Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking

Learn English with this hitchhiking English lesson

Date: Aug 14 2018

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Zero Conditional

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

When you got back from your last vacation, were you happy about how much money you spent on transportation, or did busses, trains, and planes cost more than you wanted? It’s expensive to get around when you’re traveling. One way people spend less money on the road is by thumbing a ride.

It’s important to be cautious when asking strangers to take you somewhere. As a passenger, you don’t have a lot of control, so you have to judge carefully before you get in a car. However, the driver likely isn’t a psychopath, and you might meet some really interesting people by hitchhiking.

Why did Lily hitchhike? And what does Marni think about it? Find out in today’s English lesson about travel.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

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

Marni

Marni

Lily

Lily

Marni:  Lily, you just got back from Europe.

Lily:  Yeah.

Marni:  How did you get around? It seems like you covered a lot of ground. Did you take trains, busses, fly?

Lily:  It was a little bit of everything. It just depended on where we were. I actually hitchhiked for the first time while I was there.

Marni:  No!

Lily:  Yeah. It was not as scary as I thought it was going to be. But I was kind of embodying the backpacker stereotype. I had the big backpack on, and I was there with my friends, and we all had our thumbs out.

Marni:  So, you were just thumbing a ride through Europe?

Lily:  Yeah.

Marni:  Oh, Lily, you have to be so cautious! It’s so scary. You didn’t know these people, right?

Lily:  Marni, it wasn’t that bad actually. Most people I have found are good at heart, and as long as you take care of yourself and you make sure that you don’t put yourself in a bad situation, and you judge the situation, you can’t really go wrong, I don’t think.

Marni:  Really? Because it seems like you can’t really judge the situation. You don’t know what the driver is thinking. You’re just the passenger. They could look really normal, and yet, they’re just a psychopath!

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Zero Conditional" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Lily recently returned from Europe, and she tells Marni that she hitchhiked there for the first time. Marni sounds really surprised and a little bit upset.

Lily says she enjoyed the adventure of asking strangers for a ride, and she doesn’t think it’s a scary thing to do. Marni, on the other hand, is worried about the possibility of getting into a car with a psychopath.

She doesn’t think it’s possible to judge the situation when you don’t know the people. It’s clear Marni won’t be hitchhiking as a way to get around.

Have you ever hitchhiked? Do you think it’s a scary or safe way to travel?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

j12widiawati

Indonesia

Hitchiking or tumb a ride is something unussual here in Indonesia.. Feeling coutious is more important than just got a free ride.. 

11:37 AM May 27 2020 |

ashwaty

ashwaty

India

I never hitchhiked and i don’t want to. I don’t trust people easily. So thumbing a ride is so difficult for me.

07:07 PM Aug 14 2018 |

Press1

Press1

Aruba

It’s thrilling to me. I’ve done it twice. Once for a longer journey throughout varies countries in Europe. The EU is a great place for thumbing. Once you overcome the hesistance at the beginning, you have a chance to get to know quite some enthralling people. It’s also good practice to test you patience.


12:22 PM Aug 14 2018 |

hermitlady

China

as various media developed, more and more cruel, horrible and incredible evils were unveiled , even some of those have been beyond the limits of normal people’s thougt. i become increasingly unsecure about to the world.


 so i will never hitchhike. i know, most of the people are good at heart. even it is true. but if one met one of those of the minority, it would possibly change all life of his or her. even, there were no future.


04:08 AM Aug 14 2018 |

hermitlady

China

no.  i have never hitchhiked. i think it is a scary way to travel just like Marni thought.



but when i was young, i had the same ideals as Lily’s. i thought all of people i met were good at heart, even the bad persons would become kindhearted when met me. i don’t know how had i thought at that time.

04:05 AM Aug 14 2018 |

hermitlady

China

1

04:01 AM Aug 14 2018 |

destiny5

destiny5

Germany

never made any bad experiences. when you live in small village with a really bad bus connection and without a drivers license you prefer to hitchhike than to walk a long distance.


11:38 AM Aug 22 2014 |

vik32

vik32

India

i never did that..if we talk about hitchhiking it all depends upon the situation. lets suppose if you dont have any other alternative except hitchhiking you can go ahead, at the same time you have to be very careful and take important steps before getting into any stranger’s car. sometimes hitchhiking is good as you get to know about other people in different cities.

07:58 AM Aug 14 2014 |

Yield

Yield

China

Maybe I was deeply impressed by psychopaths in many American dramas, so I won’t choose hitchiking.

12:51 PM Aug 13 2014 |

oalkathiri

oalkathiri

United Arab Emirates

it is good to go to a new place and discover new land by yourself but sometimes you have to be care for any bad surprises will face it.

08:43 PM Aug 10 2014 |

1 person likes this

starstar1360

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I agree with some of the friends who said that it’s dangerous, you don’t know the people you travel with, especially for women and girls It’s not safe at all.so I prefer to go by bus and taxi.

03:31 PM Aug 10 2014 |

1 person likes this

mojtaba

mojtaba

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I traveling whit hitchiking a lot(when I was student and go to another city for univercity) and it’s so interesting and you can find a new friends whit this way

09:46 AM Aug 10 2014 |

1 person likes this

mohammed ammar

Germany

i didn’t try it before but aside from it is safe or not , i cant ask a driver to pick me with him and say ” please , would u … “

11:27 PM Aug 09 2014 |

1 person likes this

Naghmeh_M

Naghmeh_M

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I think that it’s very intresting kind of getting around. But safer for boys, I think.    But another thing is that I myself don’t want to try it even one time because I think that it doesn’t have a good effection on people that have met you or first time and you ask them to be with them. They have worked alot for getting this chance of travel and spend money and I think it can be seen rudness from their side. 

10:03 PM Aug 09 2014 |

NastyaBalioz

Ukraine

I suppose that hitchhiking really is dangerous! Of course this is interesting have a new familiarity and it is dont need a money but I prefer travelling for example on a bus or car) 

08:16 PM Aug 09 2014 |

forugh

forugh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I’ve taken the risk of getting in stranges’ cars a lot,when there were no taxis to take…but i also charged them,so it can’t be called hitchiking!!!

03:46 PM Aug 09 2014 |

rabindra shrestha

Nepal

‘hitchhiking’ is one of the cheapest ways of traveling in the world but i have never been before hitchhiked  i think it’s not a scary actually  from my side it’s a really safe way to travel

03:32 PM Aug 09 2014 |

1 person likes this

jein

jein

Indonesia

I’ve never hitchhiked before. Of course, It is scary to get a ride with the stranger, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t asking the unknown person for a ride. If I am in hurry or in needed especially in the way to travel, I think i’ll do it but i’ll be more careful and wary.

12:23 PM Aug 09 2014 |

mahi7

mahi7

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

yes,thats right its some how scary but i do it just one time there was no othere choice for me so i did it anxiously but that was nice the couple compeletly help me for next steps but we have to be carefull and clever.


12:09 PM Aug 09 2014 |

1 person likes this

Planetmoon

Planetmoon

Vanuatu

I have hitchhiked a few times. The longest distance was about 260 miles (418 Km) from St Louis to Kansas City. I was picked up by a couple and also a truck driver in a large tractor trailer. But I still had to walk miles and I was tired when I arrived. Safety also depends on where you are hitchhiking at. Don’t hitchhike in bad areas.

03:40 AM Aug 09 2014 |

Likes (38):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast