The UK might have cars that drive themselves by the end of 2026. The man in charge of transport in the UK, Mark Harper, said people might be able to ride in these cars without looking at the road. But some people are worried that if these cars aren’t ready, they could cause bad crashes. Harper said it’s important that these cars are safe and that people trust them.

Harper said that not everyone has to use these self-driving cars right away. They could make driving safer because they won’t make the mistakes people do. This could help everyone on the road, including people walking or riding bikes. Right now, in the UK, there’s a car that lets you take your hands off the wheel on some roads, but you still have to watch where you’re going.

Someone asked if these cars could drive you home after you’ve been to a bar. A man who works for Ford, the car company, said the cars can’t do that yet. He said we need better technology, rules, and for people to be okay with using these cars. The UK government is making new rules for these cars, but we don’t know how fast they will become something everyone uses.

Original news source: Driverless cars: Tech possible for UK motorways by 2026, transport secretary says (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct each group to read the article and summarize the main points in a few sentences.
4. After a designated time, have each group share their summaries with the class.

– Word Association
Instructions:
1. Write the word “self-driving cars” on the board.
2. Instruct the students to brainstorm and write down as many words or phrases related to self-driving cars as they can think of.
3. After a few minutes, have the students share their words or phrases with the class.
4. Encourage discussion and elaboration on the different associations.

– Sketch It
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Assign one student in each pair as the “drawer” and the other as the “describer.”
3. Give the “describer” a copy of the article (without showing it to the “drawer”).
4. Instruct the “describer” to orally describe the main points of the article to the “drawer,” who must sketch based on the description.
5. After a designated time, have the pairs compare their sketches with the original article to see how well they captured the information.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Create a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. self-driving cars, technology, crashes, trust).
2. Divide the class into teams.
3. One student from each team will come to the board and draw a picture representing one of the vocabulary words, while their team members try to guess the word.
4. The team that guesses correctly earns a point.
5. Repeat with different students and vocabulary words.

– Headline Creation
Instructions:
1. Provide each student with a blank piece of paper.
2. Instruct the students to create a catchy headline for an article about self-driving cars.
3. Encourage creativity and originality in their headlines.
4. After a designated time, have the students share their headlines with the class and discuss the different approaches they took.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. When might the UK have cars that drive themselves?
2. Why are some people worried about these cars?
3. What did Mark Harper say about the safety of these cars?
4. How could self-driving cars make driving safer?
5. Can the cars drive you home after you’ve been to a bar?
6. What do we need for these cars to become more common?
7. What is the UK government doing about these cars?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The UK might have cars that drive themselves by the end of 2026. The man in charge of transport in the UK, (1)______ Harper, said (2)______ might be able to ride in these cars without looking at the road. But some people are worried that if these cars aren’t ready, they could (3)______ bad crashes. Harper (4)______ it’s important that these (5)______ are safe and that people trust them.

Harper said that not everyone has to use these self-driving cars right away. They could make driving (6)______ because they won’t make the mistakes people do. This could help everyone on the road, including people (7)______ or riding bikes. Right now, in the UK, there’s a car that lets you take your hands off the (8)______ on some roads, but you still have to watch where you’re (9)______.

Someone asked if these cars could drive you home after you’ve been to a bar. A man who works for Ford, the car company, said the cars can’t do that yet. He said we need better technology, rules, and for people to be (10)______ with using these cars. The UK (11)______ is (12)______ new rules for these cars, but we don’t know how fast they will become something everyone uses.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a self-driving car?
2. How would you feel if you could ride in a car without looking at the road?
3. Do you think self-driving cars could cause bad crashes? Why or why not?
4. Do you like the idea of self-driving cars? Why or why not?
5. What mistakes do people make when they drive?
6. How do you think self-driving cars could make driving safer?
7. Do you think self-driving cars could help people who walk or ride bikes? Why or why not?
8. What do you think about the idea of a car that lets you take your hands off the wheel?
9. How would you feel if a self-driving car could drive you home after you’ve been to a bar?
10. Why do you think we need better technology and rules for self-driving cars?
11. Do you think everyone will start using self-driving cars in the future? Why or why not?
12. How do you think self-driving cars could change the way we live?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. transport
2. crashes
3. trust
4. mistakes
5. pedestrians
6. bicycles
7. technology
8. regulations
9. implemented
10. autonomous
11. innovation
12. infrastructure

Meanings:
(A) Put into action or use
(B) New machines and equipment made from scientific knowledge
(C) Accidents where vehicles hit something
(D) Two-wheeled vehicles you pedal to move
(E) Able to do things on its own without a person controlling it
(F) Rules made by a government or authority
(G) New ideas or methods
(H) Believe that someone or something is good and will not fail
(I) The basic buildings and services that are needed for a country to work properly
(J) The way people and things move from one place to another
(K) People who are walking
(L) Things done wrong
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is in charge of transport in the UK?
(a) Mark Harper
(b) John Smith
(c) Emma Johnson
(d) Sarah Thompson

2. When might the UK have cars that drive themselves?
(a) In 2030
(b) By the end of 2026
(c) In 2022
(d) In 2050

3. What are some people worried about regarding self-driving cars?
(a) They are too expensive
(b) They are not fast enough
(c) They could cause bad crashes
(d) They are not stylish

