©QIAN JIN/BAIDU via BBC News
Pre-reading questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What are the most popular cars in your country?
- What do you think cars would be like in the future?
Vocabulary
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- experience /ik-SPEER-ee-uhns/
- sensor /SEN-sawr/
- massive /MAS-iv/
- detachable /dih-TACH/
- intention /in-TEN-shuhn/
[noun] – knowledge or skill that you get from doing, seeing, or feeling things, or the process of getting this
We need to employ someone who has at least one year of experience in the marketing field.
[noun] – a device that discovers and reacts to changes in such things as movement, heat, and light
Clothes will be able to check health thanks to sensor technology.
[adjective] – very large in size, amount, or number
The city has seen massive changes in recent years.
[adjective] – able to be detached (=to separate or remove something from something else)
The coat’s hood is detachable.
[noun] – something that you want and plan to do
My original intention was to spend the entire morning studying.
Article reading
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Chinese tech giant Baidu has introduced its newest car to join its self-driving taxi service, Apollo Go. According to Baidu, the Apollo RT6 has the driving skills of a driver with 20 years of experience. The manufacturer says that each Apollo RT6 will cost 250,000 yuan, or £31,000. The car contains a total of 38 sensors, including:
– eight light-detection and range (Lidar) sensors
– one 6mm (0.2 inch) radar
-12 ultrasound detectors
– 12 cameras
“This massive cost reduction will enable us to deploy tens of thousands of [automated vehicles] across China,” said co-founder and chief executive Robin Li during the company’s annual technology conference. For now, driverless vehicles in China must still have a safety driver inside. However, according to Baidu, the RT6’s detachable steering wheel might be replaced with extra seats, vending machines, tables, or gaming consoles in the future. The RT6 will be added to Baidu’s group in the second half of 2023 for a small-scale experiment, with the intention of having 100,000 of them on the roads by the end of the decade.
– eight light-detection and range (Lidar) sensors
– one 6mm (0.2 inch) radar
-12 ultrasound detectors
– 12 cameras
“This massive cost reduction will enable us to deploy tens of thousands of [automated vehicles] across China,” said co-founder and chief executive Robin Li during the company’s annual technology conference. For now, driverless vehicles in China must still have a safety driver inside. However, according to Baidu, the RT6’s detachable steering wheel might be replaced with extra seats, vending machines, tables, or gaming consoles in the future. The RT6 will be added to Baidu’s group in the second half of 2023 for a small-scale experiment, with the intention of having 100,000 of them on the roads by the end of the decade.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What is the name of Baidu’s newest self-driving car?
- How much will each Apollo RT6 cost?
- What are the sensors included in the Apollo RT6?
- With what can the RT6’s detachable steering wheel be replaced?
- When will the RT6 be added to Baidu’s group of self-driving cars?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you know how to drive? If so, what was the most difficult thing about learning to drive? If not, would you like to learn and why?
- Is owning a car common in your country? Please tell me more about it.
- Would you like to own the Apollo Go? Why or why not?
- Is it possible for autonomous vehicles to be available throughout China?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a self-driving car?