General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording on texting and driving, and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Woman: Hey. Are you leaving now? [ Y . . Yeah. ] Could you give me a ride to the train station?

Man: Sure. Get in.

Woman: Oh, I’m glad I caught you. My train leaves in about 20 minutes, and I don’t have time to walk there.

Man: Yeah, well, no problem. Oh, I just got a text from my mom about her doctor’s appointment.

Woman: Wait. You’re not gonna text and drive, are you?

Man: Yeah. I’m pretty good at it. Watch! Now, look here . . .

Woman: No, no. Hey, hey, hey, to be honest, I feel uncomfortable with you trying to do both at the same time . . . and it is against the law.

Man: I’ve had a lot of practice.

Woman: No, really, really. I’ll just walk. Pull over. I can catch the next train.

Man: No, no, no. I’m almost finished with this text . . . . just a second.

Woman: Watch out!! [ Scream ]

Man: AHHHH! Oh, no. My car.

Woman: Oh, no. OH NO!! Forget your car. The driver of the other car looks like a pro wrestler, and boy, does he look angry. Oh, no, oh no. He just punched that light pole and smashed his car window with his fist.

Man: Oh, Hey, uh switch me seats?

Woman: No. Forget it. I think it would be a good time for you to text or call the police. 

Man: Augh.

• catch (verb): to reach something or someone in time 
  – Did you catch your father before he left home?
• pull over (verb): to move your car to the side of the road and stop 
  – The police pulled me over because I was speeding, and I had a broken taillight.
• pro (adjective): professional 
  – Amanda is a real pro at tennis and riding her motorcycle.
• smash (verb): to hit something hard 
  – James smashed his car into a telephone pole because he wasn’t paying attention to the road.
• switch (verb): to change 
  – How many times have you switched jobs since you graduated from college?