General Listening Quiz

What are some basic rules of the road you need to know when taking a road test to obtain a driver’s license in your country? How about where you live now? Think about topics such as parking, speeding, passing, yielding the right of way, and obeying traffic signs and signals.

1. 1. Everyone should take a professional driving lesson before the road test.
   2. Road tests are too easy in some places.
   3. People should have to retake the driving test every 10 years.
   4. Driving schools are better than learning from family or friends.
   5. Parallel parking should not be required on the driving test.
   6. Nervous drivers usually fail the road test, even if they drive well.
   7. Watching videos online can help people prepare for the test.
   8. The driving test should include more situations, like night driving or bad weather.
   9. Some people pass the road test but still don’t drive safely.
   10. Good driving habits are learned after the test, not before it.

“cut someone off” = pull in front of someone
“The instructor failed me because I cut someone off on the highway.”

“fender bender” = very minor car accident
“The slick roads caused a number of fender benders this morning.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

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

• driveway (noun): a small road leading up to a private house
  – My car is parked in the driveway.
• motorists (noun): a person who operates a motor vehicle (car, motorcycle)
  – Nowadays, more and more motorists are deciding to use public transportation to commute to work.
• Okey-dokey (exclamation): informal for “Okay”
  – Okey-dokey. Let’s begin the driving test.
• district (noun): area
  – The speed limit in most residential districts is 25 miles per hour.
• grab (verb): to take hold of something
  – The woman grabbed the running child before he ran out into the road.
• bud (noun): informal, sometimes used in a hostile or unfriendly manner when speaking to a man whose name is unknown
  – Hey bud. Watch where you’re driving. You almost hit that tree.
• peek (verb): to take a short look at something
  – This car looks nice. Hey, take a peek inside to check how many miles it has.
• tailgate (verb): to drive too close to the vehicle in front of you that might make it impossible to avoid hitting in case of an emergency
  – Tailgating too closely is the cause of many accidents.
• pedestrian (noun): a person who walks, particularly where motor vehicles travel
  – You should pay careful attention to pedestrians when making turns on busy streets.
• jeez (interjection): an expression to show mild annoyance, frustration, or disappointment. This expression is not used as much anymore, and some consider it slightly offensive because of its religious tone.
  – Jeez. You should have told me you didn’t have money for gas.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence  | Multiple-Choice Questions |  Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Listen again and identify the possible mistakes or careless behavior Mr. Smith committed during his driving test. What are the possible consequences of each action? What should you know before selecting a driving school (e.g., cost, length of course, safety record, etc.)? Shop around on the internet for the best course based on your needs.

What are the possible advantages of taking a drivers education course online instead of attending a traditional driving school? Go online and collect information on the cost, types of classes available, and the length of time it takes to complete such courses.