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Texting While Driving
简体
Texting While Driving
开车时发短信

Learn English with this driving English lesson

Date: Feb 26 2013

Grammar: Direct vs. Reported Speech

Intro

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Everyone likes to multitask. If you can do two things at once, it will save you time. Unless, of course, one of those things is driving. In that case, multitasking can kill you, or someone else.

Driving requires your full attention to be safe. Looking away from the road for a few seconds to push a few buttons on your phone seems harmless, but it’s actually very dangerous.

Texting while driving is very tempting though. We live in a world of instant communication. It’s hard to wait until you’re finished driving to respond to any messages you get on the road.

So pull over, put down your phone, and listen to Sara and Vanessa talk about texting while driving in this English lesson.

每个人都喜欢一心多用。如果可以同时做两件事情,就能节省时间。当然,其中的一件事情不能是开车。如果那样,一心多用会使您丧命,或导致其他悲剧。

开车要聚精会神,才能保证安全。从路上移开眼睛几秒,按几下手机键盘看似无害,但事实上,这样的行为非常危险。

尽管开车时发短信很有诱惑力。我们生活在即时通信的世界。很难等到停车后,再回复在路上收到的短信。

将车停到路边,放下电话,在本节英语课上,听听萨拉和瓦内萨谈论开车时发短信这件事。

Dialog

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

Sara

Sara

Vanessa

Vanessa

Sara:  I have a confession to make. It’s really bad…

Vanessa:  What is it?

Sara:  ...and I know I shouldn’t do it, but I can’t stop texting while driving.

Vanessa:  Oh no. That’s really dangerous. Really risky.

Sara:  I know. It’s just…your friend texts you, and you’re driving, and you think, “I can text them back in 15 minutes when I get home, but what if it’s really important and I need to communicate right now?” You know?

Vanessa:  I know, I know, and sometimes you’re stopped at a light or something, or you don’t have a hands-free or a headset or anything like that. But don’t you find that it breaks your concentration? Don’t you need to focus when you’re driving?

Sara:  I do. I think I convince myself that I can do both even though I know I’m pressing my luck by doing it.

Vanessa:  Yeah. I have a confession to make.

Sara:  What is it?

Vanessa:  Sometimes I do it too.

Sara:  Were you in the car when I texted you earlier?

Vanessa:  Um….maybe.

 

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Discussion

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Sara admits to Vanessa that she sometimes texts while driving. She knows it’s dangerous, but she does it anyway. Sometimes she just worries that the text she got was too important to ignore.

Vanessa agrees that texting while driving is very dangerous, but she understands why Sara does it. They make hands-free devices and headsets to help with this problem, but you don’t always have one on when you need it.

Ultimately, Vanessa admits she texted Sara while driving earlier in the day!

Do you ever text while driving? What are some good ways to avoid this risky (and often illegal) behavior?

 

Comments

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Ngubo Sixtus

South Africa

i do recommand to use hands-free and headsets rather than talking on the phone while you are driving.

06:48 PM Apr 12 2013 |

missliu

Taiwan

If you would like to tell  the cell phone when you are driving, you should stop car on the side of road and  continuing to speak with your friend.

01:56 PM Mar 09 2013 |

1 person likes this

kowatch

kowatch

Hungary

I never use my phone while driving. When I get a call, I give it someone who sits next to me. I call him or her back a later.


I think the best and only way to avoid this behavior is pull over the car. We shouldn’t press the luck.

10:06 AM Mar 09 2013 |

1 person likes this

laptop786

laptop786

India

dont press your luck! the best way to avoid this risky behavior is pull  over ur car n do texting….............

08:38 AM Mar 09 2013 |

abosalahaddine

Algeria

for me. i don.t like it


it is very dangerouse. especially for beginners in driving like me.


it is very risky


but some people do it without caring what may come after.

04:31 PM Mar 02 2013 |

havilbaby

Cote D'Ivoire

(havilahcoulibaly at yahoo dot in)

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02:17 PM Feb 28 2013 |

keivan8414

keivan8414

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

it’s really dangerous. be sure it will make you an accident exactly in bad case.


but i have an advise for whom want to tenacity on their function.


just buy a application on your phone that it has been invented todays.


you can talk to that and it’ll record your sentences and convert it to text,


so just now you need to send it to everyone who you like!


Good Luck


07:58 AM Feb 27 2013 |

haitham4vip

Egypt

“If you can do two things at once, it will save you time. Unless, of course, one of those things is driving. In that case, multitasking can kill you, or someone else.” that’s what you are saying while what iam doing is more thatn two things at once i like driving so much that turned me crazy about it sometimes what i want to say that sometimes i make a chat not just texting while i drive .


