Elon Musk has recently taken responsibility for an unpaid bakery bill after his company, Tesla, cancelled an order at the last minute. Giving Pies bakery in San Jose was left with a loss of $2,000 when Tesla backed out of the order. However, when the bakery expressed their frustration on social media, Musk offered to pay the bill. He even placed a new order with the bakery, but they were unable to accept it due to an overwhelming influx of customers. The owner of the bakery expressed her gratitude for Musk’s gesture and the support they received from the community.

Musk became aware of the situation through a local news story and promptly responded on social media, stating that he would resolve the issue. He emphasized the importance of people being able to rely on Tesla doing its best. The bakery owner explained that they were unable to fulfill Tesla’s new order because they had depleted their stock due to the increased business. The mayor of San Jose also expressed his support for the bakery and commended the community for coming together to help a local entrepreneur.

The incident gained attention on social media, with many praising Musk for taking responsibility and supporting a small business. The bakery’s popularity soared, with even the mayor visiting and witnessing long queues of customers. He encouraged others to support the bakery and thanked Musk for paying for the pies. Overall, the incident highlighted the power of social media in resolving disputes and the importance of supporting local businesses.

Original news source: Elon Musk eats humble pie over unpaid bakery bill (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article and create a summary of the main points.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summary with the class.
5. Facilitate a discussion about the article, encouraging students to share their thoughts and opinions.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Write the following question on the board: “Do you think Elon Musk should have paid the bakery bill? Why or why not?”
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Instruct each group to discuss the question and come up with their own opinions.
4. After a few minutes, have each group share their opinions with the class.
5. Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to respectfully debate and defend their opinions.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. bakery, order, social media, support, community).
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Instruct one student from each team to come to the front of the class.
4. Show the chosen students a vocabulary word and give them 30 seconds to draw a picture representing that word.
5. The rest of the class must guess the word based on the drawing.
6. Rotate the students at the front until all the vocabulary words have been used.
7. Keep score and declare the team with the most correct guesses as the winner.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into two groups.
2. Assign one group to list the pros of Elon Musk paying the bakery bill, and the other group to list the cons.
3. Give the groups a designated amount of time to brainstorm and write down their points.
4. Have each group share their lists with the class, taking turns to present their points.
5. Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to add to the lists and debate the pros and cons.

– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Instruct the students to imagine themselves as business owners in a similar situation to the bakery owner.
2. Have them write a short paragraph predicting how they would handle the situation and what they think the outcome would be.
3. After a designated amount of time, have students share their predictions with a partner or small group.
4. Facilitate a class discussion, allowing students to share their predictions and discuss the potential outcomes.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the reason behind Tesla canceling their order with Giving Pies bakery?
2. How did Elon Musk find out about the bakery’s unpaid bill?
3. Why was the bakery unable to accept Tesla’s new order?
4. How did the community respond to the bakery’s situation?
5. What was the impact of Musk’s gesture on the bakery’s popularity?
6. What role did social media play in resolving the dispute between Tesla and the bakery?
7. How did the mayor of San Jose show his support for the bakery?
8. What did the incident highlight about supporting local businesses?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Elon Musk has recently taken responsibility for an unpaid (1)______ bill after his company, (2)______, cancelled an order at the last minute. Giving Pies bakery in San Jose was left with a loss of $2,000 when Tesla backed out of the order. However, when the bakery (3)______ their frustration on social media, Musk offered to pay the bill. He even (4)______ a new order with the bakery, but they were unable to accept it due to an overwhelming influx of (5)______. The owner of the bakery expressed her gratitude for Musk’s gesture and the support they (6)______ from the community.

Musk became aware of the situation through a (7)______ news story and promptly responded on social media, stating that he would (8)______ the issue. He emphasized the importance of people being able to rely on Tesla (9)______ its best. The bakery owner explained that they were unable to fulfill Tesla’s new order because they had depleted their stock due to the increased business. The mayor of San Jose also expressed his (10)______ for the bakery and commended the community for coming together to help a local entrepreneur.

