| I. Pre-Listening Exercises [Top] |
What questions might you ask a taxi driver before and after you board the taxi?
HELPFUL TIP: Be sure to show your appreciation by giving taxi drivers a tip. That is an important part of their income.
| II. Listening Exercises [Top] |
I. Listen to the conversation by pressing the “Play Audio” button and answer the questions. Press the “Final Score” button to check your quiz.
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 [Top] |
- 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.
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