Dialogue
In this lesson, your tutor will help you go over this topic: traffic accidents. First, read the following dialogue out loud with your tutor, then switch roles and try again.
Dorothy and Kevin are talking about traffic accidents.
Kevin:
Dorothy, have you ever been in a traffic accident?
Dorothy:
One time I was involved in an accident on a side street.
Kevin:
Were you injured?
Dorothy:
Luckily it was a fender bender, and I was not hurt.
Kevin:
That’s good! I was involved in a bad car accident one time on the highway.
Dorothy:
Were you seriously hurt?
Kevin:
I wasn’t, but there was one casualty. Someone in the other vehicle died.
Dorothy:
Oh my, that’s really sad! What caused the accident?
Kevin:
The other driver was driving recklessly and hit me from behind.
Dorothy:
You were unfortunate. I’m sure you were wearing your seatbelt.
Vocabulary
Go over the following vocabulary and expressions with your tutor. Read the word/expression and definition out loud, and your tutor will go over anything you do not understand. Practice creating a sentence or two to make sure you know how to use the word/expression properly.
Vocabulary/ Expressions
| side street | (n) a smaller road often connected to the main road I live on a side street where there is very little traffic. |
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| injured | (v) to cause physical harm to; hurt He injured his leg while playing football. |
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| fender bender | (n) a minor accident between cars with little damage Dorothy was in a fender bender the other day. |
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| highway (freeway, expressway) | (n) the main road especially between towns and cities; normally the speed limit is higher The highway connects New York City and Philadelphia. |
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| seriously | (adv) in a way that is bad or dangerous Kevin was seriously hurt in the car accident. He broke three bones and had to be in the hospital for one week. |
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| casualty | (n) someone who is hurt badly or dies in an accident There was only one casualty in the house fire yesterday. |
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| recklessly | (adv) acting or done without care or concern He was driving his car recklessly and caused an accident. |
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| from behind | (prep phrase) in the rear; at the back My car was hit from behind. |
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| unfortunate | (adj) having bad luck or unlucky An unfortunate person usually doesn’t have good luck. |
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| seatbelt | (n) a safety belt or strap in a car, airplane, or other vehicles You should always wear your seatbelt when driving in a car. |
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Exercise
Practice answering the following questions with your tutors. You can use the sample answers to come up with your own answer.
- Have you ever been hit from behind while in a car?
- Fortunately no, but my friend was.
- Unfortunately, yes, and my car was seriously damaged.
- Your answer:
- Do you always wear your seatbelt while in a car?
- Of course, it’s necessary for safety reasons.
- I don’t wear my seatbelt all the time, but I know I should.
- Your answer:
- Do you prefer to live on a side or main street?
- I like to live on a side street because there’s less traffic.
- I like to live on the main street because it’s close to restaurants and stores.
- Your answer:
- How can traffic accidents be prevented?
- People need to slow down and drive with more care.
- There needs to be more driver education and training.
- Your answer:
- Do you think talking on a cell phone and driving at the same time can cause accidents?
- There’s definitely a connection between talking on the cell phone and driving at the same time.
- Drivers should never do both at the same time. It’s unsafe!
- Your answer:
Conversation
Use the following questions as a guideline to form an interesting conversation with your tutor. Feel free to diverge from these suggestions if anything interesting comes up.
- Why should people wear seatbelts?
- Have you ever been in a car accident? If yes, describe the accident.
- Why do people drive fast on the highway?
- Describe a situation where you were unfortunate.
- Do you know someone who was seriously hurt in an accident? If yes, do you know what caused the accident?
Wrap-up
Go over any new expressions or vocabulary that you learned today.
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