I think i did many other things beside driving like 


Drinking tea and juice 


Reading a journal 


Eating foods


The most horrible is that i may study at the exams days


all beside talking on phone

09:20 PM Feb 26 2013 |

m.sala7

Egypt

You know I have never text or even make phone calls while driving. Do you wanna know the hidden reason behind that. simply I can not drive yet and so I am far away from accidents. Do u think I am Right ?. I have a confession to make that almost of my frineds and folks in the street especially in Egypt text each others for emergency sutiations and for a just chat either for any reason. I often advise my frinends who drive to pull over and respect traffic rules and make multitask at cafe or somewhere away from that risky.actually the best thing i noticed here in saudi arabia that folks use headsets in the emergency conditions and fully appreciate stoplights first for their safety and surely for avoiding The harsh Fine and so they keep their concentrating priority for their safety second pull over if needed. By the way i am gonna receive a car and so I am learning How to drive & respect traffic lights plus what i’ve learned today it’s a strong additional for me. thanks. Hope you always take care. gd night :)

08:55 PM Feb 26 2013 |

-Benny-

-Benny-

Thailand

i used to do it when i drove my car to go to college. and i almost crashed my car with a truck. then i changed myself to stop my car before text messages ^ ^

05:24 PM Feb 26 2013 |

Ya Nina

Kazakhstan

Safety on the road is the main large subject for discussion. Text while driving, call by the cell phone, talks in the car, even the music are the facts which could lead to the accident. Unfortunately I have to admit that sometimes I let myself to answer by the text. The cause of that is very simple and not original. As more people I suppose that the text could be very important and was need in my prompt answer. Certainly I try to avoid that but it happens. 


I suppose that the best way for avoiding such risky irresponsible behavior is to remember about the possible further serious consequences. Let’s don’t forget that cars are the most dangerous kind of transport. Therefore if we will be more responsible, it helps to save somebody’s life. So I beg you: let’s don’t hurry! There aren’t such texts which would be important of somebody’s life.

05:14 PM Feb 26 2013 |

Ngubo Sixtus

South Africa

i do n’t like texting while you ‘re driving, you better stop the car  and do texting. when you finish continue with driving.

04:47 PM Feb 26 2013 |

lenah1317

lenah1317

France

I try not to text while driving but if I don’t text back I will think about it until I do. I will think ” I have to text back I have to text back” and if it’s important, I do it anyway. I know it’s bad and in France it is even illegal so I often wait to be stopped at a light and I hurry to text before the light turn green.


shame on me :$


but I try to change my behavior and not to do it ! :)

03:28 PM Feb 26 2013 |

QueenP.

QueenP.

Turkey

Thatt is right!!! We are living ina world of isntant and rapid communication.Sometimes we dont’t want to wait also we usually want to have priority..Multitasking sometimes could be good especilally at house works :)) but in that case it could be dangerous and risky..


driving car requires full concentration..Even one time you look away from road, you can have an accident.Even you can kill yourself, innocent animals or someone else..


I think when you get in a car, you should wear a seatbelt and instead of hands you should use to phone equipments (hands-free or headest) In this situation you can use hands very well..but even so you shouldn’t speak longly when you are diriving because it can berak your concentration..İf there is a important thing wich you require to answer quickly,you have to pıll ovet your car..So what we can avoid badly consequences…

12:48 PM Feb 26 2013 |

pirate006

pirate006

Turkey

Be good one and DO NOT try to do it!!!

12:27 PM Feb 26 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Drivers who own a modern car don´t have such a problem  as talking on the phone , cars come with a built in  device that allows a hands-free conversation  .  On the other hand,   by  texting,drivers   are pushing the envelope-so to speak- it takes only a second  of distraction  to lose  control of the car , with the danger  that this implies to the lives  involved  in the accident , although it shouldn´t be called  an “accident ” , the driver who was texting should be held accountable  for  his/her irresponsibility.    

Al-issawi

Al-issawi

Iraq

Multitask is a good sign for the cleverness, especially someone can master all tasks that he/she is doing without breaking his/her concentration. But however it is not good at all to text someone while you drive, because your life and others’ life will be at major risk; unless there is highly importance for texting someone, but you again calling him with headset better than texting. I usually talk with people while I’m driving either by phone or to whom sitting next to me, but never text someone    

12:02 PM Feb 26 2013 |

thewaytoyourhartSuper Member!

Hungary

To tell the truth I sometimes do it , from bussiness reason, if neccessery and I dont have time to pull off and stop. You know someone’s just ringing me when I’m on the way and driving my car.But I think unless you’re an unexperienced driver it wont cause any troubles. It might as well distract your attention from the road and traffic a little, but driving is just a routine task can easly be done by everyone. Personally, I think as everyone else don’t quite like being disturbed by phone calls especially in the city traffic in the rush hours, when u need bigger contrencation. Moreover, there is a chance that u may be cought and fined by police, because you  break the law and it has been taken very seriously in my country. 


So lets buy headsets and hand-free mobiles..;)

11:07 AM Feb 26 2013 |

Englishty

Englishty

Egypt

A while ago i watched a documentary program about sleeping while driving and the accidents that happen because of just a minute you fall asleep and the ways they try to reach to avoid it so i realized it’s so dangerous and irresponsible to look down on things you usually do while driving as texting and so on and i think the most important way to avoid it is to make lessons as a recommendations to people once they get a license to realize more about the risks of driving.


lorier89

lorier89

Poland

No… I didn’t text while driving… but sometimes I ring and talking while driving. I know I’m pressing my luck because I don’t use headphones.

10:18 AM Feb 26 2013 |

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