ESL Podcast 520 - Getting Directions and Parking Instructions

directions - instructions about how to go somewhere, especially when driving

When we mail out the party invitations, should we include directions to our house?

cross street - the closest street that touches the street where one's home or office is

The pharmacy is at 5839 Main Street, and the nearest cross street is Division Avenue.

exit - a road that lets cars leave a freeway or highway, slowly decreasing their speed before they go onto slower-moving roads

Take Interstate 5 north until you reach exit 268.

to head - to go in a particular direction; to travel in a specific direction

They left town about two hours ago, heading south.

bend - a curve in the road; a part of the road that lets one change direction without stopping first

Our house is just past the third bend in the road.

to veer - to change direction without stopping; to move toward the right or left from a main road

Go through the intersection and then veer to the left to get to the museum.

dead end - a street that ends with no other connecting streets, so that a car has nowhere to go and must turn around

Many people want to live on a dead end because there's less traffic, and it's safer for kids to play near the street.

one-way street - a street where all the cars must move in the same direction

You can't turn right here because it's a one-way street. You need to go up to the next street and turn right there instead.

light - traffic light; a box that hangs over the street with three lights: red, yellow, and green to control traffic

Even though we were in a hurry, we had to stop because the light was red.

street parking - the act of parking on the edge of a street, between the moving cars and the sidewalk

It's almost impossible to find street parking in this part of downtown Los Angeles.

valet parking - the act of stopping one's car in front of a business and giving one's keys to a person (valet) who then drives the car away and parks it, bringing it back when one is ready to leave

The city's most expensive restaurants offer valet parking for their customers.

to validate - for a business to put a mark on a piece of paper, showing that it will pay for a customer to park in a specific location

The store validates up to one hour of parking for anyone who makes a purchase.

meter - a machine next to a street that one can put coins (metal pieces of money) into to buy a certain amount of time when one will be allowed to park in a particular spot

Did you put enough coins into the meter? We're going to be inside for at least 50 minutes.

side street - a street that is connected to the main street, but has less traffic and is less important

Rent for stores is less expensive on side streets than on the main street.

to circle the block - to go around a group of buildings by making three right turns or three left turns

They couldn't find a parking spot, so he circled the block slowly while she was inside the store, making her purchase.

to count on - to assume or believe that something will happen; to rely on something

You can count on me to help you clean up after the conference. I won't forget.

to hunt - to seek; to search; to look for

She spent all afternoon hunting for a book that she's been wanting to read.