ESL Podcast 386 - Learning How to Drive
brake - the part of the car that is near the driver's feet that, when stepped on, makes the car slow down or stop; the part of any moving machine used to stop
Jeb stepped on the brakes very quickly when he saw that children were playing in the street.
gas pedal - the part of the car that is near the driver's feet that, when stepped on, makes the car start moving or go faster.
When Ingot's foot slipped and hit the gas pedal, the car jumped forward very quickly.
to take 10 years off (one's) life - a phrase used to show that one was very scared by another person's actions and, as a result, will die 10 years earlier
Coming home and finding a thief in my house took 10 years off my life!
median - the space between two sides of a highway or another major road, usually covered with grass or made from cement
The city decided to plant flowers in the median to make the roadways more beautiful.
railing - a short piece of metal along the side of a road to keep cars from accidentally driving off the road
When the driver fell asleep, he would have accidentally driven off the side of the mountain if the railing hadn't stopped his car.
to not know what (one) is getting into - to do something without knowing all the details ahead of time; to do something without realizing the extent or danger before doing it
You don't know what you're getting into by studying to become a doctor! It requires years and years of hard work.
to get the hang of (something) - to begin to understand how to do something and be able to do it better
It takes some people a long time to get the hang of skiing.
to shift gears - to change the speed and power of a vehicle by moving a stick inside the car
When you go uphill, shift from fifth gear to fourth gear so that the car has more power.
to parallel park - to park on the side of a street so that all the cars are in a line, with each car's front next to another car's back
How many times did you have to back up to parallel park in that tiny space?
reverse - backwards; facing backward
Driving in reverse is more difficult than driving forward because you can't see where you're going very easily.
steering wheel - the large circle in a car that a driver moves with his or her hands to make the car change directions
Drivers who don't wear seatbelts often get hurt in high-speed accidents when their body hits the steering wheel.
speedometer - the small, circular display in front of a driver that shows how fast the car is moving
The policeman said that I was driving 75 miles per hour, but the speedometer showed only 62 miles per hour.
rearview mirror - the small, rectangular mirror that hangs in the center of the front of a car so that the driver can see behind the car
That woman is using her rearview mirror to put on makeup while driving on the freeway!
to work (oneself) into a tizzy - to become very anxious, worried, panicked, or stressed
Yvonne always works herself into a tizzy before important tests.
sidewalk - the narrow, flat surface next to a road, usually made from cement, that people walk on
Nancy sweeps the sidewalk in front of her home every morning.