Autobesity

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/autobesity

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is Autobesity?Average vehicle weight increased by 21% from 2001 to 2022
2. What is the trend genesis?Emerged significantly around the 1990s
3. Why are cars getting bigger?People think bigger cars are safer and have more space for family and cargo. Car makers also make more money selling larger vehicles, so they keep making them.
4. How does having bigger cars affect the environment?Larger cars need more fuel to move, which creates more pollution and greenhouse gases. This makes it harder to keep the air clean and fight climate change.

Autobesity: The quantifiable trend of increasing average size and weight in passenger vehicles, particularly cars, SUVs, and trucks.
SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles): A category of vehicles combining features of passenger cars with features of off-road vehicles, typically characterized by higher ground clearance and larger dimensions.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Gases, such as carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere that trap heat and contribute to global warming.