Tesla, the company that makes electric cars and is run by Elon Musk, didn’t do so well in the first three months of this year. They had some problems that made it hard for them to deliver cars to customers. There was a fire at one of their factories in Europe, and there were also issues with shipping around the world. Because of all these challenges, Tesla only delivered about 387,000 cars during that time, which is the lowest number in over a year. It’s a decrease of more than 8% compared to last year, and it’s not what experts were expecting.
Because of this bad news, the price of Tesla’s shares went down by more than 4%. An analyst named Dan Ives said it was a “disaster” that’s hard to explain. Tesla’s shares have already been going down because it’s been harder for people to afford their cars, and there’s more competition from other companies that make electric cars. Tesla has been lowering their prices to try to get more people to buy their cars, but it’s not working as well as they hoped. In places like China, where there are a lot of people, demand for Tesla’s cars has been going down, and other companies are getting more customers.
Things got even worse for Tesla in the first three months of this year because of problems with getting the parts they need to make their cars. There were attacks in the Red Sea that made it hard for them to get the parts they needed, and their factory in Germany had to shut down for a while. Later, someone set fire to the factory, which made things even worse. The numbers from this time show that it’s been a tough period for Tesla, and Elon Musk, the person in charge, is under a lot of pressure. They made about 1.6% fewer cars this year compared to last year, and they delivered more than 8% fewer cars to customers.
This is the first time in a year that Tesla’s deliveries have gone down compared to the same time the year before. It’s a 20% decrease compared to the previous three months. Other car companies are also not doing as well with their electric cars because people aren’t buying them as much as they thought. But most experts still think that electric cars will become more popular this year. Tesla has had some other problems too, like people being worried about their self-driving car software and safety concerns. Some investors are also worried about the cars Tesla is making and Elon Musk’s other projects, which have caused problems and made people not like Tesla as much.
Original news source: Tesla ‘disaster’ with fewest deliveries since 2022 (BBC)
🎧 Listen:
Slow
Normal
Fast
📖 Vocabulary:
| 1 | analyst | A person who studies or analyzes something in detail |
| 2 | disaster | A sudden event that causes a lot of damage or suffering |
| 3 | competition | When different people or companies try to be better than each other |
| 4 | decrease | When something becomes less in amount, size, or number |
| 5 | expectations | What people think or hope will happen in the future |
| 6 | shares | Pieces of ownership in a company that people can buy or sell |
| 7 | demand | How much people want to buy something |
| 8 | attacks | Violent actions or aggression towards someone or something |
| 9 | pressure | Feeling stressed because you have too much to do or difficult things to deal with |
| 10 | deliveries | The process of giving or sending goods to people |
| 11 | concerns | Worries or doubts about something that might be a problem |
| 12 | investors | People who put money into something, hoping to make more money from it |
| 13 | software | Programs that run on computers or other electronic devices |
| 14 | safety | Being protected from danger or harm |
| 15 | popularity | How well-liked or accepted something is by the public |
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class. They will choose a word or phrase related to the article and act it out without speaking. The rest of the class will try to guess what the word or phrase is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all students have had a turn or until time runs out. The team with the most points wins.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will take turns summarizing the main points of the article. They should include information about Tesla’s challenges, the decrease in car deliveries, and the reasons behind it. Encourage students to use their own words and to be concise. After each summary, the rest of the class can ask questions or provide feedback.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Prepare a series of statements related to the article, such as “Tesla should focus more on improving their self-driving car software” or “Other car companies will catch up to Tesla in terms of electric car sales.” Have students move around the room and indicate their level of agreement with each statement by standing in a specific area (e.g. strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree). After each statement, give students the opportunity to explain their opinions and engage in a discussion with their classmates.
– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “Tesla” on the board. Have students take turns saying a word or phrase that they associate with Tesla. Encourage them to think about the article and the company’s current challenges. Each student’s response should be different from the previous ones. This activity can help students expand their vocabulary and make connections between different concepts.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. One student from each pair will be the “drawer” and the other will be the “describer.” The describer will choose a specific scene or event from the article and describe it to the drawer without mentioning any specific words or names. The drawer will then try to sketch what they think the describer is describing. After a set amount of time, the pairs can compare their sketches and see how accurately they captured the scene or event. This activity can help students practice their listening and descriptive skills.
