Driverless cars are still having some problems. Mike Johns had a bad experience with a Waymo taxi that got stuck going in circles in a parking lot. People watched and his video of the incident became popular online. Waymo fixed the problem with a software update, but many people still worry if these cars are safe and ready for everyday use.

Waymo is one of the top companies in self-driving cars in the U.S. They operate in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco. Other companies like General Motors have stopped their self-driving projects because they are too hard and expensive. Some companies like Apple and Uber have also quit, but Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla are still trying to make it work.

Experts think driverless cars will first be used in places with good weather. Southern U.S. states might see these cars sooner because they work better in warm climates. It’s hard to make these cars work well in busy cities, and safety is very important. In China, many driverless cars are already on the roads, showing that this technology is growing around the world.

Original news source: The slow but steady advance of driverless vehicles (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns acting out different terms related to the article (e.g., “driverless car,” “Waymo,” “parking lot,” “software update”). The other groups will guess the term. This will help reinforce vocabulary and comprehension.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Create a simple survey with questions about driverless cars (e.g., “Do you think driverless cars are safe?” “Would you ride in a driverless car?”). Have students walk around the class, ask their classmates the questions, and tally the results. Afterward, discuss the findings as a class.

– MIND MAP
Instructions: On a large piece of paper or the board, write “Driverless Cars” in the center. Ask students to brainstorm ideas related to the article, such as companies, problems, and locations. They will connect their ideas with lines to create a visual mind map.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Prepare a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g., “self-driving,” “software,” “safety”). Students will take turns drawing one word on the board while their classmates guess what it is. This activity will reinforce understanding of key vocabulary.

– TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Instructions: Have students think of three statements about driverless cars based on the article—two true statements and one false one. They will share their statements with a partner, who will guess which one is the lie. This will encourage critical thinking and speaking practice.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to Mike Johns when he used a Waymo taxi?
2. Why did people watch the video of Mike’s experience?
3. Which company is known for making self-driving cars in the U.S.?
4. What cities does Waymo operate in?
5. Why did some companies stop their self-driving projects?
6. Where do experts think driverless cars will be used first?
7. Why is safety important for driverless cars?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Driverless cars are still having some (1)______s. Mike Johns had a bad experience with a (2)______ taxi that got stuck going in circles in a parking lot. People watched and his video of the incident became (3)______ online. Waymo fixed the problem with a software update, but many (4)______ still worry if these cars are safe and ready for everyday use.

Waymo is one of the top companies in self-driving cars in the U.S. They operate in cities like Phoenix and San (5)______. Other companies like General (6)______ have stopped their self-driving projects because they are too hard and expensive. Some companies like Apple and Uber have also (7)______, but Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla are still trying to make it work.

Experts think driverless cars will first be used in places with good (8)______. (9)______ U.S. states might see these cars sooner because they (10)______ better in warm climates. It’s hard to make these cars work well in busy cities, and safety is very important. In China, many (11)______ cars are already on the (12)______, showing that this technology is growing around the world.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a driverless car?
2. Do you think driverless cars are safe? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you were in a driverless car that got stuck?
4. Have you ever seen a video of something funny or strange? What was it about?
5. Do you like the idea of riding in a taxi that drives itself? Why?
6. What is a problem you think driverless cars might have?
7. How would you feel if all cars were driverless in the future?
8. Do you think it is important for cars to be safe? Why?
9. What is your favorite way to travel? Do you think driverless cars could be better?
10. Do you think driverless cars will be common in your city soon? Why or why not?
11. How would you feel if you had to wait for a driverless car to come pick you up?
12. Do you think companies should keep trying to make driverless cars? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. driverless
2. incident
3. software
4. update
5. operate
6. projects
7. experts
8. climates
9. technology
10. experience
11. popular
12. companies

Meanings:
(A) Something that happens to you or you go through
(B) To run or control something
(C) Liked by many people
(D) A vehicle that moves without a person driving it
(E) Using science to make new things
(F) Businesses that sell goods or services
(G) Programs and instructions that make computers work
(H) An event or something that happens, often unexpected
(I) Plans or tasks that need to be completed
(J) People who know a lot about a certain topic
(K) Making something newer or better
(L) The usual weather in a place
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happened to Mike Johns with a Waymo taxi?
(a) It got stuck going in circles
(b) It drove too fast
(c) It ran out of gas
(d) It parked in the wrong spot

2. What did Waymo do to fix the taxi problem?
(a) They built a new taxi
(b) They stopped using taxis
(c) They changed drivers
(d) They made a software update

