A person who used to work at Tesla is worried about the safety of their self-driving technology. They leaked information to a newspaper in Germany about complaints from customers about Tesla’s braking and self-driving software. They think that the technology hasn’t been tested enough and shouldn’t be used on public roads. Even though the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, says the self-driving technology is great, this person thinks it’s dangerous for everyone on the road. They found evidence that Tesla hasn’t followed the rules for making sure self-driving cars are safe.

This person also found data that suggests Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason, even when there’s nothing in the way. Tesla says that their self-driving feature has caused fewer crashes than cars without it, but we can’t check if that’s true. The US Department of Justice has been looking into Tesla’s self-driving features since January, and other agencies have been asking questions too.

The person who used to work at Tesla decided to tell the authorities about the information they found. They’ve been called a whistleblower and people think they did the right thing. But it’s been really scary for them and they’re having trouble sleeping. A professor in London thinks that what this person said raises bigger concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars. The UK government is making a law to control self-driving cars.

Original news source: Ex-Tesla employee casts doubt on car safety (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on the concerns raised about Tesla’s self-driving technology and the actions taken by the whistleblower. Afterward, each pair will present their summary to the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will discuss the following question: “Do you think Tesla’s self-driving technology is safe for public roads? Why or why not?” After the discussion, each group will conduct a mini opinion poll within the class, asking other students for their opinions. The group will then present the results of the poll and discuss any interesting findings.

– Sketch It
Instructions: In pairs, students will choose a specific scene or moment from the article and sketch it on a piece of paper. They should include relevant details and elements from the text. Afterward, each pair will present their sketch to the class, explaining what scene or moment it represents and why they chose it.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper or index cards. Each student will take turns choosing a word and drawing it on the board while their classmates try to guess what the word is. The student who guesses correctly gets to choose the next word to draw.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: In small groups, students will discuss the pros and cons of using self-driving technology on public roads, based on the information from the article. They should consider both the potential benefits and the potential risks. After the discussion, each group will present their findings to the class, highlighting the main points of their debate.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is a former Tesla employee concerned about the safety of their self-driving technology?
2. What did the former employee leak to a newspaper in Germany?
3. How does the former employee feel about Tesla’s self-driving technology?
4. What evidence did the former employee find about Tesla’s braking system?
5. What does Tesla claim about the safety of their self-driving feature?
6. Who has been investigating Tesla’s self-driving features since January?
7. What did the former employee do with the information they found?
8. What concerns does a professor in London have about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A person who used to work at Tesla is worried about the safety of their self-driving (1)______. They leaked (2)______ to a newspaper in Germany about complaints from customers about Tesla’s braking and self-driving (3)______. They think that the technology hasn’t been (4)______ enough and shouldn’t be used on public roads. Even though the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, says the self-driving technology is great, this (5)______ (6)______ it’s dangerous for everyone on the road. They (7)______ (8)______ that Tesla hasn’t followed the rules for making sure self-driving cars are safe.

This person also found data that suggests Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason, even when there’s nothing in the way. Tesla says that their self-driving feature has (9)______ fewer crashes than cars without it, but we can’t check if that’s true. The US Department of Justice has been looking into Tesla’s self-driving (10)______ since (11)______, and other agencies have been asking questions too.

The person who used to work at Tesla decided to tell the (12)______ about the information they found. They’ve been (13)______ a whistleblower and people think they did the right thing. But it’s been really scary for them and they’re having trouble sleeping. A professor in London thinks that what this person said raises bigger concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars. The UK (14)______ is (15)______ a law to (16)______ self-driving cars.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a whistleblower and why do you think people think this person did the right thing?
2. How do you think this person feels about the safety of Tesla’s self-driving technology?
3. Do you think self-driving technology should be used on public roads? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you were driving a Tesla and it suddenly braked for no reason?
5. Do you trust self-driving technology? Why or why not?
6. How do you think Elon Musk feels about the claims made by this person?
7. What do you think the US Department of Justice is looking for in their investigation of Tesla’s self-driving features?
8. Do you think Tesla’s self-driving feature has caused fewer crashes than cars without it? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the person who used to work at Tesla feels now that they’ve told the authorities about the information they found?
10. How do you think the UK government’s law to control self-driving cars will affect the industry?
11. What concerns do you think the professor in London has about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars?
12. How do you feel about the use of artificial intelligence in self-driving cars? Why?
13. Do you think companies should be required to follow specific rules to ensure the safety of self-driving cars? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the leaked information will impact Tesla’s reputation?
15. What do you think should be done to address the concerns raised about Tesla’s self-driving technology?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. self-driving
2. technology
3. leaked
4. complaints
5. tested
6. public roads
7. evidence
8. rules
9. feature
10. crashes
11. Department of Justice
12. whistleblower
13. authorities
14. concerns
15. artificial intelligence

