A little girl, only five years old, died when a car hit her as she rode her bike across the street. Her mom, Jessica, now tells people how important it is to make streets and cars safer. Jessica says we need to think about people walking and biking when we make streets and choose cars. She wants drivers to be more careful and cars to be made to protect people outside of them.

Cars are getting new tools to help keep people safe. Some cars can now stop by themselves if they see someone walking or biking in front. Cars are also being made with parts that can bend and soft things in the front to make crashes less bad for people. These changes are good for everyone who uses the road, not just people in cars.

People who make rules are trying to make it safer for people walking and biking too. In Europe, they check if cars are safe for people outside the car when they open doors. In the United States, they might make a rule that says cars need to be able to stop by themselves to avoid hitting people. These ideas are about making sure everyone is safe on the road.

Original news source: How to make cars less dangerous for pedestrians (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Students will be divided into small groups. Each group will read the article and create a short news summary of the main points, focusing on using simple past tense for reporting events. They will then present their summaries to the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write different statements from the article on the board (e.g., “Streets should be designed with cyclists in mind,” “Cars should be able to stop automatically to prevent accidents”). Students will stand on a line in the classroom, moving to one side to show ‘agree’ or the other side to show ‘disagree.’ This will lead to a discussion where students can practice expressing their opinions using phrases like “I think that…” or “In my opinion…”

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article (e.g., “bike,” “safety,” “cars,” “rules”) on slips of paper. Divide the class into two teams. Members from each team take turns drawing the word on the board without speaking, while their team guesses the word. This helps reinforce new vocabulary in a fun way.

– Mind Map
Instructions: In groups, students will create a mind map relating to the topic of road safety, using the information from the article. They should include categories like ‘vehicles,’ ‘people,’ ‘safety features,’ and ‘laws.’ They can add any new vocabulary or phrases they learned from the article. After completing, they can present their mind maps to the class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine the future of road safety based on the article’s information. They will write down their predictions about how streets, cars, and rules might change to improve safety. They should use future tense structures like “will” or “is going to.” After writing, they can share their predictions with a partner or the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How old was the little girl who died when a car hit her?
2. What does Jessica, the girl’s mom, want people to think about when making streets and choosing cars?
3. What does Jessica want drivers to do?
4. What are some new tools that cars have to keep people safe?
5. What are cars being made with in the front to help protect people outside?
6. What do people in Europe check to make sure cars are safe?
7. What rule might be made in the United States to make it safer for people walking and biking?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A little girl, only five (1)______ old, died when a car hit her as she rode her bike across the street. Her mom, Jessica, now tells (2)______ how important it is to (3)______ streets and cars safer. Jessica says we need to think about people walking and biking when we make streets and (4)______ cars. She wants drivers to be more careful and cars to be made to protect people outside of them.

Cars are getting new tools to help (5)______ people (6)______. Some cars can now stop by themselves if they see someone walking or biking in front. Cars are also being made with parts that can bend and (7)______ things in the (8)______ to make crashes less bad for people. These changes are (9)______ for everyone who uses the road, not just people in cars.

People who make rules are trying to make it safer for people walking and biking too. In Europe, they check if (10)______ are safe for people outside the car when they open doors. In the United States, they might make a rule that says cars need to be (11)______ to (12)______ by themselves to avoid hitting people. These ideas are about making sure everyone is safe on the road.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a safe street to you?
2. How would you feel if you saw a car stop by itself to avoid hitting someone?
3. Do you like riding a bike? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important for drivers to be careful? Why?
5. What are some ways to make cars safer for people outside?
6. How do you feel when you cross the street and see many cars?
7. What is something you can wear to be safer when biking?
8. Do you think rules for car safety are a good idea? Why or why not?
9. How can we make sure people walking and biking are safe?
10. Have you ever seen a car with tools that help keep people safe? What did it look like?
11. Do you think streets in your town are safe for biking and walking? Why or why not?
12. Would you like a car that can stop by itself? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. girl
2. bike
3. car
4. safe
5. street
6. drivers
7. rules
8. road

Meanings:
(a) People who operate vehicles
(b) A public way for travel
(c) A public paved way in a city or town
(d) Not in danger
(e) Official instructions for behavior
(f) Something that people drive
(g) A young female child
(h) A two-wheeled vehicle
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What does Jessica want people to think about when they make streets and choose cars?
(a) People driving big trucks
(b) People riding scooters
(c) People walking and biking
(d) People flying kites

2. What new tool can some cars use to stop by themselves if they see someone walking or biking in front?
(a) Rockets
(b) Sensors
(c) Cameras
(d) Music players

3. What are cars being made with to make crashes less bad for people?
(a) Parts that can bend and soft things in the front
(b) Extra loud horns
(c) Extra big wheels
(d) Extra bright headlights