🤔 Comprehension Questions:
1. What were some of the challenges that Tesla faced in the first three months of this year?
2. How many cars did Tesla deliver during that time? How does this number compare to last year?
3. Why did the price of Tesla’s shares go down?
4. Why has it been harder for people to afford Tesla’s cars?
5. What is happening to demand for Tesla’s cars in China?
6. What were some of the problems Tesla faced with getting the parts they needed to make their cars?
7. How does the number of cars Tesla made this year compare to last year?
8. What are some of the concerns that people have about Tesla’s cars and Elon Musk’s other projects?
Go to answers ⇩
🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
(1)______, the company that makes electric cars and is run by Elon Musk, didn’t do so well in the first three (2)______ of this year. They had some problems that made it hard for them to (3)______ cars to customers. There was a fire at one of their factories in Europe, and there were also issues with shipping around the world. Because of all these challenges, Tesla only delivered about 387,000 cars during that time, which is the lowest (4)______ in over a year. It’s a decrease of more than 8% compared to last year, and it’s not what experts were expecting.
Because of this bad news, the price of Tesla’s shares went down by more than 4%. An (5)______ named Dan Ives said it was a “disaster” that’s hard to explain. Tesla’s shares have already been (6)______ down because it’s been harder for people to afford their cars, and there’s more competition from (7)______ companies that make electric cars. Tesla has been lowering their prices to try to get more people to buy their cars, but it’s not working as well as they hoped. In places like China, where there are a lot of people, demand for Tesla’s cars has been going down, and other companies are getting more customers.
(8)______ got even worse for Tesla in the first three months of this year because of problems with getting the parts they need to make their cars. There were attacks in the Red Sea that made it hard for them to get the parts they needed, and their factory in Germany had to shut down for a (9)______. Later, someone set fire to the factory, which made things even worse. The (10)______ from this time show that it’s been a tough period for Tesla, and Elon Musk, the person in (11)______, is under a lot of pressure. They made about 1.6% fewer cars this year (12)______ to last year, and they delivered more than 8% fewer cars to customers.
This is the first time in a year that Tesla’s deliveries have gone down compared to the same time the year before. It’s a 20% decrease compared to the previous three months. Other car companies are also not doing as well with their electric cars because people aren’t buying them as much as they (13)______. But most experts still (14)______ that electric cars will become more popular this year. Tesla has had some other problems too, like people being (15)______ about their self-driving car software and safety concerns. Some investors are also worried about the cars Tesla is making and Elon Musk’s other (16)______, which have caused problems and made people not like Tesla as much.
Go to answers ⇩
💬 Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is Tesla and who runs the company?
2. How do you think Elon Musk feels about the decrease in car deliveries?
3. Do you think it’s fair for Tesla’s shares to go down because of the decrease in car deliveries? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you were planning to buy a Tesla car but couldn’t afford it?