4. How could self-driving cars make driving safer?
(a) They will make driving more fun
(b) They will make driving more difficult
(c) They won’t make the mistakes people do
(d) They will make driving more expensive

5. What do you still have to do when using a self-driving car in the UK?
(a) Take your hands off the wheel
(b) Look at the road
(c) Talk on the phone
(d) Watch where you’re going

6. What did someone ask if self-driving cars could do?
(a) Take you to the beach
(b) Drive you home after you’ve been to a bar
(c) Fly in the sky
(d) Cook dinner for you

7. What do we need for self-driving cars to be able to drive you home after you’ve been to a bar?
(a) More money
(b) Faster cars
(c) More gas stations
(d) Better technology, rules, and people being okay with using these cars

8. What is the UK government doing for self-driving cars?
(a) Making new rules
(b) Banning them
(c) Selling them
(d) Ignoring them

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Harper said it’s important that these cars are safe and that people trust them.
2. The UK might have cars that can drive themselves by the end of 2026.
3. This could help everyone on the road, including people walking or riding bikes.
4. The UK government is making new rules for these cars, but we don’t know how fast they will become something everyone uses.
5. These self-driving cars could make driving more dangerous because they will make the same mistakes people do.
6. Currently, there is no car in the UK that allows you to take your hands off the wheel on any roads, but you still have to watch where you’re going.
7. Some people are relieved that if these cars are ready, they could prevent bad crashes.
8. Mark Harper, who is in charge of transport in the UK, said people must look at the road while riding in these cars.
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 might cars in the UK be able to do by the end of 2026?
2. Why are some people worried about self-driving cars?
3. How could self-driving cars make driving safer?
4. Can self-driving cars currently take you home after you’ve been to a bar?
5. What needs to happen before self-driving cars become something everyone uses?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. When might the UK have cars that drive themselves?
The UK might have cars that drive themselves by the end of 2026.

2. Why are some people worried about these cars?
Some people are worried that these cars could cause bad crashes if they aren’t ready.

3. What did Mark Harper say about the safety of these cars?
Mark Harper said it’s important that these cars are safe and that people trust them.

4. How could self-driving cars make driving safer?
Self-driving cars could make driving safer because they won’t make the mistakes people do. This could help everyone on the road, including people walking or riding bikes.

5. Can the cars drive you home after you’ve been to a bar?
No, the cars can’t drive you home after you’ve been to a bar yet.

6. What do we need for these cars to become more common?
We need better technology, rules, and for people to be okay with using these cars for them to become more common.

7. What is the UK government doing about these cars?
The UK government is making new rules for these cars, but we don’t know how fast they will become something everyone uses.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Mark
(2) people
(3) cause
(4) said
(5) cars
(6) safer
(7) walking
(8) wheel
(9) going
(10) okay
(11) government
(12) making
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. transport
Answer: (J) The way people and things move from one place to another

2. crashes
Answer: (C) Accidents where vehicles hit something

3. trust
Answer: (H) Believe that someone or something is good and will not fail

4. mistakes
Answer: (L) Things done wrong

5. pedestrians
Answer: (K) People who are walking

6. bicycles
Answer: (D) Two-wheeled vehicles you pedal to move

7. technology
Answer: (B) New machines and equipment made from scientific knowledge

8. regulations
Answer: (F) Rules made by a government or authority

9. implemented
Answer: (A) Put into action or use

10. autonomous
Answer: (E) Able to do things on its own without a person controlling it

11. innovation
Answer: (G) New ideas or methods

12. infrastructure
Answer: (I) The basic buildings and services that are needed for a country to work properly
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is in charge of transport in the UK?
Answer: (a) Mark Harper

2. When might the UK have cars that drive themselves?
Answer: (b) By the end of 2026

3. What are some people worried about regarding self-driving cars?
Answer: (c) They could cause bad crashes

4. How could self-driving cars make driving safer?
Answer: (c) They won’t make the mistakes people do

5. What do you still have to do when using a self-driving car in the UK?
Answer: (d) Watch where you’re going

6. What did someone ask if self-driving cars could do?
Answer: (b) Drive you home after you’ve been to a bar

7. What do we need for self-driving cars to be able to drive you home after you’ve been to a bar?
Answer: (d) Better technology, rules, and people being okay with using these cars

8. What is the UK government doing for self-driving cars?
Answer: (a) Making new rules
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Harper said it’s important that these cars are safe and that people trust them. (Answer: True)
2. The UK might have cars that can drive themselves by the end of 2026. (Answer: True)
3. This could help everyone on the road, including people walking or riding bikes. (Answer: True)
4. The UK government is making new rules for these cars, but we don’t know how fast they will become something everyone uses. (Answer: True)
5. These self-driving cars could make driving more dangerous because they will make the same mistakes people do. (Answer: False)
6. Currently, there is no car in the UK that allows you to take your hands off the wheel on any roads, but you still have to watch where you’re going. (Answer: False)
7. Some people are relieved that if these cars are ready, they could prevent bad crashes. (Answer: False)
8. Mark Harper, who is in charge of transport in the UK, said people must look at the road while riding in these cars. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