Tesla, a company that makes electric cars, gave fewer cars to people in the first part of 2024. They gave out less than 387,000 cars, which is the smallest number in more than a year. This was a surprise and made the company’s value go down. Some people who know a lot about companies said this was very bad for Tesla. They used big words to say it was like a train hitting a wall.

There were a few reasons why Tesla didn’t give out as many cars. There was a fire in one place where they make cars, and it was hard to send cars to different places. Not as many people in China wanted to buy their cars. Other companies are making cars like Tesla’s, and some people think Tesla’s cars are too expensive. Tesla tried to make their cars cheaper, but it didn’t help much. Now, Tesla needs to find a way to do better or they might have more problems.

Original news source: Tesla ‘disaster’ with fewest deliveries since 2022 (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each pair/group a copy of the article or read it aloud to the class.
3. Instruct the students to read the article and summarize the main points in their own words.
4. Each pair/group should then share their summary with the rest of the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Ask the students to discuss and share their opinions on the following questions:
a. Do you think Tesla giving out fewer cars is a good or bad thing?
b. What do you think are the reasons why Tesla didn’t give out as many cars?
c. How do you think Tesla can improve their situation?
3. After the discussion, each pair/group should present their opinions to the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Give each pair/group a set of blank paper and markers.
4. Instruct the students to take turns selecting a vocabulary word and drawing a picture to represent it. The other student(s) must guess the word.
5. The pair/group with the most correct guesses wins.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions:
1. Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Give each pair/group a set of index cards or small pieces of paper.
4. Instruct the students to write a synonym for each vocabulary word on the cards/papers.
5. Collect the cards/papers and shuffle them.
6. One student from each pair/group should draw a card/paper and try to explain the word using synonyms, while the other student(s) guess the word.
7. Each correct guess earns a point for the pair/group. The pair/group with the most points wins.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each student to come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the article.
3. Each student should take turns sharing their statements with their partner/group.
4. The partner/group must guess which statement is false.
5. After everyone has shared, the class can discuss the false statements and their reasoning.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What kind of cars does Tesla make?
2. Did Tesla give out more or fewer cars this year?
3. Why did Tesla give out fewer cars?
4. What happened to Tesla’s value when they gave out fewer cars?
5. Why did some people say it was bad for Tesla?
6. Why did fewer people in China want to buy Tesla’s cars?
7. What does Tesla need to do now to improve?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Tesla, a company that makes electric cars, gave fewer cars to people in the first part of 2024. They gave out less than 387,000 cars, which is the (1)______ number in more than a year. This was a (2)______ and made the company’s value go down. Some (3)______ who know a lot about companies said this was very bad for Tesla. They used big words to say it was like a train hitting a (4)______.

There were a few reasons why Tesla didn’t give out as (5)______ cars. There was a fire in one place where they make cars, and it was hard to send cars to different places. Not as many people in China wanted to buy their cars. Other (6)______ are making cars like Tesla’s, and some people think Tesla’s cars are too (7)______. Tesla tried to make their cars cheaper, but it didn’t help much. Now, Tesla needs to find a way to do better or they might have (8)______ problems.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is Tesla?
2. How would you feel if you had a Tesla car?
3. Do you like electric cars? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about Tesla giving out fewer cars?
5. How do you think Tesla’s value going down affects the company?
6. Why do you think fewer people in China wanted to buy Tesla cars?
7. Do you think Tesla’s cars are too expensive? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the fire in the car factory affected Tesla?
9. What do you think Tesla can do to improve?
10. How do you think the other companies making cars like Tesla’s affect Tesla?
11. Why do you think Tesla tried to make their cars cheaper?
12. What problems do you think Tesla might have if they don’t do better?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. electric
2. surprise
3. value
4. reasons
5. fire
6. expensive
7. cheaper
8. problems
9. companies
10. deliver

Meanings:
(A) Costs a lot of money, like a really big toy set.
(B) Not costing a lot of money, like a small toy.
(C) Something that uses energy to work, like your toy car.
(D) Why something happens, like why you might get a time-out.
(E) To give something to someone, like when you share your snacks.
(F) Things that are wrong or not good, like when your toy breaks.
(G) Groups of people who make things to sell, like your favorite snacks.
(H) How much something is worth, like how many toys you can trade for it.
(I) Hot, bright, and dangerous thing that can burn stuff.
(J) When something happens that you didn’t think would happen.
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What kind of cars does Tesla make?
(a) Gasoline cars
(b) Electric cars
(c) Bicycle cars
(d) Train cars

2. How many cars did Tesla give out in the first part of 2024?
(a) More than 387,000 cars
(b) Exactly 387,000 cars
(c) Less than 387,000 cars
(d) None of the above

3. Why did Tesla give out fewer cars?
(a) They ran out of cars to give
(b) They didn’t want to give out cars anymore
(c) None of the above
(d) There was a fire in one of their car-making places

4. What happened to Tesla’s value when they gave out fewer cars?
(a) It went up
(b) It went down
(c) It stayed the same
(d) None of the above

