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Hang up and drive

Hang up and drive

Date: Sep 07 2007

Themes: Health

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Americans love to multitask. You’ll see them reading and eating or cooking and watching TV. Sometimes you see people driving and talking on the phone. Well, usually you see these people heading rapidly toward you, blabbing away, blind to the fact that you exist.

Needless to say, driving and talking on the phone can be pretty dangerous. In fact, Kevin almost died at the hands of a driver on the phone. Listen to him tell Amanda about it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Kevin

Kevin

Amanda

Amanda

Kevin:  So I’m running the other day, and some idiot in a Chevy Suburban was on his cell and almost runs me over and then honks at me.

Amanda:  How do you feel about that? Do you ever talk on our cell phone when you’re driving, ever?

Kevin:  I don’t own a car.

Amanda:  Oh, so I guess that’s a no. You know, I feel the same way because there’s some statistic that said when you’re on a cell phone, whether you’re holding it or you have the little Bluetooth, it’s about as bad as having three cocktails.

Kevin:  Really?

Amanda:  That’s how much it affects your judgment when you’re driving as far as your response time, and when you think about it that way or look at it that way, it’s pretty scary.

Kevin:  And you know, you just see people doing it all the time, you know, it’s really ridiculous. Do you do it?

Amanda:  Only if I’m going about 20 miles an hour or less, that’s the general rule for me. But you know what’s tough too is texting. People will keep their phone down on the fly and be texting like crazy, not looking ahead…

Kevin:  Which to me seems worse because you have to be looking down at the screen, whereas if you’re talking at least you can hold it at the side.

Amanda:  Absolutely. But I think the reason they’re doing that is to be stealth so that they can communicate without other drivers seeing that they’re actually on the phone.

Kevin:  Might as well be reading a book.

Amanda:  Pretty much. Or shaving.

 

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Discussion

Kevin was out running the other day when someone almost ran him over with his very large car. Then the driver had the nerve to honk at Kevin. He probably had no idea what was going on because he was on his phone the whole time.

Amanda says that according to a study, talking on the phone while driving is just as bad as drinking three cocktails and getting behind the wheel. Since drunk driving illegal and widely regarded as a very bad thing to do, Amanda and Kevin agree that talking on the phone and driving is very dangerous.

Nonetheless, Amanda talks on the phone sometimes when she’s driving, but only when she’s going really slow. But that’s not as bad as texting and driving, which is something Amanda has seen people do. She thinks they do it because unlike talking on the phone, the other drivers can’t necessarily see you texting. Kevin thinks texting and driving is much worse than talking and driving. He jokes that it’s as bad as reading a book behind the wheel. Amanda says it’s as bad as shaving on the road.

What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever seen someone do while driving?

 

Comments

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pink_bella

pink_bella

Austria

Yes, I want to ask the same question as jindaicy.

 I agree with your opionions. I think this people think that they could do both things but when you look on statistics how many accidents happend when people always talking on the phone, you see that this peoples are not correct.

04:48 PM Sep 13 2007 |

jindaicy

China

who can tell me what's the meaning of the sentences:but you know what' tough too is texting,and be texting like crazy in chese ,thank you!

01:36 PM Sep 13 2007 |

rasha1984

Jordan

i think it very dangerous to taik and drive at the same time.

10:48 AM Sep 13 2007 |

icebluelake

China

when i was driving ,i fixed the safe belt,and i never don't have a call , talking on the phone is stupid action.bus i always see that some people was like to do it ,may be they thought it'cool,and expressed their good technic on driving,evidently,it' wrong.

02:32 AM Sep 12 2007 |

balcony001

China

Yes ,i agree

02:59 AM Sep 11 2007 |

LX2006

China

yes.it's pretty dangerous when people are driving on the phone .that's risk of life.

11:31 PM Sep 10 2007 |

_SMYRNA_

_SMYRNA_

Turkey

I sometimes see this people on the roads..and always I get angry with them and they cant concentrate on the road..they only use the gas pedal and go without looking around and giving signals while turning:(...I think they must be warned and their licence must be taken..it is a crime like driving drunken

07:12 PM Sep 10 2007 |

_Jasmine_

_Jasmine_

Poland

Girls doing her make up while they driving a car. It's really silly.

04:46 PM Sep 10 2007 |

shanie

shanie

China

that 's quite right ,it is dangerous talking and driving ,but if someone allways on the way and he also have lots of business ,what should he do ?not get up the phone ? or just park the car then talk the phone …

04:05 PM Sep 10 2007 |

thanhtu

Viet Nam

i think drivers are very important for passengers. So they have to concentrate on the road. So that, they make everybody feel safe.

 

02:09 PM Sep 10 2007 |

thanhtu

Viet Nam

i think drivers are very important for passengers. So they have to concentrate on the road. So that, they make everybody feel safe.

 

02:09 PM Sep 10 2007 |

hamoudi17

hamoudi17

Algeria

hello all

10:32 AM Sep 10 2007 |

asif_ik

India

its really dangerous,sometimes you dont know direction you are going, if anyone comes on your way hardly can control you wheel 

10:25 AM Sep 10 2007 |

lol80

lol80

Peru

that is a big mistake!! you must to be concentrate on the road, be careful!! be more concious!!

01:56 AM Sep 10 2007 |

Christoph07

Germany

The most strange thing what I saw at a police-video was a truckdriver with a gazoline-truck who read a newspaper at a freeway.
Phonecalls are spezialized problems. When you get a call from your partner that somthing is broken or your doctor tells you that you have cancer or somthing like that,it is normaly that its hard to concentrate to drive a car. We must calculate the fortunes and the risks of calling by driving. We have over 100000 or over millions death people by cardriving in the world. And cardriving isn`t forbidden. So I think everyone must know how risky is the situation to have a call in a car. In Germany if you have an accident and you was calling you are a little bit guilty also if another person hit your car.

03:13 PM Sep 09 2007 |

smilekhj

South Korea

 So, the most important message for people who talk on the phone and drive is the title, here; Hang Up and Drive!!!!!

01:49 PM Sep 09 2007 |

Rita176

China

yes, all friends here is pretty right. drivers, pedestrians absolutely will be put into danger. while we are criticizing the bad manner of talking on phone and driving, we should ask for relavant government's attention to this, and take actual measures to decrease the accidents rate caused by talking on the phone and driving. 

11:00 AM Sep 09 2007 |

mj23gto

mj23gto

Taiwan

It also happened to me that the driver kept talking on phone when I was taking a cap to my company. I was so scared at that time but, what could I do? Jump out of the car? The taxi driver looked so husky that I didn't dare to tell him to put his phone down…...Sealed

04:49 PM Sep 08 2007 |

Ella Xue

Ella Xue

China

It’s too dangerous!If something happened,the driver wouldn’t control anything expect throwing the cell phone off,then be hurt.

01:34 PM Sep 08 2007 |

alia_90

alia_90

United Arab Emirates

i don't have car, but i think that is so danger Smile

08:16 AM Sep 08 2007 |

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