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Public Transportation
Public Transportation

Learn English with this travel English lesson

Date: May 08 2019

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives

Intro

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In a world with so many types of vehicles… buses, trains, light rail, airplanes, even bicycles… it’s strange that so many people prefer to travel by car. Cars cost a lot of money to drive, and they use a lot of space on the road. When everyone is trying to get to work, being in a car can be quite stressful. So why are they so popular?

Cars are certainly a status symbol in most parts of the world. And this is unfortunate. Buses and trains create less pollution, and they’re much more fuel efficient. Also, if you can sit on a bus and look out the window, your day will be far more relaxing!

Rafael and Lily talk about the pros and cons of public transportation in today’s English lesson about getting around.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Lily

Lily

Rafael

Rafael

Lily:  Sorry I’m late. I had to ride the bus here, and it took forever.

Rafael:  You don’t have a car?

Lily:  No. Why? Do you?

Rafael:  I have to tell you. I think buses just make things slower.

Lily:  They can be slow sometimes, but actually I really like taking public transportation. The extra time kind of gives you a little bit of time to unwind. It’s also a lot more fuel efficient than driving a car around. It lowers pollution, reduces your carbon footprint, that kind of thing. It’s nice.

Rafael:  That’s true. But don’t you ever get tired of having to wait so long to get places?

Lily:  I think that, in this case, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Do you take buses? Do you do public transportation, like light rail, or anything like that?

Rafael:  I haven’t in a long time. What’s your favorite form of public transportation?

Lily:  Well, I really like light rail. I think that that’s definitely the fastest and the easiest form. I think it’s important to do one’s part, and just take the train every once in a while. It can’t hurt. Right?

Rafael:  Maybe I’ll give it a try sometime.

Lily:  Yeah.

 

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Lily arrives late for her plans with Rafael. She traveled by bus, and it took a long time. Rafael wonders why she didn’t just drive a car, because he feels like buses make travel so much slower. He doesn’t really understand why Lily is OK with public transportation.

Lily describes a number of things that she appreciates about getting around by bus and light rail. When she’s not driving, she can just relax. She likes riding in a vehicle that can take a lot of people to one place, because it’s better for the environment. It creates less pollution than a bunch of cars would on the road, and Lily wants to lessen her carbon footprint, too.

Do you use public transportation? What kinds of public transportation do you think your city needs?

 

Comments

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divine26

divine26

United States



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08:06 PM Apr 19 2014 |

janezjy2013

Hong Kong

Mtr is the most popular public transportation that most people take in HK. The reanson is certainly high effecient. Of cause you can take buses of drive cars but the time you spend on road cannot be guaranteed. 

07:20 AM Apr 02 2014 |

Daninha

Daninha

Mexico

I once fell in love with a boy I met in the bus … surely, I won´t meet anyone new while driving lol 

04:05 AM Apr 01 2014 |

Daninha

Daninha

Mexico

Driving gives your more indepedence, you can go anywhere anytime, plus you always have a seat and can turn on the air conditioning in case it´s hot.


On the other hand, it is more expensive than taking the bus or subway.


I used to go to work in bus and subway, but when I have to carry my purse and laptop with me, it was very tiring… imagine, with heels… awfull. 


I am enjoying driving to work now .. 

04:04 AM Apr 01 2014 |

MAHSA1995

MAHSA1995

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

It’s good to use public transportation.It decreases pollution, and has so many other benefits both for humans and nature.


But talking of myself, I love to walk.So while it’s possible, I prefer to walk to my destination. :))

10:03 AM Mar 31 2014 |

1 person likes this

ttsuka

ttsuka

Japan

I read on the newspaper about the report that came out from an important international conference on global warming that just ended today. The general consensus among the attending scientists was that it’s already too late to avoid major damages from global climate changes, for the climate has changed and continues to change with accelerating speeds.  They predict various damages are on their ways while we just have to sit tight.  Now that I know the damning reality, optimistic talks of public transportation and reduced carbon foot print, like this dialogue, sound so naive and out of touch. I’m not being cynical, rather I’m depressed and simply scared. That’s all.      

05:52 AM Mar 31 2014 |

helko

helko

Germany

To use puplic transportation, is an good and importan thing, but I don’t like it. Because many people are so regardlessly and unkempt. In Germany it’ very expensisve if you must drive a lot. But sometimes I have a guilty conscience because I know that using th car charges the envirement

06:24 PM Mar 30 2014 |

Marcel We

Marcel We

Germany

In my city we often use public transporation or go by bicicle. I prefer to go by bicicle, even in autumn and winter. I use my bicicle almost every day when I have to go to school or any other place (for example my friend’s houses or my sports clubs, but also to the city centre). For me it’s just normal, but in my city in general it’s quite commen to use the bicycle when you have to go somewhere. Of course, it’s helps to protect the environment, but it also makes me feel healthy and lively to ride my bicycle every morning to school and that’s also why I prefer going by bicycle (if it’s not too far) rather than using any public transporation – even if the weather is not so good (my football-trainer always says that bad weather doesn’t really exists, the only thing that exists is bad clothing :-D).

