Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Can you ride a bicycle?? If so, please describe your experience. If not, how will you learn to do it?
- Do you know what an e-bike is? If so, please describe. If not, If so, could you guess what it is?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- source /SOHRS/
- deal /DEEL/
- purchase /PUR-chuhs/
- acquire /uh-KWAHYUHR/
- combination /kom-buh-NEY-shuhn/
[noun] – the place something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something
He is the source of information for their company.
[noun] – an agreement or an arrangement, especially in business
Their deal is to get all the items in the shop.
[verb] – to buy something
I want to purchase a clock.
[verb] – to get or buy something
She wishes to acquire a new car in that place.
[noun] – the mixture you get when two or more things are combined
The combination of milk and chocolate is a very tasty one.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Gbike is buying Hyundai Motor’s shared micromobility business, ZET, to grow its market share. Micromobility technology is a type of lightweight vehicle. Electronic scooters, e-bikes, traditional bicycles, scooters, electric skateboards, electric water bikes, and hoverboards are all types of micromobility technology. Walter Yoon, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Gbike, told a news source that the deal would be finalized in early August. The talks they had did not say how much it would cost. Interestingly, Yoon said that companies have been wanting to purchase Gbike while the said startup was looking for companies to buy. He also stated that Gbike is in talks to acquire another company.
Yoon said, “This year might be a good time for the e-scooter industry to join together.” He is referring to the combination of Gbike and ZET. Even though that will happen, Yoon said that the ZET team will not join Gbike’s team and will stay at Hyundai. With this purchase, the new company now has about 45,000 vehicles. Last year, Gbike added 20,000 e-scooters. This year, it will buy a group of less than 1,000 e-scooters from ZET. Hyundai released the ZET platform in 2019, which makes it possible for anyone to start a micromobility business in their city. ZET has services in Jeju, Daegu, and Incheon, which are all big cities in South Korea.
Yoon said, “This year might be a good time for the e-scooter industry to join together.” He is referring to the combination of Gbike and ZET. Even though that will happen, Yoon said that the ZET team will not join Gbike’s team and will stay at Hyundai. With this purchase, the new company now has about 45,000 vehicles. Last year, Gbike added 20,000 e-scooters. This year, it will buy a group of less than 1,000 e-scooters from ZET. Hyundai released the ZET platform in 2019, which makes it possible for anyone to start a micromobility business in their city. ZET has services in Jeju, Daegu, and Incheon, which are all big cities in South Korea.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Based on the article, what are examples of micromobility technology?
- Who is the chief executive officer of Gbike?
- What company did Gbike buy?
- How many vehicles does Gbike have?
- In what country are Jeju, Daegu, and Incheon located?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you have a micromobility vehicle? If so, can you describe what it looks like? If not, what can you do to get one?
- Have you ridden any micromobility vehicles? If so, how was it? If not, what can you do to ride on one?
- How will you sell micromobility technology if you are a salesman?
- Do you think it is okay for companies to buy other businesses?
- Which is the best micromobility technology for you: e-bikes, scooters, bicycles, or skateboards? Please explain.