3. Which company is known for self-driving cars in the U.S.?
(a) Ford
(b) Honda
(c) Waymo
(d) Nissan

4. Which cities does Waymo operate in?
(a) New York and Chicago
(b) Phoenix and San Francisco
(c) Los Angeles and Miami
(d) Seattle and Boston

5. Why did some companies stop their self-driving projects?
(a) They were too hard and expensive
(b) They wanted to make buses instead
(c) They had too many drivers
(d) They ran out of money

6. Where do experts think driverless cars will be used first?
(a) In snowy cities
(b) In small towns
(c) In rainy areas
(d) In places with good weather

7. Why do driverless cars work better in southern U.S. states?
(a) Because there are fewer cars
(b) Because the roads are wider
(c) Because they have warm climates
(d) Because people drive less

8. Where are many driverless cars already on the roads?
(a) In Canada
(b) In China
(c) In Australia
(d) In Mexico

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Some companies like General Motors and Apple have continued their self-driving projects.
2. A video of Mike’s experience became popular online.
3. Waymo fixed the taxi problem with a software update.
4. Waymo is not one of the top companies making self-driving cars in the U.S.
5. Driverless cars still have some problems.
6. Mike Johns had a bad experience with a Waymo taxi.
7. The Waymo taxi smoothly navigated through a busy city center.
8. Few people worry about the safety of driverless cars.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
Check your answers with our free English writing assistant!

1. What problem did Mike Johns have with the Waymo taxi?
2. Why did some companies stop making self-driving cars?
3. Where does Waymo operate its self-driving cars?
4. Why do experts think driverless cars will be used in warm places first?
5. What is happening with driverless cars in China?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened to Mike Johns when he used a Waymo taxi?
Mike Johns’s Waymo taxi got stuck going in circles in a parking lot.

2. Why did people watch the video of Mike’s experience?
People watched the video because it was funny and interesting to see the taxi going in circles.

3. Which company is known for making self-driving cars in the U.S.?
Waymo is known for making self-driving cars in the U.S.

4. What cities does Waymo operate in?
Waymo operates in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco.

5. Why did some companies stop their self-driving projects?
Some companies stopped their self-driving projects because they were too hard and expensive.

6. Where do experts think driverless cars will be used first?
Experts think driverless cars will be used first in places with good weather, like the southern U.S. states.

7. Why is safety important for driverless cars?
Safety is important for driverless cars because they need to keep people safe on the roads.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) problem
(2) Waymo
(3) popular
(4) people
(5) Francisco
(6) Motors
(7) quit
(8) weather
(9) Southern
(10) work
(11) driverless
(12) roads
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. driverless
Answer: (D) A vehicle that moves without a person driving it

2. incident
Answer: (H) An event or something that happens, often unexpected

3. software
Answer: (G) Programs and instructions that make computers work

4. update
Answer: (K) Making something newer or better

5. operate
Answer: (B) To run or control something

6. projects
Answer: (I) Plans or tasks that need to be completed

7. experts
Answer: (J) People who know a lot about a certain topic

8. climates
Answer: (L) The usual weather in a place

9. technology
Answer: (E) Using science to make new things

10. experience
Answer: (A) Something that happens to you or you go through

11. popular
Answer: (C) Liked by many people

12. companies
Answer: (F) Businesses that sell goods or services
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happened to Mike Johns with a Waymo taxi?
Answer: (a) It got stuck going in circles

2. What did Waymo do to fix the taxi problem?
Answer: (d) They made a software update

3. Which company is known for self-driving cars in the U.S.?
Answer: (c) Waymo

4. Which cities does Waymo operate in?
Answer: (b) Phoenix and San Francisco

5. Why did some companies stop their self-driving projects?
Answer: (a) They were too hard and expensive

6. Where do experts think driverless cars will be used first?
Answer: (d) In places with good weather

7. Why do driverless cars work better in southern U.S. states?
Answer: (c) Because they have warm climates

8. Where are many driverless cars already on the roads?
Answer: (b) In China
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Some companies like General Motors and Apple have continued their self-driving projects. (Answer: False)
2. A video of Mike’s experience became popular online. (Answer: True)
3. Waymo fixed the taxi problem with a software update. (Answer: True)
4. Waymo is not one of the top companies making self-driving cars in the U.S. (Answer: False)
5. Driverless cars still have some problems. (Answer: True)
6. Mike Johns had a bad experience with a Waymo taxi. (Answer: True)
7. The Waymo taxi smoothly navigated through a busy city center. (Answer: False)
8. Few people worry about the safety of driverless cars. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