Nvidia, a big chip company, and Foxconn, the company that makes iPhones, are going to work together to build “AI factories.” These factories will use Nvidia chips to do many things like helping cars drive themselves, making robots, and understanding big languages. The United States wants to stop sending advanced chips to China, which could hurt Nvidia. But, working with Foxconn will help Nvidia keep growing in the AI market.
The bosses of Nvidia and Foxconn talked about this at a big tech event in Taipei. They said these AI factories are a new kind of making place, where smart things are made and data centers are the factories. Foxconn, which makes Apple products, wants to do more things and thinks AI factories can help. Nvidia’s worth a lot of money because its advanced chips are used in AI. Working with Foxconn will make Nvidia even stronger. Foxconn wants to do as well in making electric cars as it did with computers and phones. They have already said they will work together to make self-driving cars.
Original news source: Nvidia and iPhone maker Foxconn to build ‘AI factories’ (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. “Nvidia chips,” “AI factories,” “self-driving cars”). One student from each group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the other students in the group try to guess what it is. The group that guesses correctly gets a point.
– News Summary
Instructions: Provide the students with a simplified summary of the article. Ask them to read the summary and then work in pairs or small groups to create their own summary of the article. Encourage them to use their own words and focus on the main ideas. After a few minutes, have the groups share their summaries with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write key vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. “Nvidia,” “Foxconn,” “AI,” “chips,” “factories”). Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a piece of paper and a pen. One student from each group will choose a word from the board and draw a picture to represent it, while the other students in the group try to guess the word. The group that guesses correctly gets a point.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Tell the students to imagine they are writing a headline for an article about the partnership between Nvidia and Foxconn. They should come up with a catchy and informative headline that summarizes the main idea of the article. After a few minutes, have the groups share their headlines with the class and discuss which ones they think are the most effective.
– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Tell the students to think of two true statements and one false statement related to the article. For example, “Nvidia and Foxconn are working together to build AI factories” and “Nvidia chips are used in self-driving cars” could be true statements, while “Nvidia is a company that makes smartphones” could be the false statement. Have the students take turns sharing their statements with a partner or small group. The other students in the group should try to guess which statement is the lie.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What are Nvidia and Foxconn going to build together?
2. What will the factories use Nvidia chips for?
3. Why does the United States want to stop sending advanced chips to China?
4. How will working with Foxconn help Nvidia?
5. Where did the bosses of Nvidia and Foxconn talk about this?
6. What does Foxconn want to do with AI factories?
7. Why is Nvidia worth a lot of money?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Nvidia, a big chip company, and Foxconn, the company that makes (1)______, are going to work together to build “AI (2)______.” These factories will use Nvidia chips to do many things like helping cars drive themselves, making robots, and understanding big languages. The United States wants to stop sending (3)______ chips to China, which could hurt Nvidia. But, working with Foxconn will help Nvidia keep growing in the AI market.
The bosses of Nvidia and Foxconn (4)______ about this at a big tech event in Taipei. They said these AI factories are a new kind of making place, where smart (5)______ are made and data centers are the factories. Foxconn, which makes Apple products, wants to do more things and (6)______ AI factories can help. Nvidia’s worth a lot of money because its advanced chips are used in AI. Working with Foxconn will make Nvidia even stronger. Foxconn wants to do as well in making (7)______ cars as it did with computers and (8)______. They have already said they will work together to make self-driving cars.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is a chip company?
2. How would you feel if cars could drive themselves?
3. Do you like robots? Why or why not?
4. What do you think big languages means?
5. How do you think AI factories are different from regular factories?
6. Do you think making smart things is important? Why or why not?
7. Why do you think Foxconn wants to do more things?
8. Do you think Nvidia’s advanced chips are important? Why or why not?
9. Why do you think Foxconn wants to make self-driving cars?
10. What is an electric car?
11. How would you feel if you could ride in a self-driving car?
12. Do you think AI factories will be successful? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. Nvidia
2. Foxconn
3. chip
4. iPhone
5. AI
6. factory
7. robot
8. language
Meanings:
(a) A company that makes computer parts
(b) A place where things are made
(c) A popular type of smartphone
(d) A way people communicate with each other
(e) A company that makes iPhones
(f) A type of technology that can think and learn
(g) A small piece of technology
(h) A machine that can do tasks on its own
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Who is going to work together to build “AI factories”?
