Interviews

High-intermediate

Think about this question before you watch the video:

• What are some of the things that bother you most about other drivers, politicians, and smart phones? How do you respond in such situations?

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

tackle (verb): make an effort to deal with a difficult topic or situation
– We need to tackle the problem of pollution in our city.

touch on something (verb): talk briefly about something
– The president didn’t want to touch on the issues of the economy because of rising inflation.

grumble (verb): complain quietly
– My husband often grumbles about careless drivers on the road.

alarming (adjective): feeling a sense of concern or danger
– It is alarming to see the price of gas and food go up almost daily.

Now, watch the interview and answer the comprehension questions. You can also turn on the automatically-generated captions for the video once you start the video.

1. How do your own feelings on this topic match Emily’s opinions in this interview? How do they differ?
2. What are the most alarming issues facing your local community or country these days (economic, social, political, environmental)?
3. What things in life cause you to grumble and complain? In such cases, how do you handle such feelings?

The following activities deal with related topics to give you additional language practice.

• Campaign and Elections
• Driving Road Test
• Texting and Driving
• Traffic Ticket