The creation of driverless cars has taken a long time, with both progress and problems along the way. A recent event involving Mike Johns, who had a scary experience in a Waymo driverless taxi, has made people doubt whether these cars are ready for the road. While waiting for his flight from Los Angeles to Scottsdale, Arizona, Mr. Johns found himself stuck in a car that kept spinning in circles in a parking lot. His video of this strange situation went viral, making many wonder if self-driving cars can safely transport people.

Waymo, the company that makes these self-driving cars and is owned by Alphabet, responded to the incident by updating their software to fix the problem. They claim that their technology is better than human drivers at preventing accidents that could cause injuries. However, Waymo has faced issues before, like when they had to recall over 600 cars after one crashed into a street pole. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has also looked into several incidents involving Waymo cars, raising concerns about how safe these autonomous vehicles really are.

Other companies trying to make self-driving cars have also run into trouble. General Motors recently closed its self-driving branch called Cruise because it was too costly to keep going. Apple has reportedly given up on its self-driving car project, and Uber stopped working on it back in 2020. Despite these challenges, Waymo is still a leader in the U.S. market, running self-driving taxis in major cities and planning to grow even more.

Experts believe that Waymo’s success comes from its smart strategies, like hiring the best engineers in the field and having strong financial support from Alphabet. Sven Beiker, a lecturer at Stanford, points out that following regulations and having thorough processes are key to keeping their technology safe. As the industry moves forward, areas with good weather are likely to see driverless services first, since these cars work better in those conditions. Looking to the future, the rollout of autonomous vehicles will take time and careful testing, especially for self-driving trucks, which need to be even more reliable than human drivers. Meanwhile, companies like Baidu in China are making great progress, with many driverless cars already operating in cities. Public opinion will be important as people like Mr. Johns share their experiences and the industry continues to experiment.

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: Students will take turns acting out scenarios related to driverless cars without using words, while their classmates guess what they are acting out. Scenarios can include situations like a car malfunctioning, a successful driverless ride, or an accident involving a self-driving car.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Students will walk around the classroom and ask their peers questions about driverless cars, such as “Do you think driverless cars are safe?” or “Would you ride in a driverless taxi?” After gathering responses, students will share the results with the class and discuss the varying opinions.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: After reading the article, students will work in pairs to create catchy headlines that capture the main points of the article. Each pair will then present their headline to the class and explain their reasoning behind it.

– MIND MAP
Instructions: In groups, students will create a mind map on a large piece of paper that outlines the key points from the article, such as challenges faced by driverless cars, companies involved, and public opinion. They will present their mind map to the class.

– TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Instructions: Each student will come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the content of the article on driverless cars. They will then share their statements with a partner, who will try to guess which one is the lie. Afterward, they can discuss the truths and lies as a class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What incident involving Mike Johns raised concerns about the safety of driverless cars?
2. How did Waymo respond to the problem that Mr. Johns experienced in their driverless taxi?
3. What problems has Waymo faced in the past, and how did they address them?
4. Why did General Motors decide to close its self-driving branch called Cruise?
5. What factors contribute to Waymo’s success in the self-driving car market?
6. According to experts, why is following regulations important for the safety of autonomous vehicles?
7. In which types of areas are driverless services expected to be introduced first, and why?
8. How might public opinion influence the future of self-driving cars and the industry as a whole?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The creation of driverless cars has taken a long time, with both progress and problems along the way. A recent event involving Mike Johns, who had a scary experience in a Waymo driverless taxi, has made people doubt whether these cars are (1)______ for the road. While waiting for his flight from Los Angeles to Scottsdale, (2)______, Mr. Johns (3)______ himself stuck in a car that kept spinning in (4)______ in a parking lot. His video of this strange situation went viral, making many wonder if self-driving cars can safely transport people.

Waymo, the company that makes these self-driving cars and is owned by Alphabet, responded to the incident by updating their software to fix the problem. They claim that their technology is better than human drivers at preventing accidents that could cause injuries. However, Waymo has faced (5)______ before, like when they had to recall over 600 cars after one crashed into a street pole. The National (6)______ Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has also looked into several (7)______ involving Waymo cars, raising concerns about how safe these autonomous vehicles really are.

Other companies trying to make self-driving cars have also run into trouble. (8)______ Motors recently closed its self-driving branch called Cruise because it was too costly to keep going. Apple has reportedly given up on its self-driving car project, and Uber stopped working on it back in 2020. Despite these challenges, Waymo is still a leader in the U.S. market, running self-driving taxis in major cities and planning to grow even more.

