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Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking

Learn English with this hitchhiking English lesson

Date: Aug 14 2018

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Zero Conditional

Intro

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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

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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

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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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

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jingjingde117

China

I am afraid of hitchhiking too,like most of people, But I really want to have a hitchhiking, I want to feel the amazing feeling of The distence between strangers is closer than you ever thought when people give you a ride

02:07 AM Aug 09 2014 |

1 person likes this

Alicia22

Poland

Most of people are afraid of hitchhiking. So do I. We never know what will happen.
But sometimes, there are situations we need to do this ‘cause of money, or no other transport. When I was in London, I had to get to Brighton. Me and my friend have decided to save the money (buses are sometimes very expensive) and thumb a ride. I was very surprised ‘cause we get into a car after 3 minutes. Young lady took us to the next district, where we’ve got another car. Nice man took us to the centre of Brighton. Whole journey was amazing, people were very nice and helpful. I’ve changed my mind ‘bout hitchhiking. I am not so afraid as I used to be.

11:02 PM Aug 08 2014 |

HAMAL

HAMAL

Yemen

i think in the travel you meet new people it s fun 

04:38 PM Aug 08 2014 |

lion-reve

lion-reve

Morocco

yes some  time  but  in  way  where  can’t find atransport    in  my travelfoot    but  hate  to  reid  with  some  people they  ask  mush   and hat’s bother me     but  any  way  they    take  you me  any  where  i  would  like  to  go   ^^ it  is   not  good to travel  any  where  with  out  have money   ^^

11:47 AM Aug 08 2014 |

1 person likes this

S&W

S&W

China

I had never experienced hitchhiking.For me ,i wanna try with three or more than three friends hitchhiking together that maybe more safer than by myself.

11:16 AM Aug 08 2014 |

mahbubeh92

mahbubeh92

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

NO I HAVE NEVER HITCHHICKED.i dont think its a safe way

09:49 AM Aug 08 2014 |

mahbubeh92

mahbubeh92

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

NO I HAVE NEVER HITCHHICKED.i dont think its a safe way

09:49 AM Aug 08 2014 |

2 people like this

Mr. Learner

Peru

If I have any other option, I won’t thumb a ride.


Hitchhiking would be nice if you guarantee that you won’t come into bad people.
 

07:41 AM Aug 08 2014 |

berly_sun

berly_sun

Indonesia

yeah it will be interesting if we met with kind person, but it will be terrible if we met psycopath strangers.

07:27 AM Aug 08 2014 |

samih

samih

Yemen

nice one. some interesting new words.

06:39 AM Aug 08 2014 |

1 person likes this

foz12

foz12

Saudi Arabia

Yes, we done that, thanks God the person was normal. For me I don’t like to go with stranger, but sometimes the situation force us.

06:12 AM Aug 08 2014 |

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