla sell compared to last year?
Answer: (d) 20%

5. Why is it getting harder for Tesla?
Answer: (b) More companies are making electric cars

6. How many cars did BYD make that are good for the air?
Answer: (c) Over 3 million

7. What does BYD make its own of?
Answer: (a) Batteries

8. What do Tesla’s rivals have to buy from different companies?
Answer: (b) Batteries
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Tesla sold more cars than the car company for the whole year. (Answer: True)
2. The car company sold 526,000 cars that only use batteries. (Answer: True)
3. The car company did not do well. (Answer: False)
4. A car company from China sold less electric cars than Tesla. (Answer: False)
5. Tesla sold 1.8 million cars in total. (Answer: True)
6. Fewer companies are making electric cars, which makes it easier for Tesla. (Answer: False)
7. The car company makes its own batteries, which saves them money. (Answer: True)
8. Tesla sold 20% fewer cars than last year. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