Interviews

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What is your image of the ideal car, and what features does it have?

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the video:

practical (adjective): logical or reasonable for a particular situation
– This car isn’t practical for our family because there aren’t enough seats for everyone.

draw (verb): attract
– This car attracts a lot of buyers because of its excellent gas mileage.

take a nap (idiom): take a short period of sleep
– I sometimes take a nap in my car after work.

along the lines of (idiom): similar to something else
– My father wanted to buy a car along the lines of this one on this Web site.

Now, watch the interview and answer the comprehension questions. You can also turn on the automatically-generated captions for the video once you start it.

Randall: In this video, Aubrey, let’s talk about your dream car. Everyone has their own vision of a dream car, whether it’s a Lamborghini, whether it’s uh, a BMW, or other. And for you, what would be your dream car? Number one, where would you take it? Number two. And who would go with you?

Aubrey: Okay, so if I’m being practical, right?

Randall: Well, [My dream practical car . . . ] you don’t have to be practical.

Randall: But, but let’s start with practicality.

Aubrey: Practicality. If I was being practical, my dream car would be my current car because I have a really nice car paid off. Right. That would be if I’m gonna be practical.

Randall: Okay.

Aubrey: Now, if this other dream car can be completely paid off, right? I don’t end up with a car loan.

Randall: Yup.

Aubrey: I’m getting a Tesla.

Randall: Okay.

Aubrey: It’s electric.

Randall: And what is it about a Tesla that attracts you?

Aubrey: Yeah. So I think the thing that draws me to the Tesla, it’s like the environmental controls. Like, you could totally take a nap in a Tesla and be perfectly comfortable in it because it’s electric, so you’re not idling an engine.

Randall: Oh, that makes sense.

I also like that it has like driving assisting features, right? It really can drive itself. Although you’re not supposed to do that. I hate driving, so it would be nice to have a little bit of help from a car when I’m driving in that canyon uh, between our, our houses because I hate doing it.

Aubrey: And as far as where I would go, like I’m not much of a traveler, but I would definitely drive more often like and go more places. Um, because, you know, gas prices are so expensive, and a Tesla’s all-electric.

Randall: Right.

Aubrey: Plus, like I said, um, you know, it can help you drive. Like you know you’ve got lane correction and I wonder if it does parallel parking. I bet it does. It’s expensive enough. Because I don’t know how to parallel park but yeah definitely a Tesla.

Randall: Good. And would you go with someone or do you just enjoy driving on your own?

Aubrey: Well, my dog would definitely come with me more often.

Randall: Okay

Aubrey: Um, because then I could, you know, go to the store and just put it in dog mode, which is a mode that the Teslas have. It’s an environmentally controlled mode. And then the screen says, you know, something along the lines of I’m safe, it’s 78 degrees in here.

Randall: Oh wow!

Aubrey: You know.

Randall: That uh, I don’t have that feature in my 2004 uh, car.

Aubrey: Nope.

Randall: Well, that’s great, and thanks for sharing your preferences and your ideal dream car.

The following activities deal with related topics to give you additional language practice.

• A Great Car Deal
• Buying Cars
• Car Repairs
• Donating Cars