Experts (9)______ that Waymo’s (10)______ comes from its smart strategies, like hiring the best engineers in the field and having strong financial support from Alphabet. Sven Beiker, a lecturer at Stanford, points out that (11)______ regulations and having (12)______ processes are key to keeping their technology safe. As the (13)______ moves forward, areas with good weather are likely to see driverless services first, since these cars work better in those conditions. Looking to the (14)______, the rollout of autonomous vehicles will take time and careful testing, especially for self-driving trucks, which need to be even more reliable than human drivers. Meanwhile, companies like (15)______ in China are making great (16)______, with many driverless cars already operating in cities. Public opinion will be important as people like Mr. Johns share their experiences and the industry continues to experiment.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your opinion on driverless cars? Do you think they are a good idea?

2. How would you feel if you were stuck in a driverless car that wouldn’t stop spinning in circles?

3. Do you like the idea of using technology to drive cars instead of humans? Why or why not?

4. What is a major concern you have about self-driving cars?

5. Do you think self-driving cars will ever be completely safe? Why or why not?

6. How would you feel if you had to ride in a driverless taxi for the first time?

7. Do you think companies should continue to invest in driverless car technology despite the problems they’ve faced? Why?

8. What is your experience with technology that has made mistakes? How did you feel about it?

9. How do you think public opinion can affect the future of driverless cars?

10. Do you believe that driverless cars could help reduce traffic accidents? Why or why not?

11. What is a benefit of having driverless cars in busy cities?

12. How would you feel if you saw a driverless car on the road next to you?

13. Do you think it’s important for companies to follow strict regulations when creating new technology? Why or why not?

14. What is a challenge you think self-driving trucks would face compared to regular cars?

15. How do you think the weather affects the performance of driverless cars? Would you trust them more in good weather or bad weather? Why?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. autonomous
2. incident
3. viral
4. transport
5. recall
6. administration
7. concerns
8. branch
9. reportedly
10. strategies
11. regulations
12. processes
13. rollout
14. reliable
15. experiment

Meanings:
(A) A test or trial to discover something new or to see if something works
(B) Quickly spread or popular, especially on the internet
(C) An event or occurrence, especially one that is unusual or important
(D) The introduction or launch of a new product or service
(E) A part of a larger organization or company
(F) Plans or methods to achieve a goal
(G) A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end
(H) To take back or withdraw something, often because of a problem
(I) Dependable and trustworthy
(J) Able to operate on its own without human control
(K) Rules or laws that control how something is done
(L) A group or organization that manages or oversees something
(M) To move people or goods from one place to another
(N) Worries or doubts about something
(O) According to what is said by others, though not confirmed
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What incident caused people to doubt the readiness of driverless cars?
(a) A crash involving a Tesla
(b) Mike Johns getting stuck in a Waymo taxi
(c) A malfunction in a self-driving bus
(d) A software update failure

2. What company owns Waymo?
(a) Microsoft
(b) Amazon
(c) Facebook
(d) Alphabet

3. How did Waymo respond to the incident involving Mike Johns?
(a) By updating their software
(b) By recalling all their cars
(c) By stopping their taxi service
(d) By hiring more drivers

4. What was one of the problems Waymo faced in the past?
(a) A lawsuit from a driver
(b) A major software hack
(c) A recall of over 600 cars
(d) A shortage of drivers

5. Which company recently closed its self-driving branch called Cruise?
(a) Ford
(b) Tesla
(c) General Motors
(d) Honda

6. What do experts believe is key to Waymo’s success?
(a) Having the most cars on the road
(b) Offering the lowest prices
(c) Using the latest marketing techniques
(d) Smart strategies and hiring top engineers

7. According to the article, where are driverless services likely to be rolled out first?
(a) Urban areas with heavy traffic
(b) Areas with good weather
(c) Rural areas with few people
(d) Regions with strict regulations

8. Which company is mentioned as making progress in the driverless car industry in China?
(a) Baidu
(b) Alibaba
(c) Tencent
(d) Huawei

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Driverless cars have not been in development for a long time, facing only successes and no challenges.
2. Mike Johns had a frightening experience in a Waymo driverless taxi that went viral.
3. Waymo did not update its software after the incident with Mike Johns to fix the problem.
4. Apple and Uber have both stopped working on their self-driving car projects.
5. Waymo is still a leader in the U.S. self-driving taxi market, operating in major cities.
6. General Motors closed its self-driving branch called Cruise due to high costs.
7. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not investigated several incidents involving Waymo cars.
8. Weather conditions cannot affect the performance of driverless cars, with better results expected in poor weather.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!

