Talking about travel: 🚴🚗🚆 Real Easy English
Neil:
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I’m Neil.
Georgie:
And I’m Georgie. Remember, if you want to read along to this podcast, you can find a script on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
Neil:
Hi Georgie, how are you doing?
Georgie:
I’m fine thanks Neil, how are you?
Neil:
I’m very well thank you.
Georgie:
What’s today’s conversation about Neil?
Neil:
Today we’re going to talk about travel. We talked about holidays in another episode, but today we’ll talk about everyday travel and compare our journeys to work.
Georgie:
So, Neil, what is your journey to work like?
Neil:
Well, because we live in London and it tube stop. A tube is the underground train. And then I get the tube to near the BBC and then I walk.
Georgie:
Nice. I walk to work. I don’t like using the tube, the underground train, because there’s so many people on it. I prefer to get some fresh air in the morning.
Neil:
Ah, you walk to work. That’s interesting in London. Tell me about your walk to work.
Georgie:
Well, my walk starts with walking along some streets towards a park and then I walk across a park and then I walk through some more streets because there is a little bit of time between the park and the office. And then I arrive at the office.
Neil:
Very nice. So, you don’t like public transport?
Georgie:
I use it sometimes when there’s an emergency, like if it’s raining or if I don’t have time. But if I have time, I like to walk to work.
Neil:
And how long does your journey take?
Georgie:
My journey takes me one hour if I walk and 30 minutes if I take the tube. That’s pretty good for London. What about you?
Neil:
My journey takes at least an hour, sometimes more. And Neil, you have to get a bus and a train. What’s your journey like?
Neil:
Well, it can be good, but sometimes there’s traffic jams on the roads and so the bus can take a long time. But once I get onto the tube, it’s usually OK as I travel across London.
Georgie:
Neil, can you explain what we mean by traffic jam?
Neil:
Yeah, so a traffic jam is when there are too many cars and buses on the road and so the traffic can’t move very quickly or can’t move at all.
Georgie:
Oh yeah, traffic jams are so rubbish. Are there times of the day when there are more traffic jams?
Neil:
Yes, so during rush hour, rush hour is when most people are going to work. So, the roads are busier. And also, if it’s the school run, school run time. So, lots of people on the roads taking their kids to school. Then the bus journey takes a long time.
Georgie:
OK, so that’s in the morning and in the afternoons.
Neil:
Yeah, that’s right.
Neil:
Well, Georgie, your journey to work sounds nicer than mine, probably more relaxing.
Georgie:
Yes, not when it’s raining though.
📌 Let’s recap the words we learned:
towards – travelling in the direction of.
across – travelling from one side to the other.
rush hour – a time when a lot of people are moving around the city, usually for work or school.
traffic jam – a big delay when you’re driving.
Neil & Georgie:
Thanks for listening to Real Easy English. Visit our website for more activities and courses to help you with your English – bbclearningenglish.com. Next time, we’ll talk about the news. See you then. Bye!