2009年ESL之旅行交通购物 04 Hailing and Taking a Taxi-英语课

时间：2018-12-26 作者：英语课 分类：2009年ESL之旅行交通购物

英语课

04 Hailing and Taking a Taxi

GLOSSARY

taxi / cab – a car, usually painted yellow, that is driven by another person andthat one uses to go somewhere, most often in a large city

* How much will it cost to take a taxi to the airport?

from start to finish – throughout the whole process; during every moment ofdoing something; from the beginning to the end of something

* We had a huge project to finish in just two months, so from start to finish, wewere working 14-hour days.

to hail (a cab) – to get the attention of a taxi driver so that he or she lets one getinto a car and takes one where one wants to go

* To hail a cab in New York City, just raise your right arm high into the air.

cabbie – a taxi driver; a cab driver

* Good cabbies know the main streets of a city.

off duty – not working at a particular moment, usually because one is notscheduled to work then or because one is taking a break

* Are police officers allowed to wear their uniforms when they are off duty?

to take no notice of (someone or something) – to not pay attention tosomeone or something; to not see or respond to someone or something; toignore someone or something

* Chelsea was reading a book while walking, and she was so interested in thebook that she took no notice of the hole in the sidewalk.

to pull over – to drive to the side of a street and stop there for a few moments,usually to let someone into or out of one’s car

* Let’s pull over and ask that lady for directions.

return fare – money received from a person who rides in a taxi from point B topoint A after the taxi has already taken someone else from point A to point B

* Whenever taxi drivers take someone to the airport, they know that they caneasily get a good return fare because so many people want to go from the airportto downtown.

taxi stand – a place where taxis wait in line for people who need a taxi ride

* There is a large taxi stand in front of the bus station, with about seven taxiswaiting for passengers at any time.

flat rate – an amount of money that is paid for a service, no matter how difficultthe service is or how long it takes

* When he writes stories for the magazine, he charges a flat rate instead of a feeper word.

meter – a small machine in a taxi that shows how much money one needs topay, based on how long one has been in the taxi and how far the taxi has gone

* When you sit down in a taxi, don’t forget to make sure that the meter starts atzero!

posted – placed or hung where people can see or read something

* The teacher’s rules for the classroom are posted by the door where all thestudents can read them.

suit yourself – an informal phrase meaning that one can do whatever one wantsand that it doesn’t matter to the person who is speaking, especially if he or shethinks it is a silly or bad idea

* When Pollyanna said she was going to eat a whole box of cookies by herself, Isaid, “Suit yourself, but your stomach is going to hurt afterwards.”

to steer clear of (something) – to stay away from something; to not usesomething; to not become involved with something

* Steer clear of the freeways around 5:30 p.m. because there are too many carson the road then and they move very slowly.

license – official, legal permission to do something, usually presented on a smallpiece of paper

* How old were you when you got your driver’s license?

to take (someone) for a ride – to trick someone, especially to get money or tomake someone believe something that isn’t true

* The salesman sold us an expensive bottle of pills that he said would help uslose weight really quickly, but it didn’t work. He really took us for a ride.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does the cabbie mean when he says, “Suit yourself”?

a) He thinks Ignacio should wear a suit.

b) He wants Ignacio to drive the taxi.

c) He doesn’t care what Ignacio does.

2. What is the meaning of the phrase “steer clear of private cabs”?

a) Be careful when driving near private cabs.

b) Always ride in private cabs because they have better steering.

c) Never ride in private cabs.

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WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

meter

The word “meter,” in this podcast, is a small machine in a taxi that shows howmuch money one needs to pay based on how long one has been in the taxi andhow far the taxi has gone: “Hideaki was horrified when he saw that the meter hadhit $80.” The word “meter” is also used to talk about any small machine that sayshow much of something one has used: “How often does the water company readthe meter at your house?” A “parking meter” is a small machine on the side ofthe road that one puts coins into to be allowed to park there for a certain amountof time: “Sayir put $1.25 into the parking meter, so we have an hour before wehave to move the car.”

posted

In this podcast, the word “posted” means placed or hung where people can seeor read something: “Photographs of criminals are posted on the walls at thepolice station.” The verb “to post” is used to talk about messages that one writesonline and puts on a forum or blog: “Have you ever posted anything on the ESLPodcast Blog?” The phrase “to keep (someone) posted on (something)” meansto give someone new information as something changes, so that he or shealways has the most updated information: “Please keep us posted on how yourjob search is going.” Finally, the phrase “to post (someone) (somewhere)”

means to send someone to work in another country, especially in the military orthe government: “He was posted in Algeria from 1986-1989.”

