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lunes, 17 de marzo de 2014

Listening - Daily Lesson

Listening - Daily Lesson:



Car Troubles



Car Troubles

Mar 17 2014
Intro
Cars can help make our lives easier in so many ways… until they stop working, that is. Anyone whose carbroke down on the side of the road, or got a flat tire, or had any other problem, can tell you that it’s no fun to be stranded.

When you have an old car, or a car that’s been in one or more accidents, it’s probably pretty unreliable. You never know when the next part will stop working. Your bank account is probably empty from all the trips to the mechanic.

Even though it’s tough to deal with car issues, especially when you have to pay for repairs out of pocket, it’s probably better than the alternative. People who drive to work or school, for example, can’t get along without their car. So if it breaks, they have to fix it.

Somebody is having problems with her car again. Learn who needs better transportation in this English lesson about cars.
Dialogue
Marni: Oh my gosh. My car broke down again!
Amanda: Well, that would explain why you took your bicycle here again.
Marni: Well, I’m really lucky to have my bicycle, because my car is so unreliable. It’s constantly breaking down. And I can’t do any self-repair, so I just have to go back to the mechanic and, once again, deal with my issues. And it’s going to be expensive.
Amanda: That’s kind of scary. Were you stranded on the side of the road all by yourself?
Marni: Luckily I have roadside assistance, so I called and was able to get somebody to come out and help me.
Amanda: Does insurance cover that, or is that out of pocket?
Marni: Luckily I have insurance that covers it because I’m already spending so much money just to make all these repairs.
Amanda: My heart goes out to you because I don’t know how you’re going to get along without it. I need my car.
Marni: Yeah. You know, I’m starting to feel like I might just have to solelycommit to biking or get something that’s more reliable, because having a car that breaks down all the time is just not worth it.
Discussion
Marni had to bike to her appointment with Amanda because her car broke downagain. It’s clear that this is not the first time that Marni’s had car troubles, and it’s starting to make her really frustrated.

Marni complains about how expensive it is to take her car to the mechanic. Even though her insurance does cover roadside assistance, she has to pay for repairs herself.

Amanda understands Marni’s problem because she needs her car, too! She can’tget along without good transportation, and she isn’t sure what Marni will do without a car.

Should Marni buy a better car or just use her bike? Has your car ever broken down?
Grammar Point
Be able to

Marni tells Amanda she called roadside assistance and was able to get help when she was stranded.

To be able to do something means to have the ability to do it. Be able to is sometimes used in place of can or could. Instead of, “I can’t go,” you might say, “I am not able to go.”

You can use be able to in any tense. Just change the tense of the verb be. For example, you can say, “I was able to see a movie last night,” or, “He will be able to visit me tomorrow.”

Which is correct, “They are able to go to Europe this summer,” or, “They be able to go to Europe this summer”?
Quiz

  1. Why did Marni bike to see Amanda?

  2. What does Marni’s insurance cover?

  3. If a person doesn’t pay to visit the doctor, his/her insurance must __ it.

  4. What is another way to say “Susie can go to the party”?

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