5. Do you like Tesla cars? Why or why not?
6. What do you think are some challenges that Tesla is facing right now?
7. Why do you think demand for Tesla cars is going down in China?
8. How do you think Elon Musk is handling the pressure of the situation?
9. Do you think electric cars will become more popular in the future? Why or why not?
10. How would you feel if you were an investor in Tesla and worried about the company’s future?
11. What are some safety concerns people have about Tesla cars?
12. How do you think the decrease in car deliveries will affect Tesla’s reputation?
13. Why do you think people are not buying electric cars as much as car companies expected?
14. How do you think Tesla can overcome the challenges they are facing?
15. Do you think Elon Musk’s other projects are affecting Tesla’s success? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. analyst
2. disaster
3. competition
4. decrease
5. expectations
6. shares
7. demand
8. attacks
9. pressure
10. deliveries
11. concerns
12. investors
13. software
14. safety
15. popularity
Meanings:
(A) Violent actions or aggression towards someone or something
(B) How much people want to buy something
(C) How well-liked or accepted something is by the public
(D) What people think or hope will happen in the future
(E) Programs that run on computers or other electronic devices
(F) When different people or companies try to be better than each other
(G) People who put money into something, hoping to make more money from it
(H) Worries or doubts about something that might be a problem
(I) Feeling stressed because you have too much to do or difficult things to deal with
(J) A person who studies or analyzes something in detail
(K) The process of giving or sending goods to people
(L) Pieces of ownership in a company that people can buy or sell
(M) A sudden event that causes a lot of damage or suffering
(N) When something becomes less in amount, size, or number
(O) Being protected from danger or harm
Go to answers ⇩
🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Who is the CEO of Tesla?
(a) Jeff Bezos
(b) Elon Musk
(c) Mark Zuckerberg
(d) Tim Cook
2. What caused Tesla’s shares to decrease in value?
(a) Problems with delivering cars
(b) Increased competition from other companies
(c) Lowering prices of their cars
(d) All of the above
3. Why has demand for Tesla’s cars decreased in China?
(a) Higher prices of Tesla cars
(b) Decreased interest in electric cars
(c) More competition from other companies
(d) All of the above
4. What recent events have affected Tesla’s ability to make cars?
(a) Factory shutdown in Germany
(b) Attacks in the Red Sea
(c) Fire at the factory
(d) All of the above
5. How does this year’s car production compare to last year’s for Tesla?
(a) 1.6% fewer cars made
(b) 1.6% more cars made
(c) 8% fewer cars made
(d) 8% more cars made
6. How much did Tesla’s deliveries decrease compared to the previous three months?
(a) 4%
(b) 8%
(c) 1.6%
(d) 20%
7. What concerns do some investors have about Tesla?
(a) Safety concerns
(b) Elon Musk’s other projects
(c) All of the above
(d) Self-driving car software
8. What do most experts still believe about electric cars?
(a) They will become less popular this year
(b) They will stay at the same level of popularity
(c) They will become more popular this year
(d) None of the above
Go to answers ⇩
🕵️ True or False Questions:
1. Tesla delivered approximately 387,000 cars during this period, the highest number in over a year.
2. Demand for Tesla’s cars has been increasing in places like China, leading to other companies losing customers.
3. This represents an increase of more than 8% compared to the previous year, which was expected by experts.
4. Tesla, the company led by Elon Musk, faced challenges in delivering cars to customers in the first three months of this year.
5. As a result of this news, the price of Tesla’s shares decreased by more than 4%.
6. Tesla faced additional challenges in obtaining necessary parts for car production due to attacks in the Red Sea and a factory shutdown in Germany.
7. A fire at one of Tesla’s factories in Europe and shipping issues contributed to the difficulties in delivering cars.
8. Tesla’s shares have been rising due to affordability solutions and decreased competition from other electric car manufacturers.
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 were some of the problems that Tesla faced in the first three months of this year?
2. How did these problems affect Tesla’s car deliveries?
3. Why did the price of Tesla’s shares go down?
4. What are some reasons why people are not buying electric cars as much as expected?
5. What are some concerns that investors have about Tesla and Elon Musk?
✅ Answers
🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What were some of the challenges that Tesla faced in the first three months of this year?
Tesla faced challenges such as a fire at one of their factories in Europe and issues with shipping around the world.
2. How many cars did Tesla deliver during that time? How does this number compare to last year?
Tesla delivered about 387,000 cars during that time, which is the lowest number in over a year. It’s a decrease of more than 8% compared to last year.
3. Why did the price of Tesla’s shares go down?
The price of Tesla’s shares went down because of the challenges they faced in delivering cars and the decrease in the number of cars they delivered. Analysts and investors were not happy with these results.
4. Why has it been harder for people to afford Tesla’s cars?
It has been harder for people to afford Tesla’s cars because the prices of their cars are still quite high compared to other electric car options. Tesla has been trying to lower their prices, but it hasn’t been enough to make their cars more affordable for everyone.
