The United States is a big country with lots of people, but it doesn’t have fast trains like some other places. There are two big train projects happening now. One train will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and another from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas train might be ready by 2028. There are also ideas for trains in other places, but they are not moving fast.

In America, people like to drive cars, so trains are not as popular. The government train company, Amtrak, is not helping with the new fast trains. Some people think the government should help more with trains. Other countries, like China and places in Europe, have lots of fast trains and they help cities grow. If America wants fast trains, it needs to change how it thinks about travel and get more help from the government.

Original news source: Is the US finally on track to build a high-speed rail network? (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Students will take turns acting out different modes of transportation (e.g., train, car, bus) without speaking. The rest of the class will guess what mode of transportation they are acting out.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Students will walk around the classroom and ask their classmates if they prefer trains or cars for travel. They will tally the responses and share the results with the class.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Students will be divided into small groups. Each group will receive a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g., train, travel, government). One student will draw a word while the others guess what it is.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Students will think about the question, “Why do you think fast trains are important?” They will take a minute to think, then pair up to discuss their thoughts before sharing with the class.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Students will work in pairs to create a catchy headline for the article. They will present their headlines to the class and discuss why they chose them.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What are the two big train projects in the United States?
2. Where will one train go from and to?
3. When might the Las Vegas train be ready?
4. Why do many people in America like to drive cars?
5. What is the name of the government train company?
6. What do some people think the government should do for trains?
7. Which countries have lots of fast trains?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The United States is a big country with lots of people, but it doesn’t (1)______ fast trains like some other (2)______. There are two big train projects happening now. One train will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and another from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas train might be (3)______ by 2028. There are also ideas for trains in other places, but they are not moving fast.

In America, (4)______ like to drive cars, so trains are not as popular. The government train (5)______, Amtrak, is not helping with the new fast trains. Some people (6)______ the government should help more with trains. Other countries, like China and places in Europe, have lots of fast trains and they help (7)______ grow. If America (8)______ fast trains, it needs to change how it thinks about travel and get more help from the government.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a train?
2. Do you like to ride trains? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you could travel on a fast train?
4. What is a car?
5. Do you think cars are better than trains? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever been on a train? What was it like?
7. What is your favorite way to travel?
8. Do you think it is good to have fast trains? Why?
9. How would you feel if you could take a train to a fun place?
10. What is a city?
11. Do you think the government should help build more trains? Why?
12. How would you feel if there were more trains in your city?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. projects
2. government
3. company
4. popular
5. change
6. travel
7. ideas
8. country
9. ready
10. grow

Meanings:
(A) Going from one place to another
(B) Thoughts about what to do
(C) Liked by many people
(D) A group of people who work together to make or do something
(E) To get bigger or taller
(F) The group of people who make rules for a place
(G) Things people are working on
(H) To make something different
(I) All set to start or do something
(J) A big place where people live, like the USA
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the big country in the article?
(a) The United States
(b) Canada
(c) Mexico
(d) Brazil

2. What is one city the train will go to from San Francisco?
(a) New York
(b) Chicago
(c) Los Angeles
(d) Miami

3. What city will the train go to from Los Angeles?
(a) Seattle
(b) Boston
(c) Atlanta
(d) Las Vegas

4. When might the Las Vegas train be ready?
(a) By 2025
(b) By 2030
(c) By 2022
(d) By 2028

5. What do many people in America like to do?
(a) Drive cars
(b) Ride bikes
(c) Walk
(d) Fly planes

6. What is the name of the government train company?
(a) Metro
(b) Greyhound
(c) Amtrak
(d) Railways

7. Which country has lots of fast trains?
(a) Japan
(b) China
(c) India
(d) Australia

8. What do some people think the government should do?
(a) Build more cars
(b) Help more with trains
(c) Make more roads
(d) Close train stations

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Another train will go from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
2. The U.S. does not have fast trains like other countries.
3. One train will go from San Francisco to Las Vegas.
4. Many people in America prefer to use public transportation.
5. The United States is a big country with many people.
6. Some people think the government should help with trains more.
7. There are two big train projects happening now.
8. The Las Vegas train might be ready by the year 2029.
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 are the two big train projects in the United States?
2. Where will one train go from San Francisco?
3. When might the Las Vegas train be ready?
4. Why do people in America like to drive cars?
5. What do some people think the government should do about trains?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are the two big train projects in the United States?
One train goes from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The other train goes from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

2. Where will one train go from and to?
One train will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

3. When might the Las Vegas train be ready?
The Las Vegas train might be ready by 2028.

4. Why do many people in America like to drive cars?
Many people like to drive cars because it is popular and easy.

5. What is the name of the government train company?
The name of the government train company is Amtrak.

6. What do some people think the government should do for trains?
Some people think the government should help more with trains.

7. Which countries have lots of fast trains?
Countries like China and places in Europe have lots of fast trains.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) have
(2) places
(3) ready
(4) people
(5) company
(6) think
(7) cities
(8) wants
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. projects
Answer: (G) Things people are working on

2. government
Answer: (F) The group of people who make rules for a place

3. company
Answer: (D) A group of people who work together to make or do something

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

5. change
Answer: (H) To make something different

6. travel
Answer: (A) Going from one place to another

7. ideas
Answer: (B) Thoughts about what to do

8. country
Answer: (J) A big place where people live, like the USA

9. ready
Answer: (I) All set to start or do something

10. grow
Answer: (E) To get bigger or taller
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the big country in the article?
Answer: (a) The United States

2. What is one city the train will go to from San Francisco?
Answer: (c) Los Angeles

3. What city will the train go to from Los Angeles?
Answer: (d) Las Vegas

4. When might the Las Vegas train be ready?
Answer: (d) By 2028

5. What do many people in America like to do?
Answer: (a) Drive cars

6. What is the name of the government train company?
Answer: (c) Amtrak

7. Which country has lots of fast trains?
Answer: (b) China

8. What do some people think the government should do?
Answer: (b) Help more with trains
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Another train will go from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. (Answer: False)
2. The U.S. does not have fast trains like other countries. (Answer: True)
3. One train will go from San Francisco to Las Vegas. (Answer: False)
4. Many people in America prefer to use public transportation. (Answer: False)
5. The United States is a big country with many people. (Answer: True)
6. Some people think the government should help with trains more. (Answer: True)
7. There are two big train projects happening now. (Answer: True)
8. The Las Vegas train might be ready by the year 2029. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