General Listening Quiz

How do people find cheap or discounted train tickets to get around your city in your country? What about train tickets for popular destinations like New York City, London, France, or Japan? Do foreigners in your country have a difficult time using public transportation in major cities? Why or why not?

1. 1. It’s better to buy a train ticket in advance than at the station.
   2. Train travel is a comfortable way to get to different places.
   3. You should always keep your train ticket with you until the end of the journey.
   4. It’s okay to bring food or snacks on a train.
   5. Train tickets are usually more affordable than plane tickets.
   6. It’s important to be on time for your train to avoid missing it.
   7. People should be quiet and respectful when traveling by train.
   8. Train travel is a good option for short trips.
   9. It’s easy to make new friends while traveling on a train.
   10. You should always check the train schedule before you travel.

“catch a train” = get on a train
“I’m planning on catching the train at 3:10, so I don’t want to be late.”

“hold up traffic” = slow traffic
“The train tends to hold up traffic when it crosses this busy road in the morning.”

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

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

• nah: informal for no
  – Nah. I don’t want to go, but thanks for asking.
• not make heads or tails of (idiom): not be able to understand something at all
  – I can’t make heads or tails of this train map.
• platform (noun): the place next to the railroad tracks where you wait for a train
  – Please meet me on the platform 15 minutes before the train is scheduled to leave.
• get something (verb): understand something
  – Most of the time, she doesn’t get what the teacher says.
• no problem: used after someone thanks you for your help, similar to “You’re welcome”
  – A: Thanks for helping me buy a train ticket.
  – B: No problem.

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

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

What kinds of public transportation do you have in your country and city? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using public transportation instead of taking your own car to get to school and work? Do universities or companies give their students or employees a pass for free? Discuss these ideas.

Imagine that you receive $3,000 to take a three-week vacation to one or more of these cities: Las Vegas, Hawaii, or Paris, and one city of your choice. Use the internet to find out the cost of airfare and train/subway travel to get there from your current location. Compare prices from different travel companies.