CULTURE NOTE

Taxi cabs are very common in New York City. Within the five “boroughs”

(geographic parts) of New York City, only Yellow Medallion Taxicabs are allowedto pick up people who hail a cab on the street. To drive one of these taxis, thecabbies must have a taxi license, which is also called a “hack license” in NewYork City. People with a hack license can also drive “limousines” (very long,expensive cars often used by very rich people).

To be “eligible” (meeting the minimum qualifications to do something) to apply fora hack license, one must be at least 19 years old and a U.S. citizen, and have aregular U.S. driver’s license. “Applicants” (people who are asking for the license)must have their doctor “fill out” (write information in spaces) a form saying thatthey meet the medical requirements. They have to pass a “drug test” (a medicalexam to see whether one has been using drugs). They also have to be“fingerprinted” (one’s fingers are put in ink to make an image on a piece of paper,so that the images can be compared to those of people who have broken thelaw).

Applicants must take a course in “defensive driving” (how to drive more safely bypaying attention to what other drivers are doing). They also have to finish atleast 24 hours of training in “customer service” (being nice to the people who ridein their taxi), “regulations” (laws) for taxis, and reading maps. Finally, they haveto take an exam of English “proficiency” (ability to speak and communicate) andother tests.

It can be difficult to become a taxi driver in New York City, but people who have ahack license can make $1,000 each week, or more.

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Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – c

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 454: Hailing andTaking a Taxi.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast number 454. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Go now to our website at eslpod.com and download a Learning Guide for thisepisode. You can follow along with the transcript of everything we say and alsohave a list of vocabulary words, cultural notes, comprehension questions, andsome additional definitions not found on the audio portion of this episode.

This episode is called “Hailing and Taking a Taxi.” To “hail a taxi” means to stopa taxi, to get a taxi’s attention so that the car will stop. This episode is going tobe using some very typical vocabulary that you might use if you take a taxi in theU.S. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

My company sent me on my first business trip, and I was supposed to travelaround the city in taxis. Having never ridden in a taxi before, I had problemsfrom start to finish.

First, I had trouble hailing a cab. I didn’t realize that when the taxi’s light is offthat the cabbie is off duty. No wonder they took no notice of me.

Then, a cab did pull over and I told him where I wanted to go. He said, though,that he wouldn’t take me because he wouldn’t be able to get a return fare!

I was looking around for a taxi stand when another cab pulled over, but mytroubles didn’t stop there.

Cabbie: Where to?

Ignacio: I’d like to go the Hamilton Building downtown. There’s a flat rate, isn’tthere?

Cabbie: No, we don’t have flat rates.

Ignacio: But a flat rate to downtown is required by law, isn’t it?

Cabbie: Do you want to go downtown or not? I’ve already started the meter.

Ignacio: Where are your posted rates?

Cabbie: We don’t have any. The first mile is $3.50 and each quarter mile is$2.00.

Ignacio: That doesn’t sound right to me. I think I’ll try another cab.

Cabbie: Suit yourself!

I remembered what my co-worker told me. She said to steer clear of privatecabs, like this one. The cabbies don’t have licenses and some of them will reallytake you for a ride – and not the kind you want!

[end of dialogue]

This episode is about Ignacio who is on a business trip. He says, “My companysent me on my first business trip, and I was supposed to travel around the city intaxis.” He was “supposed to,” it was recommended or ordered that he do that.

He has to travel around in “taxis,” which is the plural for taxi or taxicab or cab; allof those words mean the same thing. It’s a car that you basically pay the driverto take you to where you want to go. He says, “Having never ridden in a taxibefore (meaning having never taken a taxi – been inside a taxi), I had problemsfrom start to finish.” The expression “from start to finish” is a common one tomean the entire time, for the entire time that I was doing something. Forexample: “The professor walked into class and spent an entire hour yelling at hisclass from start to finish” – the entire time.

He says, “First, I had trouble hailing a cab.” As we said before, “to hail” (hail) acab or a taxi or a taxicab means to get their attention, often by waving your handso that they will stop for you. This is very common in some cities such as NewYork City, where you, if you are in what they call in New York City “the City,”

Manhattan – the main island where the businesses are mostly in New York City,you can stand at the corner or stand in the street and wave your hand to get ataxicab to stop for you. Here in Los Angeles that is not common, taxis are not ascommon here in L.A. In fact, in most places you cannot hail a cab, you have togo to what’s called a “cab stand,” which we’ll talk about in a minute.