10:55 AM Mar 30 2014 |

nellina

nellina

Russian Federation

Hmmm, what I can say about it, it’s awfull in Russia, and I prefer to stay in traffic jam and to drive for 1,5 hour to go to work than to go standing in sabway when some sweaty man almost lies upon you and you have to listen to a lot of profanity from cattle. If I have no time at all I have to use it and I try to seat there and sleep in order not to see and not to hear anything and would not fell the smell!!!!

07:20 PM Mar 29 2014 |

saraaz

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i do not like personal vehicles at all like cars but i love riding  horses or  bicycles .


i always take a taxi .


and i do not know the answer of the last question ….......


i do not have any informatiom about that . 

01:15 PM Mar 29 2014 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Sometimes I take a subway. Lots of weird people there you can meet. One time one girl started vigorously to comb her hair sitting just right besides me. Holly cow, that lasted like all 10 minutes. She was shaking heard, bending down, turning left and right. Her hair were beating me relentlessly. That was something, than when she did her hairdo, she got up and got off the train.


Another man was staring and staring at me and then all of a sudden he said, “
Don’t be afraid, I’m not into you. :))


So, see so much fun you can have taking public transportation ;) 

01:09 PM Mar 29 2014 |

S&W

S&W

China

I use bus in fall and winter.,I choose to walk or bicycle to someplace not too far from where i live summer and spring .But ,the question is the air is bad when you walking on the street ,you got vehical exhaust, dust.More and more people buy car in our city.I don’t know what the environment will become in future.

09:45 AM Mar 29 2014 |

seungmanlee68

South Korea

After got back in Korea, I usually use public transportation to save time and expenses. In my opinion, subway is the most convenient type of transpotations in Korea. It takes one hour to go to my office everyday. If I use a car, it may take an hour and more because of heavy traffic during rush hour. I wonderd why the airpollution of Seoul is better that that of Jakarta Indonesia.  

08:03 AM Mar 29 2014 |

mohammadesmaeil

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hi My dear friends , I hope that thinks better and give more information and how to make our society better to live for next generation . Of course we have a lot of problem about air pollotion but If we think about to have a car , how to drive , and so on we cannont breath next year. The peiople die form harmful elements . please help each other to control it . please write artile talk , new comments to speak  I am ready  , HOW about you  my dear friends

05:42 AM Mar 29 2014 |

maryam1368227

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i almost always use public transportation , taxi and buses. it take so much but it easy and not expensive. when i sit on a bus sometimes i read a book and use my time.


althoe i prefer to use private car for traveling because it is more fun.


05:37 AM Mar 29 2014 |

mohammadesmaeil

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

HI, Of course there is a  pollutio  in every country but we must try to help the system of translation for ex. one day is polluted why we help each other to use bus /metro or bike . In Iran in spring you can breath , pure  air , we must pursuade the government to use the nature energy like wind , Sun and … we research the new nature / energy and some new sources of energy . one day oil and gas will be finished and that day we cannot think about the new sources . we must think about the new life in the another planet . Like Mars , God created a lot of sources we just thinks about polloution . When we learn how to use the car or any tools and how the element in the air is harmful we live better .

05:35 AM Mar 29 2014 |

Tahereh

Tahereh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I use public transportation when i am in city, but drive car in journey. Bus, BRT, metro and taxi(if includes in public transportation) are most popular here. 


It is a bad feeling of see cars that are carring just one person when there are alot of people that breath difficulty.

05:32 AM Mar 29 2014 |

Annable

Annable

China

i like to use public transportation,i think our city  needs more subways and buses.But undeniable also has  its meaning of existence  of private cars.

03:01 AM Mar 29 2014 |

1 person likes this

ahmet55

ahmet55

Germany

Why not. obviously, I utilize lots of the public transportation system such as BRT and subways especially if i get around in big cities. Often when I’m not pleasant of that day’s situation bcz of billions reasons as well as when there is a crowds of people nearby to me in these vehicles, it makes me to feel a great sense of furious. That’s why in these cases, more often, I prefer to choose taxies or own car with regards to its comfortable sense. My city needs light rail, i suppose if the dummy man as city’s mayor be aware of existence of this public transportation vehicle. 

09:26 PM Mar 28 2014 |

am.h768

am.h768

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

For me it depends where I’m heading to. Those days that I wanna go to the city center, public transportation are definienty best choice beacause I hate to stuck in heavy traffic. But other places which are less crowded, I like to drive there. I enjoy driving. sometimes it helps me to clear my mind.

08:08 PM Mar 28 2014 |

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