(a) Apple and Foxconn
(b) Nvidia and Foxconn
(c) Nvidia and Apple
(d) Foxconn and Google
2. What will the factories use Nvidia chips for?
(a) Making clothes and shoes
(b) Helping cars drive themselves, making robots, and understanding big languages
(c) Growing plants and vegetables
(d) Building houses and buildings
3. Why does the United States want to stop sending advanced chips to China?
(a) Because China doesn’t want the chips
(b) Because the chips are too expensive
(c) Because China already has enough chips
(d) Because it could hurt Nvidia
4. Where did the bosses of Nvidia and Foxconn talk about the AI factories?
(a) At a small tech event in New York
(b) At a restaurant in Paris
(c) At a park in London
(d) At a big tech event in Taipei
5. What are AI factories?
(a) Places where smart things are made and data centers are the factories
(b) Places where people go to play games
(c) Places where animals live and play
(d) Places where food is grown and harvested
6. What does Foxconn want to do with AI factories?
(a) Make clothes and shoes
(b) Grow plants and vegetables
(c) Do more things and think they can help
(d) Build houses and buildings
7. Why is Nvidia worth a lot of money?
(a) Because its advanced chips are used in AI
(b) Because it makes a lot of clothes and shoes
(c) Because it grows a lot of plants and vegetables
(d) Because it builds a lot of houses and buildings
8. What does Foxconn want to do as well as it did with computers and phones?
(a) Make clothes and shoes
(b) Grow plants and vegetables
(c) Make electric cars
(d) Build houses and buildings
True or False Questions:
1. Nvidia and Foxconn are not going to build special factories that use special chips to help cars drive by themselves and make robots.
2. The United States doesn’t want to send special chips to China, which could hurt Nvidia.
3. Foxconn does not want to do well in making electric cars, just like it did with computers and phones.
4. Foxconn makes Apple products and wants to do more things with AI factories.
5. Working with Foxconn will not make Nvidia even stronger in the AI market.
6. The AI factories are not a new kind of place where smart things are made and data centers are not like the factories.
7. Nvidia is worth a lot of money because its special chips are used in AI.
8. Nvidia and Foxconn talked about their plan at a big event in Taipei.
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. What are Nvidia and Foxconn going to build together?
2. What will the factories use Nvidia chips for?
3. Why does the United States want to stop sending advanced chips to China?
4. How will working with Foxconn help Nvidia?
5. What other things does Foxconn want to do with AI factories?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What are Nvidia and Foxconn going to build together?
They are going to build AI factories together.
2. What will the factories use Nvidia chips for?
The factories will use Nvidia chips to help cars drive themselves, make robots, and understand big languages.
3. Why does the United States want to stop sending advanced chips to China?
The United States wants to stop sending advanced chips to China because they are worried it could hurt Nvidia.
4. How will working with Foxconn help Nvidia?
Working with Foxconn will help Nvidia keep growing in the AI market and make them even stronger.
5. Where did the bosses of Nvidia and Foxconn talk about this?
The bosses of Nvidia and Foxconn talked about this at a big tech event in Taipei.
6. What does Foxconn want to do with AI factories?
Foxconn wants to do more things with AI factories and thinks they can help in making electric cars.
7. Why is Nvidia worth a lot of money?
Nvidia is worth a lot of money because its advanced chips are used in AI.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) iPhones
(2) factories
(3) advanced
(4) talked
(5) things
(6) thinks
(7) electric
(8) phones
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. Nvidia
Answer: (a) A company that makes computer parts
2. Foxconn
Answer: (e) A company that makes iPhones
3. chip
Answer: (g) A small piece of technology
4. iPhone
Answer: (c) A popular type of smartphone
5. AI
Answer: (f) A type of technology that can think and learn
6. factory
Answer: (b) A place where things are made
7. robot
Answer: (h) A machine that can do tasks on its own
8. language
Answer: (d) A way people communicate with each other
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Who is going to work together to build “AI factories”?
Answer: (b) Nvidia and Foxconn
2. What will the factories use Nvidia chips for?
Answer: (b) Helping cars drive themselves, making robots, and understanding big languages
3. Why does the United States want to stop sending advanced chips to China?
Answer: (d) Because it could hurt Nvidia
4. Where did the bosses of Nvidia and Foxconn talk about the AI factories?
Answer: (d) At a big tech event in Taipei
5. What are AI factories?
Answer: (a) Places where smart things are made and data centers are the factories
6. What does Foxconn want to do with AI factories?
Answer: (c) Do more things and think they can help
7. Why is Nvidia worth a lot of money?
Answer: (a) Because its advanced chips are used in AI
8. What does Foxconn want to do as well as it did with computers and phones?
Answer: (c) Make electric cars
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Nvidia and Foxconn are not going to build special factories that use special chips to help cars drive by themselves and make robots. (Answer: False)
2. The United States doesn’t want to send special chips to China, which could hurt Nvidia. (Answer: True)
3. Foxconn does not want to do well in making electric cars, just like it did with computers and phones. (Answer: False)
4. Foxconn makes Apple products and wants to do more things with AI factories. (Answer: True)
5. Working with Foxconn will not make Nvidia even stronger in the AI market. (Answer: False)
6. The AI factories are not a new kind of place where smart things are made and data centers are not like the factories. (Answer: False)
7. Nvidia is worth a lot of money because its special chips are used in AI. (Answer: True)
8. Nvidia and Foxconn talked about their plan at a big event in Taipei. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