Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Cars are wonderful! They help us to travel quickly to many places. They are great for road trips. And if you like to drive fast, you might even enjoy race cars. However, when the elements create a sheet of ice on the road, it is very difficult to drive. Even the best car might slide on an icy street. And it’s possible that the car might slide into another car, causing a fender bender.
A fender bender is a small car accident. It probably won’t hurt any people, but it might put dents in both cars. Fender benders often happen in snowy and icy weather. If you get in a fender bender in the US, you should stay with your car and wait for the police to help. You will also need to talk to your insurance company. The best idea is to drive slowly and carefully in the elements or not drive at all.
Andy just had a fender bender. Will Kelsey need to cancel her music video plans again? Watch this week’s English video to find out.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Andy_H: Hey, Jordin!
Jordin: Hey, Andy. Are you here?
Andy_H: Yeah… It’s really bad outside here. It’s freezing cold! The roads are pretty much a sheet of ice!
Jordin: I should probably put on another jacket then.
Andy_H: That’s actually not why I’m calling. I was trying to reach Kelsey earlier, but she wouldn’t pick up. I was sort of involved in a fender bender, so…
Jordin: Oh, no! Are you OK?
Andy_H: No, yeah… It’s fine. I’m fine. Someone just slid into me, so there are a couple of dents in my bumper, but there were already a few, so…
Jordin: I’m glad you’re OK!
Andy_H: Listen, it’s really bad out here. Traffic is moving really slowly, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to pick you and Kelsey up in time to drive you over to the studio to make this music video. So…
Jordin: Kelsey is going to be so bummed!
Andy_H: I know. I feel really bad, but I also still have to deal with this fender bender. Can you call Kelsey and try to let her know?
Jordin: Of course, Andy.
Andy_H: Thanks, that’d be awesome.
Jordin: Yeah. I’m glad you’re OK. Stay safe out there, OK?
Andy_H: Oh, no problem here, Jordin. Thanks, though. I can handle the elements. I’ll have you know that I am a certified snow…
Jordin: Andy? Andy!?
Andy_H: No, I’m fine! It’s just the, uh…
Jordin: I’m sorry. Were you just saying that you’re a very experienced snowman?
Andy_H: The wind kind of picked up, and the shoe-to-grip ratio on my shoes are… It’s icy. OK, I gotta go! I’ll talk to you later. Bye! Oh, boy!
Jordin: Kelsey! Finally! Hello!
Kelsey: Jordin, are you two here?
Jordin: Well, no. Andy just called.
Kelsey: Oh, no! We’re going to be late!!!
Jordin: Yeah, like, really late. Andy got in an accident.
Kelsey: Yikes! Is he OK?
Jordin: He’s just fine. He might be a little sore, but that’s just from trying to show off. Anyway, it was just a little fender bender, and he is just fine.
Kelsey: OK, I’m glad he’s not hurt! What should we do? What should I do?
Jordin: Yeah, he said it’s pretty icy out there and very cold.
Kelsey: I feel really bad asking everyone to travel on such a terrible day.
Jordin: Don’t feel bad. We all really want to make the music video!
Kelsey: Should I cancel it?
Jordin: Andy said traffic is pretty slow, so it might just take a little while to get there. So, it depends on how much time you have the director and the studio for, I guess.
Kelsey: I’ll go outside and check it out. If it looks really bad, then I’ll just cancel it. I don’t want Andy to have another accident.
Jordin: OK, I’ll call Andy.
Kelsey: Thanks, Jordin!
Sheila: Andy! Sorry, I missed your call! Andy?
Andy_H: Hello, Sheila!
Sheila: Andy, did you just fall down?
Andy_H: What? No. I was just… checking my car here… wanted to make sure the transmission thing…
Sheila: Uh, huh. Sure. Wow, it really looks like it is snowy and icy there!
Andy_H: Oh, yeah, we got a winter storm, all right. Whew!
Sheila: Ouch.
Andy_H: Are you all right?
Sheila: Oh, yeah, just a little sunburn from the beach yesterday.
Andy_H: Oh. That sounds… nice.
Sheila: I thought Kelsey was doing her music video today?
Andy_H: Well, we still may. I was supposed to pick Kelsey up, but I got into a little fender bender, so…
Sheila: Are you OK?! Is your car OK?
Andy_H: Oh, yeah. Yeah, just fine. Both a little dented, but… Oh, Sheila, I’ll be fine. I’m like a cat in the snow.
Sheila: What does that mean?
Andy_H: I mean that I have great balance, and I can survive the elements, snow, ice…
Sheila: OK, just be careful out there. I don’t want you to give yourself a fender bender just from walking down the sidewalk.
Andy_H: I’m like an arctic fox, like a Belgian ice skater, like… Ouch!
Sheila: Fender bender?
Andy_H: Right on the hip.
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Be Able To" from this lesson
Quizzes
Lesson MP3
The iTEP® test
-
Sponsored by
Discussion
Andy calls Jordin because he got into a fender bender. He was going to pick her and Kelsey up for Kelsey’s music video. But now, he doesn’t think he will be able to. The streets are a sheet of ice, and it is very difficult to drive in the elements. Jordin calls Kelsey to share this news. Kelsey is worried. She doesn’t want to cancel her video plans, but she also doesn’t want Andy to have another accident.
Sheila calls Andy back. Andy thinks that he has great balance on the ice, but he falls. He pretends to be checking his car’s transmission, but Sheila knows that he fell. She is finally enjoying her tropical vacation. Andy feels jealous that she has a sunburn from the beach. Sheila tells him to be careful in the snow. Andy tells her that he understands the snow and ice perfectly… and then, he falls again.
Did you ever have a fender bender? Can you survive in the elements?