Lesson 6: Express Yourself : Traffic and Transportation

In the 1990s, cars have become indispensable for many people. They are used not only for commuting, but also shopping and for leisure purposes. However, people in a large city like Seoul suffer from many traffic-related problems. For example, roads are congested all the time, so the word "rush hour" is fast disappearing. Gas prices fluctuate depending on taxes. Car owners are in a vulnerable position as environmental problems emerge as the top priority in maintaining the quality of life. Many people also complain that the police are not as interested in making traffic flow easily as in "collecting money" from law-breaking drivers.

Try to study these words:

1. indispensable
2. commute, commuter, commuting
3. leisure
4. purpose
5. however
6. large
7. suffer
8. congested
9. rush hour
10. disappear, disappearing
11. fluctuate
12. tax
13. vulnerable
14. environmental
15. emerge
16. top priority
17. maintain
18. complain
19. interested
    
20. flow

Let's answer these questions:

• If you were late for an appointment, would you violate the traffic rules?
• What traffic rules do you often break?
• If you were stopped by a policeman for breaking the law, what would you say to him first?
• Have you ever tried to bribe a policeman who stopped you?
• How do you feel when you get a ticket?
• These days parking is expensive. If you were going to park just 10 minutes, would you park in a paid parking space or park illegally?
• Do you think it's a good idea to let your wife drive?
• What do you think about Sipbuje? (Sipbuje means that you have to stop driving your car three times a month)
• When do you take the subway?
• When do you take a taxi?
• When do you take a bus?

Useful Expressions:

• heavy traffic
• traffic jams
• rush hour
• parking lot
• get a ticket
• be speeding
• make a U-turn
• go through the red light
• traffic lights
• traffic cops
• air traffic control

Useful sentences:

• The traffic's very heavy this morning.
• There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
• We got stuck in traffic for several hours.
• I was stuck in a traffic jam for an hour yesterday.
• I try to avoid rush-hour traffic.
• New measures have been introduced to ease traffic congestion in the city.
• five people were injured in a traffic accident.
• Air traffic has increased 30% in the last decade.
• The noise from the traffic kept me awake.

Opinion Samples:

1. After I got a ticket from a policeman some months ago, I drove away recklessly.I knew that this might cause a traffic accident, but I couldn't help it. It was very dangerous, so I decided to stop my car and relax for a few minutes. This helped me calm down so I could drive normally again.
2. When I go downtown I never drive. The roads in Seoul are crowded with cars all the time, and if I get stuck because of an accident or road construction I can't move for an hour or more. Driving a car never guarantees on-time arrival for appointments downtown. The subway is safe, inexpensive, and on time.