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 happened to Mike Johns while he was in a Waymo driverless taxi?
2. How did Waymo respond to the incident involving Mike Johns?
3. What challenges have other companies faced when trying to create self-driving cars?
4. Why do experts believe Waymo has been successful in the self-driving car market?
5. How might public opinion affect the future of driverless cars, according to the article?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What incident involving Mike Johns raised concerns about the safety of driverless cars?
Mike Johns had a scary experience in a Waymo driverless taxi when the car kept spinning in circles in a parking lot, which made people question the safety of self-driving cars.

2. How did Waymo respond to the problem that Mr. Johns experienced in their driverless taxi?
Waymo responded by updating their software to fix the problem that caused the car to spin in circles.

3. What problems has Waymo faced in the past, and how did they address them?
Waymo has faced issues like having to recall over 600 cars after one crashed into a street pole. They addressed these problems by investigating incidents and updating their technology to improve safety.

4. Why did General Motors decide to close its self-driving branch called Cruise?
General Motors closed its self-driving branch called Cruise because it was too costly to keep operating.

5. What factors contribute to Waymo’s success in the self-driving car market?
Waymo’s success comes from hiring top engineers, having strong financial support from Alphabet, and following smart strategies in their development process.

6. According to experts, why is following regulations important for the safety of autonomous vehicles?
Experts believe that following regulations is key to keeping technology safe and ensuring that self-driving cars operate reliably on the roads.

7. In which types of areas are driverless services expected to be introduced first, and why?
Driverless services are expected to be introduced first in areas with good weather because self-driving cars perform better in those conditions.

8. How might public opinion influence the future of self-driving cars and the industry as a whole?
Public opinion can influence the future of self-driving cars by shaping how people feel about their safety and reliability, especially as individuals share their experiences like Mr. Johns did.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) ready
(2) Arizona
(3) found
(4) circles
(5) issues
(6) Highway
(7) incidents
(8) General
(9) believe
(10) success
(11) following
(12) thorough
(13) industry
(14) future
(15) Baidu
(16) progress
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. autonomous
Answer: (J) Able to operate on its own without human control

2. incident
Answer: (C) An event or occurrence, especially one that is unusual or important

3. viral
Answer: (B) Quickly spread or popular, especially on the internet

4. transport
Answer: (M) To move people or goods from one place to another

5. recall
Answer: (H) To take back or withdraw something, often because of a problem

6. administration
Answer: (L) A group or organization that manages or oversees something

7. concerns
Answer: (N) Worries or doubts about something

8. branch
Answer: (E) A part of a larger organization or company

9. reportedly
Answer: (O) According to what is said by others, though not confirmed

10. strategies
Answer: (F) Plans or methods to achieve a goal

11. regulations
Answer: (K) Rules or laws that control how something is done

12. processes
Answer: (G) A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end

13. rollout
Answer: (D) The introduction or launch of a new product or service

14. reliable
Answer: (I) Dependable and trustworthy

15. experiment
Answer: (A) A test or trial to discover something new or to see if something works
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What incident caused people to doubt the readiness of driverless cars?
Answer: (b) Mike Johns getting stuck in a Waymo taxi

2. What company owns Waymo?
Answer: (d) Alphabet

3. How did Waymo respond to the incident involving Mike Johns?
Answer: (a) By updating their software

4. What was one of the problems Waymo faced in the past?
Answer: (c) A recall of over 600 cars

5. Which company recently closed its self-driving branch called Cruise?
Answer: (c) General Motors

6. What do experts believe is key to Waymo’s success?
Answer: (d) Smart strategies and hiring top engineers

7. According to the article, where are driverless services likely to be rolled out first?
Answer: (b) Areas with good weather

8. Which company is mentioned as making progress in the driverless car industry in China?
Answer: (a) Baidu
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Driverless cars have not been in development for a long time, facing only successes and no challenges. (Answer: False)
2. Mike Johns had a frightening experience in a Waymo driverless taxi that went viral. (Answer: True)
3. Waymo did not update its software after the incident with Mike Johns to fix the problem. (Answer: False)
4. Apple and Uber have both stopped working on their self-driving car projects. (Answer: True)
5. Waymo is still a leader in the U.S. self-driving taxi market, operating in major cities. (Answer: True)
6. General Motors closed its self-driving branch called Cruise due to high costs. (Answer: True)
7. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not investigated several incidents involving Waymo cars. (Answer: False)
8. Weather conditions cannot affect the performance of driverless cars, with better results expected in poor weather. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