The Reading / Listening - Semiconductors - Level 5

The car and other industries are facing production challenges due to a shortage of semiconductors. This has caused car giant General Motors to halt production at all but four of its plants in America. The automaker owns the popular car brands Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. A GM spokesperson told reporters that the company is focused on resolving its supply-chain difficulties. He said: "Although the situation remains complex and very fluid, we remain confident in our team's ability to continue finding creative solutions to minimize the impact."

Semiconductors are a key part of many of the electrical products we use every day. Sony, Toyota, Ford and other multinational companies also have production problems due to the lack of supply. One reason for this is COVID-19. Staff shortages in factories that manufacture the chips have hit production. Companies will experience challenges for the foreseeable future. An analyst said: "With the shortages expected to continue until at least 2023, and no immediate solutions forthcoming, GM likely won't be the last company to change its production schedule."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Semiconductors - Level 4 or  Semiconductors - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.engadget.com/gm-halts-car-production-chip-shortages-200334864.html
  • https://news.sky.com/story/general-motors-halts-production-at-eight-north-american-factories-due-to-chip-shortage-12398110
  • https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/570587-gm-cutting-production-further-due-to-chip-shortage


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. facing production
  2. due to a shortage
  3. halt
  4. at all but
  5. focused on resolving its supply-
  6. the situation remains
  7. we remain confident in
  8. minimize
  1. complex
  2. the impact
  3. chain difficulties
  4. of semiconductors
  5. production
  6. our team's ability
  7. challenges
  8. four of its plants

Paragraph 2

  1. Semiconductors are a
  2. multinational
  3. problems due to the lack
  4. challenges for
  5. expected to continue
  6. no immediate
  7. GM likely won't be
  8. change its production
  1. solutions
  2. the foreseeable future
  3. schedule
  4. companies
  5. key part
  6. the last company
  7. until at least 2023
  8. of supply

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The car and other (1) ___________________ production challenges due to a shortage of semiconductors. This has caused car giant General Motors (2) ___________________ at all but four of its plants in America. The automaker owns the (3) ___________________ Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. A GM spokesperson told reporters that the company (4) ___________________ resolving its supply-chain difficulties. He said: "Although the situation remains complex (5) ___________________, we remain confident in our team's ability to continue finding creative solutions to (6) ___________________."

Semiconductors are a (7) ___________________ many of the electrical products we use every day. Sony, Toyota, Ford and other multinational companies also have production (8) ___________________ the lack of supply. One reason for this is COVID-19. Staff shortages in (9) ___________________ the chips have hit production. Companies (10) ___________________ for the foreseeable future. An analyst said: "With the shortages expected to continue until at least 2023, and (11) ___________________ forthcoming, GM (12) ___________________ the last company to change its production schedule."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thecarandotherindustriesarefacingproductionchallengesduetoasho
rtageofsemiconductors.ThishascausedcargiantGeneralMotorstohalt
productionatallbutfourofitsplantsinAmerica.Theautomakerownsthe
popularcarbrandsCadillac,ChevroletandGMC.AGMspokespersontold
reportersthatthecompanyisfocusedonresolvingitssupply-chaindiffic
ulties.Hesaid:"Althoughthesituationremainscomplexandveryfluid,w
eremainconfidentinourteam'sabilitytocontinuefindingcreativesoluti
onstominimizetheimpact."Semiconductorsareakeypartofmanyofth
eelectricalproductsweuseeveryday.Sony,Toyota,Fordandothermult
inationalcompaniesalsohaveproductionproblemsduetothelackofsup
ply.OnereasonforthisisCOVID-19.Staffshortagesinfactoriesthatm
anufacturethechipshavehitproduction.Companieswillexperiencecha
llengesfortheforeseeablefuture.Ananalystsaid:"Withtheshortagese
xpectedtocontinueuntilatleast2023,andnoimmediatesolutionsforth
coming,GMlikelywon'tbethelastcompanytochangeitsproductionsch
edule."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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