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Paul Sparks, Sino-Canadian International College, Guangxi University, Nanning.
Lesson
Plans for "Watch, Listen & Speak", Semester 2
Listening & Speaking, "Taxi Ride": Listening
Guidelines: Listen
to the conversation then complete the questions.
Passenger: Hey Taxi! Ah great. Thanks for pulling over.
Driver: Where to?
Passenger: Well, I'm
going to the National Museum of Art, and . . . .
Driver: Sure. Hop in. No
problem. Hang on!
Passenger: Uh. Excuse
me. How long does it take to get there?
Driver: Well, that all
depends on the traffic, but it shouldn't take more than twenty minutes for
the average driver. [Oh]. And I'm not average. I have driving down to an
art, so we should be able to cruise through traffic and get there in less
than twelve minutes.
Passenger: Okay. Uh,
sorry for asking [Yeah?], but do you have any idea how much the fare will
be?
Driver: Oh, it shouldn't
be more than 18 dollars . . . not including a . . . uh-hum . . . a tip of
course.
Passenger: Oh, and by
the way, do you know what time the museum closes?
Driver: Well, I would
guess around 6:00 O'clock.
Passenger: Uh, do you
have the time?
Driver: Yeah. It's half
past four. [Thanks] Uh, this IS your first time to the city, right?
Passenger: Yeah. How did
you know?
Driver: Well, you can
tell tourists from a mile away in this city because they walk down the
street looking straight up at the skyscrapers.
Passenger: Was it that
obvious?
Driver: Well . . .
Passenger: Oh, before I
forget, can you recommend any good restaurants downtown that offer meals at
a reasonable price?
Driver: Umm . . . Well,
the Mexican restaurant, La Fajita, is fantastic. [Oh] It's not as
inexpensive as other places I know, but the decor is very authentic, [Okay]
and the portions are larger than most places I've been to.
Passenger: Sounds great!
How do I get there from the museum?
Driver: Well, you can
catch the subway right outside the museum. There are buses that run that
way, but you would have to transfer a couple of times. And there are taxis
too, but they don't run by the museum that often.
Passenger: Okay. Thanks.
Key Vocabulary:
pull over (verb): to
stop a vehicle to the side of the road
- We pulled over so we could rest and enjoy the scenic view.
down to an art (verb):
to learn something very well
- My brother has skiing down to an art.
cruise (verb): to drive
at a moderate speed, often leisurely or aimlessly
- The football players cruised around the city after the big game.
do you have the time
(verb): "Do you know what time it is?"
- Excuse me. Do you happen to have the time?
skyscrapers (noun): very
tall city buildings
- The city has decided to build a new skyscraper in the downtown area.
offer (verb): to provide
or furnish
- This travel agency is offering discount travel tickets to students until
the end of the week.
reasonable (adjective):
fair, not excessive or severe
- The prices at that department store are very reasonable.
fantastic (adjective):
super, wonderful, unbelievably great
- The musical last night was fantastic.
decor (noun): the indoor
furnishings of a building or home
- The hotel's decor was designed by a local decorator.
authentic (adjective):
real, not counterfeited
- The teacher create a very authentic classroom atmosphere for her students.
portions (noun): an
individual amount of food
- The portions were so large that we couldn't finish the meal.
Questions (with answers):
1. Where is the man
going?
A. to a museum
B. to a movie theater
C. to a musical
D. to a park
Correct Answer (A). The
passenger says that he is "going to the National Museum of Art."
2. How long will it take
to get to his destination in this taxi?
A. under five minutes
B. under ten minutes
C. under fifteen minutes
D. under twenty minutes
Correct Answer (B). The
driver says that for the average taxi driver, it would take more than twenty
minutes; however, he says that since he is such a great driver, it would
take him only twelve.
3. What time does the
place in Question 1 close?
A. at 4:30 PM
B. at 5:00 PM
C. at 6:00 PM
D. at 6:30 PM
Correct Answer (C).
4. Where is the man
going later downtown?
A. to a party
B. to a restaurant
C. to a play
D. to a business meeting
Correct Answer (B).
5. How much will the
fare be for the taxi ride, not including a tip?
A. between five and
ten dollars
B. between ten and fifteen dollars
C. between fifteen and twenty dollars
D. more than twenty dollars
Correct Answer (C). The
driver says it will cost about $18, not including the tip.
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