The incident (11)______ attention on social (12)______, with many praising Musk for taking (13)______ and (14)______ a small business. The bakery’s (15)______ soared, with even the mayor visiting and witnessing long queues of customers. He encouraged others to support the bakery and thanked Musk for (16)______ for the pies. Overall, the incident highlighted the power of social media in resolving disputes and the importance of supporting local businesses.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think about Elon Musk taking responsibility for the unpaid bakery bill?
2. How would you feel if a company cancelled an order at the last minute and left you with a loss?
3. Do you think it was fair for the bakery to express their frustration on social media?
4. How important do you think it is for businesses to be able to rely on each other?
5. Have you ever had a similar experience where a company backed out of an order? How did you handle it?
6. What do you think about Elon Musk’s emphasis on Tesla doing its best?
7. How do you think the bakery owner felt when they were unable to fulfill Tesla’s new order?
8. Do you think it was the right decision for the bakery to decline the new order due to overwhelming business?
9. How do you think the bakery owner felt when Elon Musk offered to pay the bill?
10. Do you think it was right for the mayor to express his support for the bakery?
11. How important do you think it is for communities to come together and support local businesses?
12. Have you ever witnessed the power of social media in resolving disputes? Can you share an example?
13. Do you think Elon Musk’s gesture will have a long-term positive impact on the bakery’s popularity?
14. How would you feel if your business suddenly became very popular and had long queues of customers?
15. Do you think it’s important for successful individuals like Elon Musk to support small businesses? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. entrepreneur
2. gratitude
3. influx
4. dispute
5. overwhelmed
6. responsibility
7. commended
8. depletion
9. gesture
10. reliability
11. soared
12. entrepreneur
13. disputes
14. overwhelmed
15. reliability

Meanings:
(A) Unable to respond to something effectively due to too much of it
(B) The quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well
(C) A person who organizes and operates a business, taking on greater than normal financial risks
(D) A person who organizes and operates a business, taking on greater than normal financial risks
(E) An action performed to convey one’s feelings or intentions
(F) Unable to respond to something effectively due to too much of it
(G) The feeling of being thankful or appreciative
(H) The reduction or exhaustion of a supply of something
(I) A disagreement or argument about something important
(J) Increased rapidly in value or amount
(K) Praised or approved of for something done
(L) Disagreements or arguments about something important
(M) The quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well
(N) An arrival or entry of large numbers of people or things
(O) The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What company cancelled an order at the last minute, leading to an unpaid bakery bill?
(a) Google
(b) Tesla
(c) Apple
(d) Amazon

2. How much money did the bakery lose when Tesla backed out of the order?
(a) $1,000
(b) $500
(c) $2,000
(d) $5,000

3. How did Elon Musk become aware of the situation?
(a) Through a friend’s recommendation
(b) Through a customer at the bakery
(c) Through a social media post
(d) Through a local news story

4. Why was the bakery unable to accept Tesla’s new order?
(a) They had depleted their stock
(b) They didn’t want to do business with Tesla anymore
(c) They had too many other orders to fulfill
(d) They didn’t have enough employees to handle the order

5. Who expressed support for the bakery and commended the community for coming together?
(a) Elon Musk
(b) The mayor of San Jose
(c) The owner of Tesla
(d) The bakery’s customers

6. What did Elon Musk emphasize in his social media response?
(a) The importance of people being able to rely on Tesla doing its best
(b) The importance of supporting local businesses
(c) The importance of social media in resolving disputes
(d) The importance of community support

7. What was the outcome of the incident for the bakery?
(a) They went out of business
(b) They had to close temporarily due to overwhelming demand
(c) Their popularity soared and they received support from the community
(d) They received negative publicity

8. What did the mayor of San Jose do after the incident?
(a) Criticized Elon Musk for his actions
(b) Started a social media campaign to boycott Tesla
(c) Offered financial assistance to the bakery
(d) Visited the bakery and encouraged others to support it

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Musk remained unaware of the situation through a local news story and did not respond on social media.
2. The incident gained attention on social media, with many praising Musk for taking responsibility and supporting a small business.
3. Musk offered to pay the bill and even placed a new order with the bakery.
4. Elon Musk recently refused to pay an unpaid bakery bill after Tesla cancelled an order.
5. The bakery, Giving Pies, in San Jose suffered a loss of $2,000 due to the cancelled order.
6. The mayor of San Jose expressed disapproval for the bakery and the community’s response.
7. The bakery expressed their frustration on social media after the cancellation.
8. The bakery was able to accept the new order despite an overwhelming influx of customers.
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. How did Elon Musk become aware of the unpaid bakery bill?
2. Why was the bakery unable to accept Tesla’s new order?
3. How did the community show their support for the bakery?
4. What role did social media play in resolving the dispute?
5. What was the overall impact of the incident on the bakery’s business?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What was the reason behind Tesla canceling their order with Giving Pies bakery?
Tesla cancelled their order at the last minute.