Meanings:
(A) Accidents where cars hit something or each other
(B) The ability of a machine or computer to think and learn like a human
(C) Proof or facts that show something is true
(D) A special quality or characteristic of something
(E) The roads that anyone can use, not just private ones
(F) A type of technology that allows a car to drive itself without a person controlling it
(G) The use of scientific knowledge and tools to solve problems or invent things
(H) People in charge who have the power to make decisions and enforce the law
(I) People saying that something is wrong or not good enough
(J) A government department that investigates and punishes people who break the law
(K) Someone who tells the authorities about something illegal or dangerous that is happening
(L) Tried out or experimented on to see if it works properly
(M) A set of instructions or guidelines that must be followed
(N) Secretly gave information to the public that was supposed to be kept private
(O) Worries or things that make you feel uncertain or afraid
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did a former Tesla employee do?
(a) Stole Tesla’s self-driving technology
(b) Leaked information about complaints regarding Tesla’s self-driving technology
(c) Created their own self-driving technology
(d) Quit their job at Tesla

2. What is the concern raised by the former Tesla employee?
(a) Tesla’s self-driving technology is flawless and safe
(b) Tesla’s self-driving technology is too expensive
(c) Tesla’s self-driving technology is not advanced enough
(d) The self-driving technology hasn’t been tested enough and is dangerous for public roads

3. What evidence did the former Tesla employee find?
(a) Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason
(b) Tesla cars never brake when they should
(c) Tesla cars have caused more crashes than cars without self-driving technology
(d) Tesla cars have better braking capabilities than other cars

4. What is the US Department of Justice doing?
(a) Investigating Tesla’s self-driving features
(b) Promoting Tesla’s self-driving features
(c) Ignoring Tesla’s self-driving features
(d) Developing their own self-driving technology

5. What term is used to describe the former Tesla employee?
(a) Traitor
(b) Whistleblower
(c) Hero
(d) Spy

6. How does the former Tesla employee feel about their actions?
(a) Proud and confident
(b) Indifferent and unaffected
(c) Excited and motivated
(d) Scared and having trouble sleeping

7. What does a professor in London think about the situation?
(a) Supports the use of artificial intelligence in self-driving cars
(b) Thinks self-driving cars are unnecessary
(c) Raises bigger concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars
(d) Doesn’t have an opinion on self-driving cars

8. What is the UK government doing?
(a) Banning self-driving cars
(b) Promoting self-driving cars
(c) Making a law to control self-driving cars
(d) Ignoring self-driving cars

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The whistleblower decided to inform the authorities about their findings, earning them the title of a whistleblower, and many people believe they did the right thing.
2. A former Tesla employee is not worried about the safety of their self-driving technology.
3. Evidence suggests that Tesla has followed safety regulations for self-driving cars.
4. Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, claims that the self-driving technology is excellent, but the whistleblower disagrees and believes it poses a danger to everyone on the road.
5. The US Department of Justice has not been investigating Tesla’s self-driving features since January, and other agencies are not asking questions.
6. The whistleblower discovered data indicating that Tesla cars sometimes brake without any reason, even when there are no obstacles in their path.
7. They leaked information to a German newspaper about customer complaints regarding Tesla’s braking and self-driving software.
8. The person believes that the technology has undergone enough testing and should be used on public roads.
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 the main concern that the person who used to work at Tesla has about their self-driving technology?
2. Who did this person leak information to and what did they reveal about Tesla’s self-driving software?
3. What evidence did this person find that suggests Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason?
4. What is the US Department of Justice doing in regards to Tesla’s self-driving features?
5. Why did the person who used to work at Tesla decide to tell the authorities about the information they found?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why is a former Tesla employee concerned about the safety of their self-driving technology?
The former Tesla employee is concerned about the safety of their self-driving technology because they believe it hasn’t been tested enough and poses a danger to everyone on the road.