5. What is happening to demand for Tesla’s cars in China?
Demand for Tesla’s cars in China has been going down. There are more competition from other companies that make electric cars, and people in China are choosing those options instead of Tesla.
6. What were some of the problems Tesla faced with getting the parts they needed to make their cars?
Tesla faced problems with getting the parts they needed because of attacks in the Red Sea that disrupted their supply chain. Their factory in Germany also had to shut down for a while, and later someone set fire to the factory, making it even harder for them to get the parts they needed.
7. How does the number of cars Tesla made this year compare to last year?
Tesla made about 1.6% fewer cars this year compared to last year. It’s the first time in a year that their deliveries have gone down compared to the same time the year before.
8. What are some of the concerns that people have about Tesla’s cars and Elon Musk’s other projects?
Some concerns that people have about Tesla’s cars include worries about their self-driving car software and safety concerns. People are also worried about Elon Musk’s other projects, which have caused problems and made people not like Tesla as much.
Go back to questions ⇧
🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) Tesla
(2) months
(3) deliver
(4) number
(5) analyst
(6) going
(7) other
(8) Things
(9) while
(10) numbers
(11) charge
(12) compared
(13) thought
(14) think
(15) worried
(16) projects
Go back to questions ⇧
📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. analyst
Answer: (J) A person who studies or analyzes something in detail
2. disaster
Answer: (M) A sudden event that causes a lot of damage or suffering
3. competition
Answer: (F) When different people or companies try to be better than each other
4. decrease
Answer: (N) When something becomes less in amount, size, or number
5. expectations
Answer: (D) What people think or hope will happen in the future
6. shares
Answer: (L) Pieces of ownership in a company that people can buy or sell
7. demand
Answer: (B) How much people want to buy something
8. attacks
Answer: (A) Violent actions or aggression towards someone or something
9. pressure
Answer: (I) Feeling stressed because you have too much to do or difficult things to deal with
10. deliveries
Answer: (K) The process of giving or sending goods to people
11. concerns
Answer: (H) Worries or doubts about something that might be a problem
12. investors
Answer: (G) People who put money into something, hoping to make more money from it
13. software
Answer: (E) Programs that run on computers or other electronic devices
14. safety
Answer: (O) Being protected from danger or harm
15. popularity
Answer: (C) How well-liked or accepted something is by the public
Go back to questions ⇧
🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Who is the CEO of Tesla?
Answer: (b) Elon Musk
2. What caused Tesla’s shares to decrease in value?
Answer: (a) Problems with delivering cars
3. Why has demand for Tesla’s cars decreased in China?
Answer: (c) More competition from other companies
4. What recent events have affected Tesla’s ability to make cars?
Answer: (b) Attacks in the Red Sea
5. How does this year’s car production compare to last year’s for Tesla?
Answer: (a) 1.6% fewer cars made
6. How much did Tesla’s deliveries decrease compared to the previous three months?
Answer: (d) 20%
7. What concerns do some investors have about Tesla?
Answer: (d) Self-driving car software
8. What do most experts still believe about electric cars?
Answer: (c) They will become more popular this year
Go back to questions ⇧
🕵️✅ True or False Answers:
1. Tesla delivered approximately 387,000 cars during this period, the highest number in over a year. (Answer: False)
2. Demand for Tesla’s cars has been increasing in places like China, leading to other companies losing customers. (Answer: False)
3. This represents an increase of more than 8% compared to the previous year, which was expected by experts. (Answer: False)
4. Tesla, the company led by Elon Musk, faced challenges in delivering cars to customers in the first three months of this year. (Answer: True)
5. As a result of this news, the price of Tesla’s shares decreased by more than 4%. (Answer: True)
6. Tesla faced additional challenges in obtaining necessary parts for car production due to attacks in the Red Sea and a factory shutdown in Germany. (Answer: True)
7. A fire at one of Tesla’s factories in Europe and shipping issues contributed to the difficulties in delivering cars. (Answer: True)
8. Tesla’s shares have been rising due to affordability solutions and decreased competition from other electric car manufacturers. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
