ESL Frog Lesson March 11

Nissan Tests New Self-Driving Car in Japan Lesson made on March 11, 2025 Reading Lesson: In Japan, Nissan is testing a driverless car that can traffic rules on its own. The car uses 14 cameras, nine radars, and six special sensors to “see” the road and avoid obstacles. Japan is home to many famous car companies, but it has been slower than the U.S. and China in developing self-driving technology. Now, Japan is trying to catch up. Google is also bringing self-driving taxis to Japan this year, starting in Tokyo.

Japan has allowed some self-driving vehicles already, but they are mostly small, slow-moving cars in certain areas. For example, there is a tiny self-driving vehicle in a rural area and a bus near Tokyo’s airport, but these move much more slowly than regular cars. Nissan’s self-driving car is different because it can drive at normal speeds. However, for now, a human is still monitoring the car remotely and can take control if needed.

One problem with self-driving cars is responsibility. When a person is driving, it is clear who is responsible for an accident. But if no one is driving, people may not know who to blame. Experts say that people are more alarmed by accidents with driverless cars than normal crashes.

Nissan says their technology is safe because their cars can look in all directions at once, something a human driver cannot do. If something goes wrong, the car simply stops. During a recent test, a system failure happened, but the car safely came to a stop without any problems.

Comprehension Quiz: 1. What makes Nissan’s self-driving car different from other driverless vehicles in Japan? a) It can only drive in small areas. b) It moves at normal speeds like a regular car. c) It does not have cameras or sensors. d) It has no human control at all.

2. Why are people more alarmed by accidents with driverless cars? a) Because driverless cars are slower than regular cars. b) Because driverless cars are not allowed in cities. c) Because driverless cars cannot stop in emergencies. d) Because it is unclear who is responsible for the accident.

3. What is one safety feature of Nissan’s self-driving car? a) It can repair itself after an accident. b) It warns pedestrians with a loud alarm. c) It has two drivers inside at all times. d) It stops automatically if something goes wrong.

4. What is the role of the human in Nissan’s self-driving car? a) They drive the car manually at all times. b) They monitor the car remotely and can take control if needed. c) They are not involved in the car’s operation. d) They only test the car in rural areas.

5. What does Nissan say makes their self-driving car safe? a) It can only look in one direction at a time. b) It can look in all directions at once, unlike a human driver. c) It does not need any sensors or cameras. d) It cannot stop if something goes wrong.

6. Which of these statements is false? a) Nissan’s self-driving car can drive at normal speeds. b) Google is bringing self-driving taxis to Japan. c) Japan is ahead of the U.S. and China in self-driving technology. d) A human can still take control of Nissan’s self-driving car.

7. What does the article suggest about the future of self-driving cars in Japan? a) They will never be allowed in Japan. b) They will only be used in rural areas. c) They will likely become more common. d) They will replace all regular cars immediately.

8. How might car companies convince people to trust self-driving cars? a) By showing that the cars are safer than human drivers. b) By lowering the price of the cars. c) By removing all human drivers immediately. d) By forcing people to use them.

9. What does the article suggest about future self-driving cars? a) They will become more common as the technology improves. b) They will always need a human driver. c) They will demand coffee breaks and holidays like human employees. d) They will only be used in Japan.

10. What is the main idea of the article? a) Self-driving cars cause many accidents. b) Nissan is testing self-driving cars in Japan. c) Japan is the world leader in self-driving car technology. d) Self-driving cars will become very common around the world.