General Listening Quiz

"Traffic Ticket"

Level:	Topic:	Speakers:	Length:
intermediate	traffic tickets	two men	01:27

Pre-Listening Exercise

What are common traffic violations and how do they threaten public safety (for example, following cars too closely, or tailgating, can result in rear end collisions if the car in front of you stops suddenly)?

Idioms

"pull over" = drive to the side of the road and stop
"The police pulled him over and gave him at ticket for speeding."

"make waves" = cause problems
"Stop making waves and admit your ran the red light. It is useless to argue with the police officer."

Listening Exercise

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

The man broke the law when he _____.

exceeded the speed limit

parked illegally near the school

didn't yield to children crossing the road

Police Officer: Sir, did you realize you were speeding in a school zone?

What happened at the intersection?

The driver didn't use his turn signals.

The driver failed to yield to other drivers.

The driver didn't come to a complete stop.

Police Officer: AND, you failed to come to a complete stop at the intersection back there.

What does the police officer tell the man about his driver's license?

The driver is using someone else's license.

The license is only good for 6 more months.

The license is no longer valid.

Police Officer: And, one of your break lights is out, [Huh?], you're not wearing a seat belt, AND your driver's license expired six months ago.

The driver asks about the officer's name because he ____.

plans to report the officer to his superiors

suggests that the officer could let him go

tells the officer that they could have met before

Driver: And your name is . . . . Officer Smith? Hey, are you related to the Smiths in town? My wife's cousin's husband (I think his name is Fred) works for the police department here. Or was that the fire department. Anyway, I thought you might be good pals, and you know . . .

What happens at the end of the conversation?

The officer arrests the driver.

The driver gets a ticket.

The driver is taken to court.

Police Officer: Okay, then. Here's your ticket. You can either appear in court to pay the fine or mail it in. Have a nice day.

Vocabulary Practice

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

Mixed-Up Sentence | Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Post-Listening Exercise

In your own words, give a summary of the traffic violations the driver in this conversation committed. What steps can law enforcement (police officers) take to protect the public and roads in such cases? Is it better to try to talk your way out of traffic ticket or just accept the consequences if you have broken a traffic law?tudents with no credit history. Now, many students have their own. However, finding the best card is often difficult. What do you think are the dangers of having a credit card?

Online Investigation

Getting a traffic ticket for different violations can happen if you aren't aware of the laws or code where you live or visit. Choose a country you want to visit and find out about three specific traffic laws and the penalties for violating those laws. How do these rules compare to those in your own area. Keep in mind that the traffic code can vary widely from area to area within the same country. Learning about the criminal justice system before you travel to a new place can help you avoid legal problems.

See Listening Script

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