Apple was making a car that runs on electricity, but they decided to stop. They didn’t tell people they were making it, but now they are moving the people who worked on it to work on computer brain stuff instead. People who know a lot say Apple is doing this because computer brains are wanted more than electric cars. Apple made something new you can wear to see cool things that aren’t real. They are trying to make different things, not just what they usually make.

Lots of people want things with smart computer brains in them, and soon there will be many phones like that. But not as many people want electric cars right now because they cost a lot to borrow money to buy them. Big car companies are waiting to make more electric cars, and a truck company isn’t making more trucks this year. The boss of a big electric car company made a funny face online about Apple stopping their car. This shows that making smart computer things is becoming more important than making electric cars.

Original news source: Apple unplugs self-driving electric car project, reports say (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down key words from the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. One student from each team will come up and pick a word from the bowl without showing it to their team. They will then act out the word without speaking, and their team will try to guess what word they are acting out.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the class read the article individually or in pairs. Then, ask each student to write a summary of the article in their own words. After everyone is finished, have a few students share their summaries with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come up and choose a word from the board. Without speaking, they will have to draw a picture to represent the word, while their team tries to guess what word it is.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose key words from the article and write down the number of letters for each word on the board, using dashes to represent the letters. Divide the class into two teams. One team will choose a word and the other team will guess letters. If a guessed letter is correct, write it in the corresponding space. If a guessed letter is incorrect, draw a body part of a hangman on the board. The team that correctly guesses the word first wins.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Write two statements on the board related to the article, such as “Electric cars are more important than computer brains” and “Computer brains are more important than electric cars.” Have the students stand up and move to one side of the room to show their opinion on each statement. Then, ask a few students to share their reasons for their opinions.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Apple decide to stop making?
2. What are the people who were working on the car going to work on now?
3. Why is Apple focusing on computer brain stuff instead of electric cars?
4. What did Apple make that you can wear to see cool things?
5. What do lots of people want in their things?
6. Why aren’t as many people interested in electric cars right now?
7. What did the boss of a big electric car company do online when he heard about Apple stopping their car?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Apple was making a car that runs on electricity, but they decided to (1)______. They didn’t tell people they were making it, but now they are moving the people who worked on it to work on computer brain stuff instead. People who (2)______ a lot say Apple is doing this because computer brains are wanted (3)______ than electric cars. Apple made something new you can wear to see cool things that aren’t real. They are trying to make (4)______ things, not just what they usually make.

Lots of people want things with (5)______ computer brains in them, and soon there will be many phones like that. But not as many people want electric cars right now because they cost a lot to borrow money to buy them. Big car companies are waiting to (6)______ more electric cars, and a truck company isn’t making more trucks this year. The boss of a big electric car company (7)______ a funny face online about Apple stopping their car. This shows that making smart computer (8)______ is becoming more important than making electric cars.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is an electric car?
2. How would you feel if you had a car that runs on electricity?
3. Do you like wearing things that show you cool things that aren’t real? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important for companies to make different things, not just what they usually make? Why or why not?
5. What are smart computer brains?
6. How do you think smart computer brains can be useful in phones and other things?
7. Do you think more people will want electric cars in the future? Why or why not?
8. Why do you think big car companies are waiting to make more electric cars?
9. What do you think about the boss of the big electric car company making a funny face online about Apple stopping their car?
10. Do you think making smart computer things is more important than making electric cars? Why or why not?
11. How do you think the world would be different if there were more things with smart computer brains in them?
12. What other things do you think Apple could make in the future?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. electricity
2. computer
3. borrow
4. smart
5. different
6. important
7. wear
8. moving
9. discover
10. waiting

Meanings:
(A) When you get something from someone and have to give it back later
(B) Finding something you didn’t know about before
(C) Not doing something right now, but planning to do it later
(D) What makes your toys light up or move without batteries
(E) A machine you can play games on or use to learn things
(F) When something can think or do things like a person’s brain
(G) Going from one place to another place
(H) Not the same as other things; unique
(I) When something matters a lot or is very special
(J) Putting clothes or something else on your body
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did Apple decide to stop making the car?
(a) Because electric cars are too expensive
(b) Because they didn’t know how to make a car
(c) Because computer brains are wanted more
(d) Because they wanted to make more trucks instead

2. What are the people who were working on the car going to work on now?
(a) Computer brain stuff
(b) Making more cars
(c) Building houses
(d) Selling clothes