5. What did some people say it was like when Tesla gave out fewer cars?
(a) Like a train hitting a wall
(b) Like a bird flying in the sky
(c) Like a fish swimming in the ocean
(d) None of the above

6. Why didn’t as many people in China want to buy Tesla’s cars?
(a) They were too cheap
(b) They didn’t like the color of the cars
(c) None of the above
(d) They were too expensive

7. What did Tesla try to do to make their cars cheaper?
(a) They tried to make their cars cheaper
(b) They tried to make their cars more expensive
(c) They tried to make their cars bigger
(d) None of the above

8. What might happen to Tesla if they don’t do better?
(a) They might have fewer problems
(b) They might have the same problems
(c) They might have more problems
(d) None of the above

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Now, Tesla needs to find a way to maintain their performance or they might have fewer problems.
2. Not as many people in China wanted to buy Tesla cars.
3. Some people who know a lot about companies said this was not bad for Tesla, like a train hitting a wall and not causing damage.
4. Tesla tried to make their cars more expensive, but it didn’t help much.
5. Other companies are making cars like Tesla’s, and some people think Tesla’s cars are too expensive.
6. There was a fire in one place where they make cars, which made it hard to send cars to different places.
7. Tesla gave fewer cars to people this year, which made their company worth less money.
8. Tesla gave out more than 387,000 cars, which is the largest number in more than a 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. What kind of cars does Tesla make?
2. Did Tesla give out more or less cars this year?
3. Why did Tesla give out fewer cars?
4. What happened to Tesla’s value when they gave out fewer cars?
5. What might happen to Tesla if they don’t do better?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What kind of cars does Tesla make?
Tesla makes electric cars.

2. Did Tesla give out more or fewer cars this year?
Tesla gave out fewer cars this year.

3. Why did Tesla give out fewer cars?
There was a fire in one of their car-making places, and it was hard to send cars to different places. Also, not as many people in China wanted to buy their cars.

4. What happened to Tesla’s value when they gave out fewer cars?
Tesla’s value went down when they gave out fewer cars.

5. Why did some people say it was bad for Tesla?
Some people said it was bad for Tesla because it was like a train hitting a wall. This means it was a big problem that could cause more problems for the company.

6. Why did fewer people in China want to buy Tesla’s cars?
Fewer people in China wanted to buy Tesla’s cars because there are other companies making similar cars and some people think Tesla’s cars are too expensive.

7. What does Tesla need to do now to improve?
Tesla needs to find a way to do better, like making their cars cheaper or finding more customers, so they don’t have more problems in the future.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) smallest
(2) surprise
(3) people
(4) wall
(5) many
(6) companies
(7) expensive
(8) more
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. electric
Answer: (C) Something that uses energy to work, like your toy car.

2. surprise
Answer: (J) When something happens that you didn’t think would happen.

3. value
Answer: (H) How much something is worth, like how many toys you can trade for it.

4. reasons
Answer: (D) Why something happens, like why you might get a time-out.

5. fire
Answer: (I) Hot, bright, and dangerous thing that can burn stuff.

6. expensive
Answer: (A) Costs a lot of money, like a really big toy set.

7. cheaper
Answer: (B) Not costing a lot of money, like a small toy.

8. problems
Answer: (F) Things that are wrong or not good, like when your toy breaks.

9. companies
Answer: (G) Groups of people who make things to sell, like your favorite snacks.

10. deliver
Answer: (E) To give something to someone, like when you share your snacks.
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What kind of cars does Tesla make?
Answer: (b) Electric cars

2. How many cars did Tesla give out in the first part of 2024?
Answer: (c) Less than 387,000 cars

3. Why did Tesla give out fewer cars?
Answer: (d) There was a fire in one of their car-making places

4. What happened to Tesla’s value when they gave out fewer cars?
Answer: (b) It went down

5. What did some people say it was like when Tesla gave out fewer cars?
Answer: (a) Like a train hitting a wall

6. Why didn’t as many people in China want to buy Tesla’s cars?
Answer: (d) They were too expensive

7. What did Tesla try to do to make their cars cheaper?
Answer: (a) They tried to make their cars cheaper

8. What might happen to Tesla if they don’t do better?
Answer: (c) They might have more problems
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Now, Tesla needs to find a way to maintain their performance or they might have fewer problems. (Answer: False)
2. Not as many people in China wanted to buy Tesla cars. (Answer: True)
3. Some people who know a lot about companies said this was not bad for Tesla, like a train hitting a wall and not causing damage. (Answer: False)
4. Tesla tried to make their cars more expensive, but it didn’t help much. (Answer: False)
5. Other companies are making cars like Tesla’s, and some people think Tesla’s cars are too expensive. (Answer: True)
6. There was a fire in one place where they make cars, which made it hard to send cars to different places. (Answer: True)
7. Tesla gave fewer cars to people this year, which made their company worth less money. (Answer: True)
8. Tesla gave out more than 387,000 cars, which is the largest number in more than a year. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