2. How did Elon Musk find out about the bakery’s unpaid bill?
Elon Musk became aware of the situation through a local news story.

3. Why was the bakery unable to accept Tesla’s new order?
The bakery was unable to accept Tesla’s new order because they had depleted their stock due to the increased business.

4. How did the community respond to the bakery’s situation?
The community rallied together to support the bakery and showed up in large numbers to purchase pies.

5. What was the impact of Musk’s gesture on the bakery’s popularity?
Musk’s gesture of paying the bakery’s unpaid bill and showing support increased the bakery’s popularity.

6. What role did social media play in resolving the dispute between Tesla and the bakery?
Social media played a crucial role in bringing attention to the issue and facilitating communication between Musk and the bakery.

7. How did the mayor of San Jose show his support for the bakery?
The mayor of San Jose visited the bakery and encouraged others to support the business.

8. What did the incident highlight about supporting local businesses?
The incident highlighted the importance of supporting local businesses and how social media can be a powerful tool in resolving disputes and garnering support.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) bakery
(2) Tesla
(3) expressed
(4) placed
(5) customers
(6) received
(7) local
(8) resolve
(9) doing
(10) support
(11) gained
(12) media
(13) responsibility
(14) supporting
(15) popularity
(16) paying
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. entrepreneur
Answer: (C) A person who organizes and operates a business, taking on greater than normal financial risks

2. gratitude
Answer: (G) The feeling of being thankful or appreciative

3. influx
Answer: (N) An arrival or entry of large numbers of people or things

4. dispute
Answer: (I) A disagreement or argument about something important

5. overwhelmed
Answer: (A) Unable to respond to something effectively due to too much of it

6. responsibility
Answer: (O) The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone

7. commended
Answer: (K) Praised or approved of for something done

8. depletion
Answer: (H) The reduction or exhaustion of a supply of something

9. gesture
Answer: (E) An action performed to convey one’s feelings or intentions

10. reliability
Answer: (B) The quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well

11. soared
Answer: (J) Increased rapidly in value or amount

12. entrepreneur
Answer: (C) A person who organizes and operates a business, taking on greater than normal financial risks

13. disputes
Answer: (L) Disagreements or arguments about something important

14. overwhelmed
Answer: (A) Unable to respond to something effectively due to too much of it

15. reliability
Answer: (B) The quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What company cancelled an order at the last minute, leading to an unpaid bakery bill?
Answer: (b) Tesla

2. How much money did the bakery lose when Tesla backed out of the order?
Answer: (c) $2,000

3. How did Elon Musk become aware of the situation?
Answer: (d) Through a local news story

4. Why was the bakery unable to accept Tesla’s new order?
Answer: (a) They had depleted their stock

5. Who expressed support for the bakery and commended the community for coming together?
Answer: (b) The mayor of San Jose

6. What did Elon Musk emphasize in his social media response?
Answer: (a) The importance of people being able to rely on Tesla doing its best

7. What was the outcome of the incident for the bakery?
Answer: (c) Their popularity soared and they received support from the community

8. What did the mayor of San Jose do after the incident?
Answer: (d) Visited the bakery and encouraged others to support it
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Musk remained unaware of the situation through a local news story and did not respond on social media. (Answer: False)
2. The incident gained attention on social media, with many praising Musk for taking responsibility and supporting a small business. (Answer: True)
3. Musk offered to pay the bill and even placed a new order with the bakery. (Answer: True)
4. Elon Musk recently refused to pay an unpaid bakery bill after Tesla cancelled an order. (Answer: False)
5. The bakery, Giving Pies, in San Jose suffered a loss of $2,000 due to the cancelled order. (Answer: True)
6. The mayor of San Jose expressed disapproval for the bakery and the community’s response. (Answer: False)
7. The bakery expressed their frustration on social media after the cancellation. (Answer: True)
8. The bakery was able to accept the new order despite an overwhelming influx of customers. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