2. What did the former employee leak to a newspaper in Germany?
The former employee leaked information about complaints from customers regarding Tesla’s braking and self-driving software to a newspaper in Germany.

3. How does the former employee feel about Tesla’s self-driving technology?
The former employee feels that Tesla’s self-driving technology is dangerous for everyone on the road and has not been adequately tested.

4. What evidence did the former employee find about Tesla’s braking system?
The former employee found evidence that Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason, even when there is nothing in the way.

5. What does Tesla claim about the safety of their self-driving feature?
Tesla claims that their self-driving feature has caused fewer crashes than cars without it.

6. Who has been investigating Tesla’s self-driving features since January?
The US Department of Justice has been investigating Tesla’s self-driving features since January.

7. What did the former employee do with the information they found?
The former employee decided to tell the authorities about the information they found, making them a whistleblower.

8. What concerns does a professor in London have about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars?
A professor in London has concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars, as raised by the former employee’s information. This raises bigger concerns about the safety and use of artificial intelligence in self-driving cars.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) technology
(2) information
(3) software
(4) tested
(5) person
(6) thinks
(7) found
(8) evidence
(9) caused
(10) features
(11) January
(12) authorities
(13) called
(14) government
(15) making
(16) control
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. self-driving
Answer: (F) A type of technology that allows a car to drive itself without a person controlling it

2. technology
Answer: (G) The use of scientific knowledge and tools to solve problems or invent things

3. leaked
Answer: (N) Secretly gave information to the public that was supposed to be kept private

4. complaints
Answer: (I) People saying that something is wrong or not good enough

5. tested
Answer: (L) Tried out or experimented on to see if it works properly

6. public roads
Answer: (E) The roads that anyone can use, not just private ones

7. evidence
Answer: (C) Proof or facts that show something is true

8. rules
Answer: (M) A set of instructions or guidelines that must be followed

9. feature
Answer: (D) A special quality or characteristic of something

10. crashes
Answer: (A) Accidents where cars hit something or each other

11. Department of Justice
Answer: (J) A government department that investigates and punishes people who break the law

12. whistleblower
Answer: (K) Someone who tells the authorities about something illegal or dangerous that is happening

13. authorities
Answer: (H) People in charge who have the power to make decisions and enforce the law

14. concerns
Answer: (O) Worries or things that make you feel uncertain or afraid

15. artificial intelligence
Answer: (B) The ability of a machine or computer to think and learn like a human
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did a former Tesla employee do?
Answer: (b) Leaked information about complaints regarding Tesla’s self-driving technology

2. What is the concern raised by the former Tesla employee?
Answer: (d) The self-driving technology hasn’t been tested enough and is dangerous for public roads

3. What evidence did the former Tesla employee find?
Answer: (a) Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason

4. What is the US Department of Justice doing?
Answer: (a) Investigating Tesla’s self-driving features

5. What term is used to describe the former Tesla employee?
Answer: (b) Whistleblower

6. How does the former Tesla employee feel about their actions?
Answer: (d) Scared and having trouble sleeping

7. What does a professor in London think about the situation?
Answer: (c) Raises bigger concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars

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

True or False Answers:

1. The whistleblower decided to inform the authorities about their findings, earning them the title of a whistleblower, and many people believe they did the right thing. (Answer: True)
2. A former Tesla employee is not worried about the safety of their self-driving technology. (Answer: False)
3. Evidence suggests that Tesla has followed safety regulations for self-driving cars. (Answer: False)
4. Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, claims that the self-driving technology is excellent, but the whistleblower disagrees and believes it poses a danger to everyone on the road. (Answer: True)
5. The US Department of Justice has not been investigating Tesla’s self-driving features since January, and other agencies are not asking questions. (Answer: False)
6. The whistleblower discovered data indicating that Tesla cars sometimes brake without any reason, even when there are no obstacles in their path. (Answer: True)
7. They leaked information to a German newspaper about customer complaints regarding Tesla’s braking and self-driving software. (Answer: True)
8. The person believes that the technology has undergone enough testing and should be used on public roads. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