The CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, recently said that customers waiting for an Uber ride should be okay with waiting a bit longer for an electric vehicle. He thinks a short delay is not a big deal and can help the environment. Khosrowshahi also talked about the importance of governments supporting the sales of electric vehicles, especially affordable ones made in China that are good for the environment.

Uber is working to use more electric rides to meet its goal of having all its car journeys in zero-emission vehicles by 2040. While most Ubers are still petrol, diesel, or hybrid cars, the company is pushing for more electric vehicles for a greener future. Customers can already choose electric rides when booking an Uber, and soon they will have more options to show they prefer electric rides.

Khosrowshahi knows that switching to electric vehicles might affect Uber’s profits at first. But he believes that in the long run, using electric vehicles will help the environment and Uber’s business. Uber is also adding more delivery services to compete with other delivery companies by offering fast and easy delivery of different products.

Khosrowshahi sees Chinese-made electric vehicles as part of the solution to getting more people to use electric cars, despite challenges like tariffs. He thinks the government should help make electric vehicles cheaper, especially for Uber drivers who drive a lot. He suggests giving subsidies to businesses and corporate fleets to encourage more people to use electric vehicles.

Original news source: Be prepared to wait longer for an electric taxi, says Uber boss (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Ask students to read the article individually and then summarize it in their own words. They should focus on the main points and key information. After that, have students share their summaries with a partner or in small groups. Encourage them to discuss any differences in their summaries and come up with a final summary of the article together.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Select key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., electric vehicle, emissions, subsidies) and write each word on a separate piece of paper. Have students pick a word and draw it on the board without using any letters, numbers, or symbols. Their classmates must guess the word based on the drawing. This activity can help reinforce vocabulary from the article in a fun and engaging way.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into groups and assign each group a role (e.g., Uber customers, Uber drivers, environmentalists). Ask each group to discuss the pros and cons of Uber’s plan to switch to electric vehicles. Encourage them to consider different perspectives and come up with a list of advantages and disadvantages. After the group discussions, have each group present their findings to the class and facilitate a brief debate.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “Do you think Uber’s shift to electric vehicles is a positive step for the environment?” Ask students to think about their answer for a minute, then pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts. After the pair discussion, open the floor for a class discussion where students can share their opinions and reasoning behind their answers. Encourage respectful dialogue and active listening.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Have students work in pairs or small groups to come up with a catchy headline for the article about Uber’s CEO discussing the shift to electric vehicles. Encourage them to be creative and concise in capturing the main idea of the article. After they have drafted their headlines, ask each group to share their headline with the class and explain why they chose it. This activity can help students practice summarizing information and using eye-catching language.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What does Dara Khosrowshahi think customers should be okay with when waiting for an Uber ride?
2. Why does Khosrowshahi believe it is important for governments to support the sales of electric vehicles?
3. What is Uber’s goal for all its car journeys by the year 2040?
4. How is Uber working towards using more electric rides?
5. Why does Khosrowshahi think that switching to electric vehicles might affect Uber’s profits at first?
6. How is Uber planning to compete with other delivery companies?
7. According to Khosrowshahi, what role do Chinese-made electric vehicles play in getting more people to use electric cars?
8. What does Khosrowshahi suggest the government should do to make electric vehicles more affordable, especially for Uber drivers?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, recently said that customers waiting for an Uber ride should be okay with waiting a bit longer for an (1)______ vehicle. He thinks a short delay is not a big deal and can help the (2)______. Khosrowshahi also (3)______ about the importance of governments supporting the sales of electric vehicles, especially affordable ones made in (4)______ that are good for the environment.

Uber is working to use more electric rides to meet its goal of having all its car journeys in zero-emission (5)______ by 2040. While most (6)______ are still petrol, diesel, or hybrid cars, the (7)______ is (8)______ for more electric vehicles for a greener future. Customers can already choose electric rides when booking an Uber, and soon they will have more options to show they prefer electric (9)______.

Khosrowshahi (10)______ that switching to electric vehicles might affect Uber’s profits at first. But he (11)______ that in the long run, using electric vehicles will help the environment and Uber’s business. Uber is also adding more (12)______ services to compete with other delivery companies by offering fast and easy delivery of different products.

