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.
If you live in a big city, driving can be a hassle. Endless traffic and occasional gridlock are inevitable. In places like New York City, many people don’t even own a car because it’s just too much to deal with.
For people who do choose to drive, one of the key things to figure out is the parking situation. Finding a parking place can be annoying and expensive.
Read on to learn more about your parking options.
Dialog
1. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
If you choose to drive in the city, you should be aware of the different parking options. There are a variety of ways to park your car, depending on how long you’re going to park and how much money you want to spend.
The easiest, but most expensive way to park is valet parking. When you arrive at a hotel or restaurant, there may be valets waiting outside for you. You can just get out of your car and hand one of them your keys. The valet will park your car for you and then retrieve it when you’re ready to leave. You may pay anywhere from $5.00 to $50.00 (plus tip!) for valet parking, depending where you’re going and for how long.
Parking garages are another parking option. When you enter a parking garage, you will be given a ticket. You need to keep that ticket, because you’ll need it when you exit the garage. Most garages charge per hour, but the rates can vary widely. For example, in Portland, Oregon you can park in a garage for only $.95 an hour. However, in San Francisco, you might pay $5.00 – $10.00 an hour!
The most convenient way to park is on the street – however it can be difficult to find spots. Sometimes you can find free places to park on the street, but usually if you’re in the city you’ll need to pay the meter. Most parking meters only take coins, so if you plan to park on the street for a while, you better bring lots of change. Most meters cost $.25 for 15 minutes.
Quizzes
Lesson MP3
The iTEP® test
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Discussion
Hopefully you don’t have to drive in the city, but if you do you should be prepared. If you want to save money, don’t use a valet and make sure to pay attention to how much parking garages cost. Remember to bring lots of change if you want to park on the street.
Good luck!
John