Elon Musk is visiting Beijing to talk about making Tesla cars drive themselves in China. This feature is already in the US, but not in China yet. Musk wants to use data from China to improve Tesla's technology. His visit comes after reports of Tesla cars crashing while using self-driving modes.
China is very important for Tesla, and other companies are trying to compete with similar technology. Tesla is working to make Chinese officials comfortable with self-driving cars by setting up a data center in Shanghai. Musk has big plans for Teslas to become self-driving taxis. Some people think Musk is exaggerating to help Tesla's stock price, which has dropped because of less demand and more competition.
Tesla is lowering prices in China and other places to sell more cars. Musk says prices need to change based on how many cars they can make and sell. Recently, Tesla's car sales went down by 13% in the first part of the year. Their overall sales and profits also dropped, and Tesla's stock price fell by 32% in 2024.
Original news source: Musk in China to discuss enabling Full Self Driving (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Ask them to read the article and then write a summary of the main points. After a few minutes, have pairs share their summaries with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into teams. One student from each team comes to the front of the class and chooses a word from the list. They then have to draw a picture to represent the word while their team tries to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly earns a point.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the class a question related to the article, such as "Do you think self-driving cars will be popular in China?" Give students a few minutes to think about their answer individually. Then, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their thoughts. Finally, ask a few pairs to share their opinions with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as "Self-driving cars are the future of transportation" or "Tesla should focus on lowering prices instead of developing self-driving technology." Have students move around the room and find classmates to discuss each statement with. They should ask their classmates if they agree or disagree and why. After a few minutes, have students share their findings with the class.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to imagine what the future of transportation will be like in China. They should consider the role of self-driving cars and how Tesla might fit into this future. After a few minutes, have each group present their predictions to the class. Encourage them to use English as much as possible when discussing their ideas.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Elon Musk is visiting to about Tesla cars drive themselves in China. This feature is already in the US, but not in China yet. Musk wants to use data from China to improve Tesla's technology. His visit comes after reports of Tesla cars crashing while using self-driving modes. China is very important for Tesla, and other companies are to with similar technology. Tesla is working to make Chinese officials with self-driving cars by setting up a data center in Shanghai. Musk has big plans for Teslas to become self-driving taxis. Some people think Musk is exaggerating to help Tesla's stock price, which has because of less and competition. Tesla is lowering prices in China and other places to sell more cars. Musk says need to change based on how many cars they can make and sell. Recently, Tesla's car sales went down by 13% in the first part of the . Their overall sales and also dropped, and Tesla's stock price fell by 32% in 2024.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a self-driving car?
2. How would you feel if cars could drive themselves?
3. Do you like the idea of self-driving taxis? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about Elon Musk's plans for Tesla cars in China?
5. How do you think self-driving cars could be improved?
6. What do you think about Tesla lowering their prices in China?
7. Do you think Tesla's stock price will go up again? Why or why not?
8. How do you feel about the competition between Tesla and other companies?
9. What would you do if you saw a self-driving car on the road?
10. Do you think self-driving cars are safe? Why or why not?
11. How do you think self-driving cars could change our daily lives?
12. What do you think about Tesla's decision to set up a data center in Shanghai?
Individual Activities
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