Huawei overcomes U.S. ban with 13,000 replacements

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2023/03/17

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: Huawei overcomes U.S. ban with 13,000 replacements
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Vocabulary Match

sanctions -   - restrictions
production -   - limits on selling
export controls -   - modern tech
operations -   - activities
advanced technologies -   - manufacturing

Article

Huawei, a big Chinese tech company, has replaced over 13,000 parts in its products because of U.S. trade sanctions.

Ren Zhengfei, the founder of Huawei, said they use Chinese parts instead and have redesigned 4,000 circuit boards. Now, their production is stable.

Huawei has faced U.S. export controls since 2019, limiting their access to American chips and technology.

Ren also mentioned that Huawei spent $23.8 billion on research in 2022 and will continue to increase their budget.

Despite the challenges, the company has made significant progress in overcoming the trade restrictions. Huawei remains focused on research and development, aiming to strengthen its position in the global tech industry and become a leader in advanced technologies.

Quiz

  1. What changes has Huawei made in the manufacturing of their products?
  2. What has the company made significant progress in?

Conversation

A: Hey, did you hear the news about Huawei? They've replaced 13,000 parts in their products.
B: Wow, that's quite a lot. It's all because of those U.S. sanctions, isn't it?
A: Exactly! They've even made 4,000 of their own circuit boards in just the last three years.
B: They must be working hard! I bet all the research is costing them a pretty penny.
A: You're right, $23.8 billion! Can you believe it? They don't give up easily, do they?
B: No, they don't. I'm curious to see what new stuff they come up with in the future.

Discussion

  1. Can you think of some Chinese products that are popular around the world?
  2. How do you think technology has changed our lives in the last 10 years?
  3. If you had to give up one electronic device, which one would it be and why?

Vocabulary Answers

sanctions → restrictions
production → manufacturing
export controls → limits on selling
operations → activities
advanced technologies → modern tech

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. It has replaced over 13,000 parts in its products and redesigned 4,000 circuit boards.
  2. It has made significant progress in overcoming the trade restrictions.

Source Material

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-03-17/huawei-has-replaced-thousands-of-u-s-banned-parts-in-its-products-founder-says

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