Khosrowshahi sees Chinese-made electric vehicles as part of the solution to (13)______ more people to use electric cars, despite challenges like tariffs. He (14)______ the (15)______ should help make electric vehicles cheaper, especially for Uber drivers who drive a lot. He suggests giving subsidies to (16)______ and corporate fleets to encourage more people to use electric vehicles.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think about Uber using more electric vehicles for their rides?
2. How would you feel if you had to wait a little longer for an Uber ride but knew it was an electric vehicle?
3. Do you think it’s important for companies like Uber to focus on using environmentally friendly vehicles? Why or why not?
4. What is your opinion on the idea of governments supporting the sales of electric vehicles?
5. Do you like the idea of being able to choose an electric ride when booking an Uber? Why or why not?
6. How do you think using electric vehicles can help the environment in the long run?
7. What are your thoughts on Uber adding more delivery services to their business?
8. Why do you think the CEO of Uber believes that using electric vehicles will benefit both the environment and the company’s business?
9. How do you feel about the idea of giving subsidies to businesses and corporate fleets to encourage the use of electric vehicles?
10. Do you think it’s a good idea for Uber to compete with other delivery companies by offering fast and easy delivery services? Why or why not?
11. What do you think are some challenges Uber might face when trying to switch to using more electric vehicles?
12. How important do you think it is for companies to have goals like Uber’s of having all car journeys in zero-emission vehicles by 2040?
13. Why do you think the CEO mentioned affordable electric vehicles made in China as a good option for Uber?
14. How would you react if Uber started charging extra for electric rides to cover the cost of switching to electric vehicles?
15. Do you think other companies should follow Uber’s example and focus on using electric vehicles for their services? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. CEO
2. delay
3. affordable
4. emissions
5. hybrid
6. greener
7. profits
8. delivery
9. compete
10. tariffs
11. subsidies
12. corporate
13. fleets
14. encourage
15. solution

Meanings:
(A) Taxes on goods coming into a country
(B) More environmentally friendly
(C) Money a company makes after expenses
(D) Bringing goods to a person or place
(E) A group of vehicles owned by a company
(F) A period of time when something is late
(G) To try to be better than others in the same field
(H) The person in charge of a company
(I) Financial help from the government
(J) An answer to a problem or challenge
(K) To give support or confidence to do something
(L) Related to a large company or business
(M) Gases released into the air, often from cars
(N) Something that doesn’t cost too much money
(O) A car that uses both fuel and electricity
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is Uber’s CEO’s name?
(a) Dara Khosrowshahi
(b) Mark Zuckerberg
(c) Jeff Bezos
(d) Tim Cook

2. When does Uber aim to have all its car journeys in zero-emission vehicles?
(a) 2040
(b) 2030
(c) 2050
(d) 2025

3. What type of vehicles is Uber pushing to use more of for a greener future?
(a) Gasoline vehicles
(b) Steam-powered vehicles
(c) Electric vehicles
(d) Horse-drawn carriages

4. Which country is mentioned as producing affordable electric vehicles good for the environment?
(a) India
(b) China
(c) Brazil
(d) Russia

5. How does Uber plan to compete with other delivery companies?
(a) By increasing the price of deliveries
(b) By reducing the number of delivery options
(c) By slowing down delivery times
(d) By offering fast and easy delivery services

6. What does Khosrowshahi think the government should do to make electric vehicles more affordable?
(a) Increase taxes
(b) Ban electric vehicles
(c) Ignore the issue
(d) Give subsidies

7. What does Khosrowshahi believe will help both the environment and Uber’s business in the long run?
(a) Using more petrol cars
(b) Using horse-drawn carriages
(c) Using electric vehicles
(d) Using steam-powered vehicles

8. What can customers already do when booking an Uber ride to show they prefer electric vehicles?
(a) Choose hybrid rides
(b) Choose electric rides
(c) Choose diesel rides
(d) Choose petrol rides

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Uber is expanding its delivery services to compete with other delivery companies.
2. Customers cannot already choose electric rides when booking an Uber.
3. Dara Khosrowshahi acknowledges that switching to electric vehicles may benefit Uber’s profits initially.
4. Khosrowshahi views Chinese-made electric vehicles as a solution to increasing the use of electric cars.
5. The CEO of Uber believes that customers should be okay with waiting a bit longer for an electric vehicle ride.
6. He suggests that the government should make electric vehicles less affordable through subsidies.
7. Uber is pushing for more electric vehicles for a greener future.
8. Uber aims to have all its car journeys in zero-emission vehicles by 2030.
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 Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, suggesting customers should be okay with while waiting for a ride?
2. Why does Khosrowshahi believe it is important for governments to support the sales of electric vehicles?
3. What is Uber’s goal for all its car journeys by the year 2040?
4. How does Khosrowshahi think using electric vehicles will benefit both the environment and Uber’s business in the long run?
5. According to the article, what does Khosrowshahi believe the government should do to make electric vehicles more affordable for Uber drivers?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What does Dara Khosrowshahi think customers should be okay with when waiting for an Uber ride?
Dara Khosrowshahi thinks customers should be okay with waiting a bit longer for an electric vehicle.

