Amazon, a big online store, is planning to use flying robots, called drones, to deliver packages in the UK very quickly. They want to start this in one place by the end of 2024, but they haven’t said where yet. In the United States, Amazon already uses drones to deliver things that weigh up to 5lbs, which is about the weight of a small dog. They are working with the Civil Aviation Authority, a group that makes rules for flying, to make sure they follow all the rules.
The government thinks this plan can help them learn how to use this new technology in a safe and secure way. David Carbon, who is in charge of Amazon Prime Air, thinks people in the UK will want to use this service. He also said that it is “absolutely safe”, which means there is no danger in using it.
In short, Amazon wants to use drones to deliver packages quickly in the UK. They are working with the government and other groups to make sure it is safe. The person in charge of this project believes people will like it and that it is safe to use.
Original news source: Amazon pledges parcels in an hour using drone deliveries (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. Instruct them to read the article together and then write a brief summary of the main points. After a few minutes, have each pair share their summary with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Instruct them to discuss whether they think using drones for package delivery is a good idea or not. Have each group choose a spokesperson to present their opinion to the class. After all the groups have shared their opinions, conduct a class poll to see which opinion is the most popular.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a piece of paper and a pen. Instruct them to take turns choosing a word from the list and drawing a picture to represent the word. The other members of the group must guess what word is being represented. Encourage the use of English vocabulary while describing the drawings and guessing the words.
– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose a keyword from the article and write a series of dashes on the board to represent the letters of the word. Explain that it is a game of Hangman and that the students must guess the letters of the word. If a student guesses a correct letter, write it in the correct position on the board. If a student guesses an incorrect letter, draw a part of the hangman. Continue until the word is guessed or the hangman is completed. Repeat with different keywords from the article.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have the class read the article individually. After they have finished, instruct them to think about one question related to the article that they would like to discuss with a classmate. Pair the students up and give them a few minutes to discuss their questions and share their thoughts. Then, bring the class back together and have a few pairs share their questions and thoughts with the whole class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is Amazon planning to use to deliver packages in the UK?
2. When does Amazon want to start using drones in the UK?
3. How much can the drones in the United States deliver?
4. Who is Amazon working with to make sure they follow the rules?
5. Why does the government think this plan can help them?
6. What does David Carbon think about the safety of using drones?
7. What is Amazon doing to make sure using drones in the UK is safe?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
(1)______, a big online store, is planning to use flying robots, (2)______ drones, to deliver packages in the UK very quickly. They want to start this in one place by the end of 2024, but they haven’t said where yet. In the (3)______ States, Amazon already uses drones to (4)______ things that weigh up to 5lbs, which is about the weight of a small dog. They are working with the Civil Aviation Authority, a (5)______ that (6)______ rules for flying, to make sure they follow all the rules.
The government thinks this plan can help them learn how to use this new technology in a (7)______ and secure way. David (8)______, who is in charge of Amazon Prime Air, thinks (9)______ in the UK will want to use this service. He also said that it is “absolutely safe”, which means there is no danger in using it.
In short, Amazon (10)______ to use drones to deliver (11)______ quickly in the UK. They are working with the government and other groups to make sure it is safe. The person in charge of this (12)______ believes people will like it and that it is safe to use.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What are drones?
2. How do you think people in the UK would feel about getting their packages delivered by drones?
3. Do you think using drones to deliver packages is a good idea? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if a drone delivered a package to your house?
5. Do you think using drones to deliver packages is safe? Why or why not?
6. What do you think are some advantages of using drones for delivery?
7. What do you think are some disadvantages of using drones for delivery?
8. Have you ever seen a drone before? If so, where and what was it doing?
9. Do you think using drones for delivery will become popular in the future? Why or why not?
10. How do you think using drones for delivery could change the way we shop?
11. Do you like the idea of using drones for delivery? Why or why not?
12. What do you think are some other ways drones could be used in the future?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. Amazon
2. drones
3. deliver
4. packages
5. quickly
6. safe
7. government
8. project
Meanings:
(a) A big online store
(b) The people who make rules for a country
(c) Fast or speedy
(d) Boxes or bags with things inside
(e) Flying robots used for delivery
(f) Bring something to someone’s house
(g) Not dangerous or risky
(h) A plan or task that needs to be done
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is Amazon planning to use to deliver packages in the UK?
