Listen, read, and then read it back to me.

Driving

 

A. Driving a car is something that most people must learn how to do when they live in the United States. Not all cities have adequate public transportation systems, and many people live in the suburbs, or they live in rural areas. A commute to work for the average worker is 25 minutes by car. Plus, it’s often necessary to drive children to the homes of their friends, to the park, to after-school activities, and some parents drive their children to and from school. It’s also common to see shopping centers spread throughout metropolitan areas. When you want to go shopping, you might have to visit several different stores that are miles apart. People who move to the United States realize very quickly how important it is to drive.

Now you try reading it:

 

highway

 The fastest way to get around is to take the highway.

adequate: good; sufficient

rural: country; areas far away from a city

spread: covering a wide area

suburbs: the smaller cities that surround a large city

 

 

B. Driving in the ice and snow during the winter can be a nerve-wracking experience. However, you must get used to it if you live in an area where temperatures go below freezing in the winter. If the roads are slippery and covered by snow, you must drive more slowly and cautiously than when the roads are dry. It’s also a good idea to drive a car that has all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and you should have good tires with enough tread to grip the road. Bald tires are very bad for winter driving.

Now you try reading it:

 

 

 

driving in snow

bald: smooth

cautiously: carefully

grip: to hold

nerve-wracking: a situation causes nervousness, anxiety, or fear

slippery: a surface that is hard to stand on or drive on

tread: the grooved surface of a tire