2. Why does Khosrowshahi believe it is important for governments to support the sales of electric vehicles?
Khosrowshahi believes it is important for governments to support the sales of electric vehicles because they are good for the environment and can help reduce pollution.

3. What is Uber’s goal for all its car journeys by the year 2040?
Uber’s goal is to have all its car journeys in zero-emission vehicles by 2040.

4. How is Uber working towards using more electric rides?
Uber is working towards using more electric rides by allowing customers to choose electric rides when booking an Uber and by pushing for more electric vehicles to be used.

5. Why does Khosrowshahi think that switching to electric vehicles might affect Uber’s profits at first?
Khosrowshahi thinks that switching to electric vehicles might affect Uber’s profits at first because it may require initial investment and changes to their current operations.

6. How is Uber planning to compete with other delivery companies?
Uber is planning to compete with other delivery companies by offering fast and easy delivery of different products through their delivery services.

7. According to Khosrowshahi, what role do Chinese-made electric vehicles play in getting more people to use electric cars?
According to Khosrowshahi, Chinese-made electric vehicles play a role in getting more people to use electric cars as they are affordable and good for the environment.

8. What does Khosrowshahi suggest the government should do to make electric vehicles more affordable, especially for Uber drivers?
Khosrowshahi suggests that the government should give subsidies to businesses and corporate fleets to make electric vehicles more affordable, especially for Uber drivers who drive a lot.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) electric
(2) environment
(3) talked
(4) China
(5) vehicles
(6) Ubers
(7) company
(8) pushing
(9) rides
(10) knows
(11) believes
(12) delivery
(13) getting
(14) thinks
(15) government
(16) businesses
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. CEO
Answer: (H) The person in charge of a company

2. delay
Answer: (F) A period of time when something is late

3. affordable
Answer: (N) Something that doesn’t cost too much money

4. emissions
Answer: (M) Gases released into the air, often from cars

5. hybrid
Answer: (O) A car that uses both fuel and electricity

6. greener
Answer: (B) More environmentally friendly

7. profits
Answer: (C) Money a company makes after expenses

8. delivery
Answer: (D) Bringing goods to a person or place

9. compete
Answer: (G) To try to be better than others in the same field

10. tariffs
Answer: (A) Taxes on goods coming into a country

11. subsidies
Answer: (I) Financial help from the government

12. corporate
Answer: (L) Related to a large company or business

13. fleets
Answer: (E) A group of vehicles owned by a company

14. encourage
Answer: (K) To give support or confidence to do something

15. solution
Answer: (J) An answer to a problem or challenge
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is Uber’s CEO’s name?
Answer: (a) Dara Khosrowshahi

2. When does Uber aim to have all its car journeys in zero-emission vehicles?
Answer: (a) 2040

3. What type of vehicles is Uber pushing to use more of for a greener future?
Answer: (c) Electric vehicles

4. Which country is mentioned as producing affordable electric vehicles good for the environment?
Answer: (b) China

5. How does Uber plan to compete with other delivery companies?
Answer: (d) By offering fast and easy delivery services

6. What does Khosrowshahi think the government should do to make electric vehicles more affordable?
Answer: (d) Give subsidies

7. What does Khosrowshahi believe will help both the environment and Uber’s business in the long run?
Answer: (c) Using electric vehicles

8. What can customers already do when booking an Uber ride to show they prefer electric vehicles?
Answer: (b) Choose electric rides
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Uber is expanding its delivery services to compete with other delivery companies. (Answer: True)
2. Customers cannot already choose electric rides when booking an Uber. (Answer: False)
3. Dara Khosrowshahi acknowledges that switching to electric vehicles may benefit Uber’s profits initially. (Answer: False)
4. Khosrowshahi views Chinese-made electric vehicles as a solution to increasing the use of electric cars. (Answer: True)
5. The CEO of Uber believes that customers should be okay with waiting a bit longer for an electric vehicle ride. (Answer: True)
6. He suggests that the government should make electric vehicles less affordable through subsidies. (Answer: False)
7. Uber is pushing for more electric vehicles for a greener future. (Answer: True)
8. Uber aims to have all its car journeys in zero-emission vehicles by 2030. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