3. What did Apple make that you can wear?
(a) A hat to keep you warm
(b) A watch to tell the time
(c) Shoes to go running
(d) Something to see cool things that aren’t real

4. What are many people wanting in their phones?
(a) Smart computer brains
(b) Electric cars
(c) Big screens
(d) Lots of buttons

5. Why are big car companies waiting to make more electric cars?
(a) Because they don’t know how to make them
(b) Because they don’t like electric cars
(c) Because they want to make more trucks instead
(d) Because they cost a lot of money

6. What did the boss of a big electric car company do online?
(a) Posted a picture of his lunch
(b) Shared a video of his dog
(c) Made a funny face about Apple stopping their car
(d) Wrote a story about electric cars

7. What is becoming more important than making electric cars?
(a) Making clothes
(b) Making smart computer things
(c) Making houses
(d) Making food

8. What is the main reason people don’t want electric cars right now?
(a) They are too slow
(b) They cost a lot of money to borrow
(c) They are too big
(d) They are too noisy

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Apple is doing this because computer brains are wanted more than electric cars.
2. Now the employees who were involved in the car project will focus on computer hardware instead.
3. Apple created a new device that you can wear to experience virtual reality.
4. Apple is trying to make different things, not just what they usually make.
5. Lots of people want things with smart computer brains in them.
6. Developing electric cars is becoming more significant than innovating smart technology.
7. Apple announced that they were working on a car.
8. Apple was making a car that runs on electricity, but they decided to stop.
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 was Apple making before they decided to stop?
2. Why did Apple decide to stop making the car?
3. What are the people who were working on the car going to work on now?
4. Why do people want things with smart computer brains in them?
5. Why are big car companies waiting to make more electric cars?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did Apple decide to stop making?
Apple decided to stop making a car that runs on electricity.

2. What are the people who were working on the car going to work on now?
The people who were working on the car are going to work on computer brain stuff instead.

3. Why is Apple focusing on computer brain stuff instead of electric cars?
Apple is focusing on computer brain stuff because it is more wanted than electric cars.

4. What did Apple make that you can wear to see cool things?
Apple made something new that you can wear to see cool things that aren’t real.

5. What do lots of people want in their things?
Lots of people want smart computer brains in their things.

6. Why aren’t as many people interested in electric cars right now?
Not as many people are interested in electric cars right now because they cost a lot of money to buy.

7. What did the boss of a big electric car company do online when he heard about Apple stopping their car?
The boss of a big electric car company made a funny face online when he heard about Apple stopping their car.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) stop
(2) know
(3) more
(4) different
(5) smart
(6) make
(7) made
(8) things
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. electricity
Answer: (D) What makes your toys light up or move without batteries

2. computer
Answer: (E) A machine you can play games on or use to learn things

3. borrow
Answer: (A) When you get something from someone and have to give it back later

4. smart
Answer: (F) When something can think or do things like a person’s brain

5. different
Answer: (H) Not the same as other things; unique

6. important
Answer: (I) When something matters a lot or is very special

7. wear
Answer: (J) Putting clothes or something else on your body

8. moving
Answer: (G) Going from one place to another place

9. discover
Answer: (B) Finding something you didn’t know about before

10. waiting
Answer: (C) Not doing something right now, but planning to do it later
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did Apple decide to stop making the car?
Answer: (c) Because computer brains are wanted more

2. What are the people who were working on the car going to work on now?
Answer: (a) Computer brain stuff

3. What did Apple make that you can wear?
Answer: (d) Something to see cool things that aren’t real

4. What are many people wanting in their phones?
Answer: (a) Smart computer brains

5. Why are big car companies waiting to make more electric cars?
Answer: (d) Because they cost a lot of money

6. What did the boss of a big electric car company do online?
Answer: (c) Made a funny face about Apple stopping their car

7. What is becoming more important than making electric cars?
Answer: (b) Making smart computer things

8. What is the main reason people don’t want electric cars right now?
Answer: (b) They cost a lot of money to borrow
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Apple is doing this because computer brains are wanted more than electric cars. (Answer: True)
2. Now the employees who were involved in the car project will focus on computer hardware instead. (Answer: False)
3. Apple created a new device that you can wear to experience virtual reality. (Answer: False)
4. Apple is trying to make different things, not just what they usually make. (Answer: True)
5. Lots of people want things with smart computer brains in them. (Answer: True)
6. Developing electric cars is becoming more significant than innovating smart technology. (Answer: False)
7. Apple announced that they were working on a car. (Answer: False)
8. Apple was making a car that runs on electricity, but they decided to stop. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