The Reading / Listening - Hybrid Cars - Level 5

China has agreed to halve its exports of hybrid cars to the European Union. The deal was negotiated with both sides seeking to avoid a harmful trade war. The EU's trade commissioner said the agreement could prevent millions of vehicles from entering the EU. He said: "This package proves that negotiations bring results." EU carmakers are struggling to compete with cheaper Chinese imports. China's rise has increased fears of factory closures and job losses. Despite these concerns, the EU commissioner was pleased with the talks. He said they could help bring more equitable trade relations.

China has become a major player in the global car industry. Chinese manufacturers have a foothold in many markets worldwide. The country's auto companies have become world leaders in hybrid technology. Makers such as BYD and Xiaomi make competitively priced cars that are reliable and have good build quality. Motorists see these cars as more affordable alternatives to European and Japanese 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 4 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. China has agreed to
  2. The deal was
  3. seeking to avoid a
  4. prevent millions of vehicles from
  5. negotiations bring
  6. struggling to compete with cheaper
  7. increased fears of factory
  8. more equitable trade
  1. closures
  2. entering the EU
  3. negotiated
  4. results
  5. Chinese imports
  6. halve its exports
  7. relations
  8. harmful trade war

Paragraph 2

  1. a major player in the
  2. Chinese
  3. have a foothold in many
  4. world leaders
  5. make competitively
  6. have good build
  7. alternatives to European and
  8. 10 per cent of the new car
  1. quality
  2. markets worldwide
  3. market
  4. priced cars
  5. global car industry
  6. Japanese brands
  7. manufacturers
  8. in hybrid technology

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China has agreed to halve its exports of hybrid cars to the European Union. The (1) ________________________________________________ with both sides seeking to avoid a harmful trade war. The EU's trade commissioner said the agreement could prevent (2) ________________________________________________ from entering the EU. He said: "This (3) ________________________________________________ negotiations bring results." EU carmakers are (4) ________________________________________________ with cheaper Chinese imports. China's rise has increased fears of factory closures and job losses. (5) ________________________________________________, the EU commissioner was pleased with the talks. He said they could help bring (6) ________________________________________________ relations.

China has become a major player in the (7) ________________________________________________. Chinese manufacturers have a foothold in many markets worldwide. The country's auto companies have become (8) ________________________________________________ hybrid technology. Makers such as BYD and Xiaomi make (9) ________________________________________________ that are reliable and have good build quality. Motorists see these cars as (10) ________________________________________________ to European and Japanese brands. Sales of Chinese cars now (11) ________________________________________________ 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

ChinahasagreedtohalveitsexportsofhybridcarstotheEuropeanUnion
.Thedealwasnegotiatedwithbothsidesseekingtoavoidaharmfultrade
war.TheEU'stradecommissionersaidtheagreementcouldpreventmill
ionsofvehiclesfromenteringtheEU.Hesaid:"Thispackageprovesthatn
egotiationsbringresults."EUcarmakersarestrugglingtocompetewith
cheaperChineseimports.China'srisehasincreasedfearsoffactoryclos
uresandjoblosses.Despitetheseconcerns,theEUcommissionerwaspl
easedwiththetalks.Hesaidtheycouldhelpbringmoreequitabletradere
lations.Chinahasbecomeamajorplayerintheglobalcarindustry.Chine
semanufacturershaveafootholdinmanymarketsworldwide.Thecount
ry'sautocompanieshavebecomeworldleadersinhybridtechnology.M
akerssuchasBYDandXiaomimakecompetitivelypricedcarsthatarereli
ableandhavegoodbuildquality.Motoristsseethesecarsasmoreafforda
blealternativestoEuropeanandJapanesebrands.SalesofChinesecars
nowmakeuparound10percentofthenewcarmarketintheEU.IntheUK,
thisfigureisnearly20percent.

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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