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Car Problems

Car Problems

Date: Jul 19 2002

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.

It’s rare, but when your car breaks down, it’s a big hassle. It can happen in the middle of no where. It can happen when you don’t have any money. And it can happen when you need your car for something very important.
Last week my sister and I were driving to dinner and her car broke down. I’ll tell you about the experience and maybe you can learn something from it.

Dialog

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

On Thursday of last week, my sister’s car broke down. It was overheating, which means the temperature of the engine was too high. If the engine gets too hot, it can be destroyed.
When she drove in stop-and-go traffic, its gauge would show the engine being very hot. When she was on the freeway, even with the wind blowing on the radiator, it would be hot.
We took the car to my favorite mechanic. I like him a lot because he is honest with me. He doesn’t charge me more than what’s needed. This is a very important quality in a mechanic.
He told us that my sister needed a new radiator. He said that he could order one and replace it that day for $300. We hoped he was right about the radiator and we told him to do it.
We returned to the shop later that afternoon. We picked up the car and it didn’t overheat anymore. My mechanic was right. The radiator was the problem.
Breakdowns like this happen sometimes. There was nothing my sister could do to prevent it. However, there are other problems that are preventable. Make sure to have your car’s oil changed every 3 months or every 3,000 miles. Makes sure to check the fluids often. And when something starts going wrong, make sure to have it looked at by a mechanic you can trust.

 

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Have you had a breakdown like my sister had? It was a little scary because we were in rush-hour traffic when it happened. I had to get out of the car and push it while my sister steered!
Hopefully you take good care of your car. And hopefully you have a good, honest mechanic to take it to when it breaks down.
That’s it for this week. See you next time!
Your American Friend,
John

 

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