4. What do people in Europe check to see if cars are safe for people outside the car when they open doors?
(a) If cars can fly
(b) If cars can talk
(c) If cars can cook dinner
(d) If cars are safe for people outside the car

5. What might be a new rule in the United States to make cars safer for people walking and biking?
(a) Cars need to honk louder
(b) Cars need to have bigger windows
(c) Cars need to have more cup holders
(d) Cars need to be able to stop by themselves to avoid hitting people

6. Who is Jessica trying to make sure is safe on the road?
(a) Only people in cars
(b) Only people walking
(c) Everyone
(d) Only people on bikes

7. What is the little girl’s mom’s name?
(a) Jessica
(b) Emily
(c) Sarah
(d) Rachel

8. What are the changes to cars good for, according to the article?
(a) Only people in cars
(b) Everyone who uses the road
(c) Only people walking
(d) Only people on bikes

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The girl’s mom, Jessica, is now speaking out about the importance of making streets and cars safer.
2. Cars are being made with parts that can bend and soft materials in the front to make crashes less severe for people.
3. Jessica believes that streets and cars should prioritize the safety of people who drive and bike.
4. In the United States, there might be a rule that says cars need to be able to stop by themselves to avoid hitting people.
5. A little boy died after being hit by a car while riding his bike.
6. The goal of these changes and rules is to ensure everyone is safe on the road, including people in cars.
7. Some cars now have technology to accelerate when they see someone walking or biking in front of them.
8. Rules are being made in Europe to check if cars are safe for people outside the car when they open doors.
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 happened to the little five-year-old girl?
2. Why does Jessica think it’s important to make streets and cars safer?
3. What are some new tools that cars have to keep people safe?
4. How are cars being changed to make crashes less bad for people?
5. What are people who make rules doing to help keep people walking and biking safe?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How old was the little girl who died when a car hit her?
The little girl was five years old.

2. What does Jessica, the girl’s mom, want people to think about when making streets and choosing cars?
Jessica wants people to think about keeping walkers and bikers safe when they make streets and pick cars.

3. What does Jessica want drivers to do?
Jessica wants drivers to be more careful.

4. What are some new tools that cars have to keep people safe?
Some cars can stop by themselves if they see someone in front, and they have new safety features.

5. What are cars being made with in the front to help protect people outside?
Cars are being made with parts that can bend and soft things in the front.

6. What do people in Europe check to make sure cars are safe?
In Europe, they check if cars are safe for people outside when the doors are opened.

7. What rule might be made in the United States to make it safer for people walking and biking?
In the United States, they might make a rule that says cars need to stop by themselves to avoid hitting people.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) years
(2) people
(3) make
(4) choose
(5) keep
(6) safe
(7) soft
(8) front
(9) good
(10) cars
(11) able
(12) stop
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. girl
Answer: (g) A young female child

2. bike
Answer: (h) A two-wheeled vehicle

3. car
Answer: (f) Something that people drive

4. safe
Answer: (d) Not in danger

5. street
Answer: (c) A public paved way in a city or town

6. drivers
Answer: (a) People who operate vehicles

7. rules
Answer: (e) Official instructions for behavior

8. road
Answer: (b) A public way for travel
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What does Jessica want people to think about when they make streets and choose cars?
Answer: (c) People walking and biking

2. What new tool can some cars use to stop by themselves if they see someone walking or biking in front?
Answer: (b) Sensors

3. What are cars being made with to make crashes less bad for people?
Answer: (a) Parts that can bend and soft things in the front

4. What do people in Europe check to see if cars are safe for people outside the car when they open doors?
Answer: (d) If cars are safe for people outside the car

5. What might be a new rule in the United States to make cars safer for people walking and biking?
Answer: (d) Cars need to be able to stop by themselves to avoid hitting people

6. Who is Jessica trying to make sure is safe on the road?
Answer: (c) Everyone

7. What is the little girl’s mom’s name?
Answer: (a) Jessica

8. What are the changes to cars good for, according to the article?
Answer: (b) Everyone who uses the road
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The girl’s mom, Jessica, is now speaking out about the importance of making streets and cars safer. (Answer: True)
2. Cars are being made with parts that can bend and soft materials in the front to make crashes less severe for people. (Answer: True)
3. Jessica believes that streets and cars should prioritize the safety of people who drive and bike. (Answer: False)
4. In the United States, there might be a rule that says cars need to be able to stop by themselves to avoid hitting people. (Answer: True)
5. A little boy died after being hit by a car while riding his bike. (Answer: False)
6. The goal of these changes and rules is to ensure everyone is safe on the road, including people in cars. (Answer: False)
7. Some cars now have technology to accelerate when they see someone walking or biking in front of them. (Answer: False)
8. Rules are being made in Europe to check if cars are safe for people outside the car when they open doors. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