(a) Cars
(b) Flying robots
(c) Bicycles
(d) Boats
2. When does Amazon want to start using drones in the UK?
(a) Next year
(b) In a few months
(c) They haven’t decided yet
(d) By the end of 2024
3. How much can the drones in the United States deliver?
(a) Things that weigh up to 5lbs
(b) Things that weigh up to 10lbs
(c) Things that weigh up to 1lb
(d) Things that weigh up to 20lbs
4. Who is Amazon working with to make sure they follow the rules?
(a) The Police
(b) The Fire Department
(c) The Civil Aviation Authority
(d) The Post Office
5. What does David Carbon think about the safety of using drones?
(a) It is very dangerous
(b) It is somewhat safe
(c) It is absolutely safe
(d) He is not sure
6. What is the main goal of Amazon’s plan to use drones in the UK?
(a) To deliver packages quickly
(b) To save money
(c) To replace delivery drivers
(d) To test new technology
7. What group makes rules for flying in the UK?
(a) The Government
(b) The Civil Aviation Authority
(c) Amazon
(d) The Police
8. Who does Amazon think will want to use their drone delivery service?
(a) People in the United States
(b) People in France
(c) People in Germany
(d) People in the UK
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. David Carbon believes that people in the UK will want to use this drone delivery service.
2. According to David Carbon, using the drones for delivery is not completely safe.
3. Amazon is not collaborating with the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure they follow all the rules.
4. Amazon is planning to use flying robots called drones to deliver packages in the UK.
5. The United States already uses drones for delivering packages that weigh up to 5lbs.
6. David Carbon is not in charge of Amazon Prime Air.
7. The government thinks this plan can help them learn how to use this new technology safely.
8. They plan to start using drones in multiple places in the UK by the end of 2024.
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 is Amazon planning to use to deliver packages in the UK?
2. When does Amazon want to start using drones in the UK?
3. How much can the drones in the United States carry?
4. Who is Amazon working with to make sure they follow the rules for flying?
5. What does David Carbon think about the safety of using drones for delivery?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What is Amazon planning to use to deliver packages in the UK?
Amazon is planning to use flying robots, called drones, to deliver packages in the UK.
2. When does Amazon want to start using drones in the UK?
Amazon wants to start using drones in the UK by the end of 2024.
3. How much can the drones in the United States deliver?
The drones in the United States can deliver things that weigh up to 5lbs, which is about the weight of a small dog.
4. Who is Amazon working with to make sure they follow the rules?
Amazon is working with the Civil Aviation Authority to make sure they follow the rules.
5. Why does the government think this plan can help them?
The government thinks this plan can help them learn how to use this new technology in a safe and secure way.
6. What does David Carbon think about the safety of using drones?
David Carbon thinks using drones is “absolutely safe”, which means there is no danger in using them.
7. What is Amazon doing to make sure using drones in the UK is safe?
Amazon is working with the government and other groups to make sure using drones in the UK is safe.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) Amazon
(2) called
(3) United
(4) deliver
(5) group
(6) makes
(7) safe
(8) Carbon
(9) people
(10) wants
(11) packages
(12) project
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. Amazon
Answer: (a) A big online store
2. drones
Answer: (e) Flying robots used for delivery
3. deliver
Answer: (f) Bring something to someone’s house
4. packages
Answer: (d) Boxes or bags with things inside
5. quickly
Answer: (c) Fast or speedy
6. safe
Answer: (g) Not dangerous or risky
7. government
Answer: (b) The people who make rules for a country
8. project
Answer: (h) A plan or task that needs to be done
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is Amazon planning to use to deliver packages in the UK?
Answer: (b) Flying robots
2. When does Amazon want to start using drones in the UK?
Answer: (d) By the end of 2024
3. How much can the drones in the United States deliver?
Answer: (a) Things that weigh up to 5lbs
4. Who is Amazon working with to make sure they follow the rules?
Answer: (c) The Civil Aviation Authority
5. What does David Carbon think about the safety of using drones?
Answer: (c) It is absolutely safe
6. What is the main goal of Amazon’s plan to use drones in the UK?
Answer: (a) To deliver packages quickly
7. What group makes rules for flying in the UK?
Answer: (b) The Civil Aviation Authority
8. Who does Amazon think will want to use their drone delivery service?
Answer: (d) People in the UK
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. David Carbon believes that people in the UK will want to use this drone delivery service. (Answer: True)
2. According to David Carbon, using the drones for delivery is not completely safe. (Answer: False)
3. Amazon is not collaborating with the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure they follow all the rules. (Answer: False)
4. Amazon is planning to use flying robots called drones to deliver packages in the UK. (Answer: True)
5. The United States already uses drones for delivering packages that weigh up to 5lbs. (Answer: True)
6. David Carbon is not in charge of Amazon Prime Air. (Answer: False)
7. The government thinks this plan can help them learn how to use this new technology safely. (Answer: True)
8. They plan to start using drones in multiple places in the UK by the end of 2024. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
