A Great Car Deal | Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Level:	Topic:	Speakers:	Length:
difficult	used cars	man – woman	02:08

Pre-Listening Exercise

What points should you consider when looking for a used car? Rank these points in order of importance and discuss them. Do you have any concerns or worries about buying a secondhand car (used car)?

Idioms

“hit the road” = leave or depart from a specific place
“Okay. It’s time to hit the road. Everyone get in the car.”

“drive at something” = What do you mean or imply?
“Hey, what are you driving at? Are you trying to say that I’m a bad driver?“

Listening Exercise

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

The woman is looking at a ______ minivan.

five-year-old

three-year-old

seven-year-old

Woman: Well . . . Um. How old is it? Car Salesman: Well, it's only three years old?

The vehicle's mileage has ______ miles.

65,000

75,000

55,000

Woman: And what's the mileage? Car Salesman: Uh, let me check. Oh yes. 75,000 miles.

What is the problem with the minivan's door?

It has several scratches on it.

It is missing the door handle.

It will not open properly.

Woman: Ugh . . . Uh, I can't seem to get the door open. [Ah, it's okay.] It could be broken. Car Salesman: Ah, just give her a little tap. Ugh. Now she's opened.

What is one thing the extended warranty will NOT cover on the vehicle ?

a worn out brake drum

a faulty oil pump

a malfunctioning guage

Car Salesman: Well, I mean, it (the warranty) covers everything except for the battery, and light bulbs, and brake drums, exhaust system, trim and moldings, upholstery and carpet, paint, tires . . . Well, a short list, you know.

If the manager lowers the price, what will the final price be?

$15,475

$15,675

$15,575

The manager first says, "Oh. It’s a real bargain today and tomorrow only at $15,775 . . ." Then, the woman says, "Well, almost $16,000 is a little out of my price range, plus the seats covers are torn a little." Then, the car salesperson says he can lower the price by another two hundred dollars, so the final price would be $15,575.

Post-Listening Exercise

Imagine you want to buy a used car. Would you want to work with the used car salesperson in this conversation? Why or why not? What is your image of the ideal car salesperson?

Online Investigation

Using search engines, find a review for a particular car you would like to buy. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the make and model. What is the car’s reliability? What is the difference in the new and used car price? Discuss your findings with another student.

See Listening Script

Back to Difficult Quizzes

General Listening Quiz

“A Great Car Deal”