See “Activities in This Passage” for more.
You can listen to the text as you read along.
LISTEN
Portions of this voiceover are AI-generated. Music: “Kindergarten” by Gurdonark (ft. Morusque, Lucas Gonze)
In the United States, cars are a big part of everyday life. In many places, people depend on
cars to get to work, go shopping, or take children to school. This is especially true in the suburbs, where homes and stores are far apart.
This creates a culture around driving. Many Americans have long commutes, and cars are a big part of their daily lifestyles. People eat in their cars, drink coffee in their cars, and even go to drive-through
services such as banks, fast-food restaurants, and pharmacies.
Photo by Matt Barnard | Pexels
Especially in the suburbs and in small towns, there is little or no public transportation, so people must drive everywhere. If you do not have a car, you cannot go anywhere very easily. You can try walking or riding a bicycle, but places can be very far apart. It can also be a little dangerous because streets in the United States are built for cars, not for people.
Traffic in big cities is often heavy because so many people drive. Some people commute for hours every day, and they spend most of that time sitting in traffic. Parking can also be difficult to find and expensive. Cars also use a lot of gasoline, which costs money and affects the environment.
Although cars cause problems, a car means freedom to many Americans. It lets people go where they want, when they want. At any moment, they can get in their cars and drive wherever they want. Some cities have trains and buses, but car culture in the United States is still very strong. Many Americans do not really want it to change.
Activities in This Passage
Are you a teacher?
You can use this passage and listening practice in your classroom.
Use the visual aids on this page to discuss the topic further and to make connections.
The PDF Handout that includes the passage, comprehension questions, and vocabulary lesson and quiz listed above.
For the listening lesson and comprehensionactivity, you can play the audio in the classroom and toggle the script on and off. I recommend having students first listen for gist without the script. Then, they can listen again and take notes. Finally, you can play the audio once more and project the script so they can read along. Students may have questions about key vocabulary, which you can use as opportunities for instruction.
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