Lesson Three TRANSPORTATION (I)
Part B Macro-Listening (Tapescripts, Notes, Exercises with Key)
Dialogue
Is This Your Car?
I. Tapescript
Ann Ben! You can't park here! There's a double yellow line.
Ben Oh, we'll be back in a few minutes. It's OK.
Ann Oh, no, it isn't. You'll get a parking ticket if you park here.
Ben No, I won't. It's half past five. All the wardens have gone home.
Ann Ben!
Ben Yes?
Warden Is this your car, sir?
Ben Oh, My! Well, I'm sorry, sir. I'm just looking for a car park around.
Ann Yes, he is. And he doesn't know the way well. But can you tell us where we can find near here, sir?
Warden There's one on the comer of the second block. But don't park your car by the roadside next time, sir.
Ann No, no, we won't. Thank you very much, sir.
Ben You're really good, Ann! But we have to hurry, I'm afraid. We must get back before 6.
Ann But you mustn't drive too fast.
Ben Take it easy, Ann. Don't be anxious.
Ann Look, Ben! A police car is following...
Policeman Excuse me, sir. May I see your licence?
Ben Of course, sir. Well, . .. er, I'm sorry I've left it at home.
Policeman In that case, you'll have to take it to the police station within five days.
Ben But... but why?
Policeman You were speeding, sir.
Ben But I was only doing 35!
Policeman There's a 30 miles an hour speed limit on this road, sir.
Ben Is there? I didn't see the sign...
Policeman Well, sir. We've been following you.
Ben So you were doing 35, too.
Policeman No, sir. We were doing 60 miles an hour. Otherwise we couldn't catch you.
Passage
I Rode to Work on My Motorcycle
I. Tapescript
When train fares went up for the third time in one year, I decided to buy a motorcycle to ride to work. My idea was that, although I would have to pay for tax, insurance and gasoline, I would still spend less than on train tickets over the year. I might even save time on the journey from home to work. So I bought a small secondhand Japanese motorcycle.
I began to learn to ride it. At first it seemed very difficult for me because I had never learned to ride an ordinary bicycle before. But I soon got used to it. I just fell off once or twice during the first few weeks, but after a while I felt reasonably confident and rode to work every day, even when it was raining.
It is, of course, one of the disadvantages, riding a motorcycle in the rain. To keep dry you have to dress up in waterproof clothes, which soon get very dirty. And it's cold in winter too. But my journey to work takes me half an hour less than it used to take me on the train. Traffic jams don't worry me, and I don't have to wait on cold railway plat- forms for crowded trains. I don't know whether it's any cheaper than public transport, though, for I soon got dissatisfied with my small motorcycle and bought a bigger, faster and more expensive one. |