Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a strait
    • ex. The ship sailed through a strait between two islands.
  2. disrupt
    • ex. A power outage disrupted work at the factory.
  3. double
    • ex. The number of students in the club more than doubled this year.
  4. an investment
    • ex. Our town received an investment to build a new sports center.
  5. switch
    • ex. The company plans to switch from paper records to digital files next year.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Higher fuel prices caused by the war in Iran are increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in many countries. The closing of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted oil and gas supplies, so fuel prices went up. As a result, more drivers are choosing EVs to save money. This change has also helped Chinese carmakers expand their sales overseas. In April, global exports of China’s EVs reached a record value of $9.4 billion (about ¥1.52 trillion). In fact, exports of EVs more than doubled in May compared with the same month last year.

Many governments, including those in Laos and Ethiopia, are supporting the move to electric vehicles to reduce oil imports and lower fuel costs. Last year, one in four new cars sold around the world was electric. The International Energy Agency expects global EV sales to reach 23 million in 2026.

However, charging stations are not growing as quickly as EV sales. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia still need more charging stations. Experts say government support and public investment in charging networks will help more people switch from fuel-powered cars to electric vehicles.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Electric Vehicles and EV Sales

  • Do you think electric vehicles are a good idea? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think electric vehicle sales will continue to grow in the future? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Many governments support the move to electric vehicles. Why do you think they do (ex. because EVs are good for the environment, because EVs help save on fuel)? Discuss.

Charging Stations

  • What problems can happen if there are not enough charging stations? Discuss.
  • Where do you think charging stations should be built? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think charging stations will become as common as gas stations in the future? Why or why not? Discuss.