Why read this: This A2 version gives lower-level students access to a real news story that older students are also reading. The topic is one most Chinese-L1 students already know: BYD is a famous Chinese brand. So the topic is familiar, and only the English is new. That is exactly what A2 readers need: a real story, in simple language, with no hard ideas to work out at the same time. Students can also talk about the article in simple English afterwards.
What to notice: Each paragraph makes one clear point. Paragraph 1 tells you who BYD is and what it makes. Paragraph 2 tells you why BYD does not sell in the US. Paragraph 3 tells you where BYD does sell. Paragraph 4 explains why people want electric cars now. Paragraph 5 explains BYD's new fast charging. Paragraph 6 explains the hard fight at home in China. If a student can say one short sentence about each paragraph, they have understood the article. Notice that all the sentences are short and use simple present or simple past tense. There are no long sentences with many parts.
Skills practised: Reading: finding the main idea of a short paragraph; following a simple list of facts. Vocabulary: a few key business words like 'market leaders' and 'flash charging' are glossed in the margin, so students learn them in context. Writing: using simple present tense to describe a company ('BYD makes electric cars'); using simple past tense to describe a result ('Sales went up this year'). Speaking: telling a partner in two or three short sentences what BYD is and where it sells cars.
BYD: A Big Chinese Electric Car Company
BYD sells lots of electric cars around the world, but not in the United States.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
BYD is a big company in China, and it makes electric cars. An electric car uses a batterybattery: A device that stores electricity and provides power to electronic equipment — 电池；蓄电池, not petrolpetrol: The liquid fuel used in cars and other vehicles. — 汽油. Last year, BYD sold more electric cars than any other company in the world. It even sold more cars than Tesla, the famous American company.
But you cannot buy a BYD car in the United States. The US governmentgovernment: The group of people who run a country. — 政府 does not let ChineseChinese: Of or relating to China, its people, or its languages — 中国的 electric cars come in. The US worriesworry: To feel anxious or troubled about a problem or possible event. — 担心；烦恼 about national security: the safety of a country from foreign threats — 国家安全, and it also has special rules about money and tradetrade: the activity of buying and selling goods and services — 贸易；交易. So BYD does not sell its cars there.
However, many other placesplace: To put something in a particular position carefully. — 放置；安放 do want BYD cars. People in Europe and other parts of the world like them very much. in contrast to: compared with; in opposition to — 与……形成对比 its salessale: The activity of selling something, or a time when prices are lower. — 出售；销售；打折 at home in China, BYD's sales in Europe went up by a lot this year. The bossboss: The person who is in charge of a workplace and tells others what to do. — 老板；上司 of BYD says that the company is doingdo: To perform; to execute — 做 very well without the US market.
One big reason is the price of petrol. Right now, petrol is very expensive because of a warwar: A period of fighting between countries or groups using weapons. — 战争；战役, so more people want electric cars insteadinstead: In place of something else. — 代替；反而. Electric cars help them savesave: To keep something safe, or to store money for later. — 保存；救；储蓄 money every day. BYD says it cannot make new cars fast enough for all the new buyersbuyer: A person who makes one or more purchases — 买家 around the world.
BYD also has a new kind of technologytechnology: Scientific knowledge used to create machines and devices that help us. — 技术；科技, and it is called flash charging: very fast battery charging that adds significant range in minutes — 闪充；超快充. With flash charging, you can charge a car in only a few minutes. This is much faster than before. BYD hopes this new idea will help more people choose an electric car.
At home in China, things are not easy. Many Chinese companies make electric cars. They all fightfight: To use physical force against someone, or to argue strongly. — 打架；争斗 for customers. They cut their prices again and again. Even market leaders: companies that sell the most in a particular market — 市场领导者 like BYD feel this pressurepressure: The force produced by pressing against something, or the stress and worry caused by having too much to deal with. — 压力. The boss of BYD says some companies will not survivesurvive: to continue to live after a dangerous event or difficult situation — 幸存；存活.
BYD is a big company in China, and it makes electric cars. An electric car uses a batterybattery: A device that stores electricity and provides power to electronic equipment — 电池；蓄电池, not petrolpetrol: The liquid fuel used in cars and other vehicles. — 汽油. Last year, BYD sold more electric cars than any other company in the world. It even sold more cars than Tesla, the famous American company.
But you cannot buy a BYD car in the United States. The US governmentgovernment: The group of people who run a country. — 政府 does not let ChineseChinese: Of or relating to China, its people, or its languages — 中国的 electric cars come in. The US worriesworry: To feel anxious or troubled about a problem or possible event. — 担心；烦恼 about national security: the safety of a country from foreign threats — 国家安全, and it also has special rules about money and tradetrade: the activity of buying and selling goods and services — 贸易；交易. So BYD does not sell its cars there.
However, many other placesplace: To put something in a particular position carefully. — 放置；安放 do want BYD cars. People in Europe and other parts of the world like them very much. in contrast to: compared with; in opposition to — 与……形成对比 its salessale: The activity of selling something, or a time when prices are lower. — 出售；销售；打折 at home in China, BYD's sales in Europe went up by a lot this year. The bossboss: The person who is in charge of a workplace and tells others what to do. — 老板；上司 of BYD says that the company is doingdo: To perform; to execute — 做 very well without the US market.
One big reason is the price of petrol. Right now, petrol is very expensive because of a warwar: A period of fighting between countries or groups using weapons. — 战争；战役, so more people want electric cars insteadinstead: In place of something else. — 代替；反而. Electric cars help them savesave: To keep something safe, or to store money for later. — 保存；救；储蓄 money every day. BYD says it cannot make new cars fast enough for all the new buyersbuyer: A person who makes one or more purchases — 买家 around the world.
BYD also has a new kind of technologytechnology: Scientific knowledge used to create machines and devices that help us. — 技术；科技, and it is called flash charging: very fast battery charging that adds significant range in minutes — 闪充；超快充. With flash charging, you can charge a car in only a few minutes. This is much faster than before. BYD hopes this new idea will help more people choose an electric car.
At home in China, things are not easy. Many Chinese companies make electric cars. They all fightfight: To use physical force against someone, or to argue strongly. — 打架；争斗 for customers. They cut their prices again and again. Even market leaders: companies that sell the most in a particular market — 市场领导者 like BYD feel this pressurepressure: The force produced by pressing against something, or the stress and worry caused by having too much to deal with. — 压力. The boss of BYD says some companies will not survivesurvive: to continue to live after a dangerous event or difficult situation — 幸存；存活.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What does BYD make?
- 02
Why can you not buy a BYD car in the United States?
- 03
What is flash charging?
- 04
Name three places where people want to buy BYD cars. For each place, write one short sentence.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe two reasons why more people want electric cars now. Use one or two sentences for each reason.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What does BYD make?
- 02
Why can you not buy a BYD car in the United States?
- 03
What is flash charging?
- 04
Name three places where people want to buy BYD cars. For each place, write one short sentence.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe two reasons why more people want electric cars now. Use one or two sentences for each reason.
Suggested length: ~50 words