The Reading / Listening - Hybrid Cars - Level 4

China will halve exports of hybrid cars to the European Union. Both sides were seeking to avoid a harmful trade war. The EU said the agreement could stop millions of cars from entering the EU. It said "negotiations bring results". EU carmakers are struggling to compete with cheaper Chinese imports. They are worried that China's rise could lead to factory closures and job losses. Despite these concerns, the EU said there could be better trade relations.

China is now a major player in the global car industry and has a foothold in many markets. The country's car companies are leaders in hybrid technology. They make competitively priced cars that are reliable and have good build quality. Motorists see them as more affordable alternatives to European brands. Sales of Chinese cars now make up around 10 per cent of the new car market in the EU. In the UK, this figure is nearly 20 per cent.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hybrid Cars - Level 5 or  Hybrid Cars - Level 6

Sources
  • https://amp.dw.com/en/china-eu-reach-deal-to-moderate-chinas-car-exports-to-eu/a-79621394
  • https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/09/china-agrees-to-curb-hybrid-car-exports-to-eu-in-landmark-deal
  • https://www.ft.com/content/2823ef6f-b3d7-494b-b131-414c02d6a59f


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. halve exports
  2. avoid a harmful
  3. the agreement could
  4. EU carmakers are struggling
  5. cheaper Chinese
  6. China's rise could lead
  7. despite these
  8. there could be better trade
  1. to factory closures
  2. stop millions of cars
  3. imports
  4. relations
  5. concerns
  6. to compete
  7. of hybrid cars
  8. trade war

Paragraph 2

  1. China is now a major
  2. the global car
  3. a foothold
  4. leaders in hybrid
  5. They make competitively
  6. Motorists see them as more
  7. European
  8. 10 per cent of the new car
  1. affordable alternatives
  2. in many markets
  3. market in the EU
  4. priced cars
  5. player
  6. brands
  7. industry
  8. technology

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China will halve exports of hybrid cars to the European Union. Both sides were (1) ________________________________________________ a harmful trade war. The EU said the agreement could stop millions of (2) ________________________________________________ the EU. It said "(3) ________________________________________________". EU carmakers are struggling to (4) ________________________________________________ Chinese imports. They are worried that China's rise could lead to (5) ________________________________________________ job losses. Despite these concerns, the EU said there could be (6) ________________________________________________.

China is now a (7) ________________________________________________ the global car industry and has (8) ________________________________________________ many markets. The country's car companies (9) ________________________________________________ hybrid technology. They make competitively priced cars that (10) ________________________________________________ have good build quality. Motorists see them as (11) ________________________________________________ to European brands. Sales of Chinese cars now make up around 10 per cent of the new car market in the EU. In the UK, this (12) ________________________________________________ 20 per cent.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ChinawillhalveexportsofhybridcarstotheEuropeanUnion.Bothsidesw
ereseekingtoavoidaharmfultradewar.TheEUsaidtheagreementcoul
dstopmillionsofcarsfromenteringtheEU.Itsaid"negotiationsbringres
ults".EUcarmakersarestrugglingtocompetewithcheaperChineseimp
orts.TheyareworriedthatChina'srisecouldleadtofactoryclosuresandj
oblosses.Despitetheseconcerns,theEUsaidtherecouldbebettertrade
relations.Chinaisnowamajorplayerintheglobalcarindustryandhasafo
otholdinmanymarkets.Thecountry'scarcompaniesareleadersinhybri
dtechnology.Theymakecompetitivelypricedcarsthatarereliableandh
avegoodbuildquality.Motoristsseethemasmoreaffordablealternativ
estoEuropeanbrands.SalesofChinesecarsnowmakeuparound10perc
entofthenewcarmarketintheEU.IntheUK,thisfigureisnearly20percen
t.

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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