Highway Traffic Safety
Part 1: Listen and Read: This to this recording, answer the questions, and then read along with the audio recording.
I sometimes drive to work in the morning. I get on the highway near my house at Exit 219, heading southbound toward downtown. The three-lane highway is often congested that time of morning, but I use the carpool lane that’s reserved for cars with two or more passengers. I usually travel with a colleague to work. If I’m traveling to work by myself, then I usually stay in the right lane unless I’m passing another vehicle. I always drive the speed limit because I don’t want to get pulled over for speeding. Furthermore, it’s much safer to drive the speed limit than to speed and cause an accident. I also make sure I use my turn signals as I change lanes, and I maintain a safe distance behind the car in front of me. Once you reach the city, the traffic slows, and you often have to drive bumper-to-bumper for a few miles. I get off the highway downtown. If you haven’t driven this stretch of highway before, I suggest you buy a road map to help you navigate yourself around town.
What are the traffic conditions like in your city? Does it take longer to drive somewhere than to take public transportation? Are traffic laws carefully enforced by police officers?
There are many online tools to allow you to create a map and driving directions from one point to another. Find one such service and plot directions from your house to a famous landmark in your city. If such maps are not available for your area, then create a map from a hotel to a famous site in the city of your choosing where such online maps can be used. Finally, explain the directions to a partner.
Part 4: More Online Listening Practice by Randall (from www.esl-lab.com)