Back to our story: He says that he had trouble hailing a cab. He didn’t realizethat when the taxi’s light is off that the cabbie is off duty. The taxi cars have lights usually on the top of the car, if the light is on that means that the taxi isavailable, they can stop and pick you up. If the light is off, that means that theyare already occupied and they will not stop. Well, Ignacio, since he doesn’t havemuch experience with taxis (and apparently has never seen a movie with a taxi!)didn’t realize that the taxi’s light is off, and he was trying to hail the cabs. Hesays, “the cabbie (when the light is off) is off duty.” The “cabbie” is same as thetaxicab driver; cabbie is the person who drives the cab or the taxi. To be “offduty” means to be not working or no longer on the job. If the taxi’s cab light is off,he could have someone already in his car or he could be off duty. Ignacio thensays, “No wonder they took no notice of me.” To “take notice of someone”

means to realize that they are there, to acknowledge them, to show or indicatethat you see them. But, because the taxicabs were either busy or off duty, theytook no notice of Ignacio – they didn’t stop.

“Then,” he says, “a cab did pull over and I told him where I wanted to go.” To“pull over” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to have a car or a truck stop at theside of the road; to stop the car and usually park it on the side of the road, atleast temporarily. So, one of the cabs did pull over – did stop. “He said, though(he said, however), that he wouldn’t take me because he wouldn’t be able to geta return fare!” A “fare” (fare) when we’re talking about taxis is a person who ispaying for the taxi. So, the taxicab driver has a fare, meaning they have acustomer. In this case, “return fare” means that the taxicab driver will go to acertain place then they’ll turn around and come back, if they have someone withthem that they pick up on the way back that would be a return fare. Some taxisdon’t want to go to certain places because there aren’t very many people thereand they won’t have anyone paying them to drive back to the main part of thecity.

“I was looking around for a taxi stand,” Ignacio says, “when another cab pulledover.” A “taxi stand” is a place, often by a hotel or a busy public area, wherethere are taxis that are parked one behind another, usually several taxis, and youcan go there and get a taxi. Here in Los Angeles, for example, when you comeout of the airport there are several taxi stands where there are several taxiswaiting for people who want a ride – who need a ride. That’s a taxi stand. HereLos Angeles, you can get a taxi by going to a taxi stand or by calling a taxicompany to come to your house or business. It is not normally possible to hail ataxi in Los Angeles.

Well, Ignacio was still having some problems. The cabbie asks him, “Where to?”

meaning where do you want to go. Ignacio says, “I’d like to go the HamiltonBuilding downtown. There’s a flat rate, isn’t there?” A “flat rate” is a single fixedprice; “rate” is the same as price, here. So, a “fixed rate” is one price that you pay – that everyone pays, usually from a certain area of town to another area oftown. Again, using Los Angeles as an example, if you arrive at the airport andyou want to go to a hotel in the downtown area there’s a flat rate. No matterwhich hotel you go to (some may be closer than others) you will be charged thesame fare. Notice that “fare” here means that same amount of money; it canmean both the person who’s paying the money and the money you receive.

Well, the cabbie says, “No, we don’t have flat rates.” Ignacio says, “But a flatrate to downtown is required by law, isn’t it?” He’s saying that the taxicab drivermust him to pay only the flat rate. The cabbie, however, says, “Do you want togo downtown or not?” meaning I’m not going to charge you the flat rate, and ifyou don’t want to pay more, I’m going to leave. The cabbie says, “I’ve alreadystarted the meter.” The “meter” in a taxi is a little machine that tells you how faror how long you’ve traveled, and in most cities the amount that you pay dependson how far you go. The meter tells you how far you’ve gone or how long you’vebeen in the car.

Ignacio then asks the cabbie, “Where are your posted rates?” Every city haslaws that determine how much a taxicab driver can charge per mile or per halfmile or quarter mile, and these are supposed to be rates that you can find insidethe taxicab – in the car. The cabbie says, however, “We don’t have any. Thefirst mile is $3.50 and each quarter mile is $2.00.” Ignacio says, “That doesn’tsound right to me,” meaning that is wrong, that’s too much. “I think I’ll try anothercab,” he very wisely – very intelligently says. First intelligent thing Ignacio hasdone! The cabbie says, “Suit yourself!” meaning do whatever you want. Theexpression “suit yourself” means you do whatever you want, I’m not going tobother you or be bothered by you. Usually we use this expression when youdon’t agree with what the person is doing, and you are telling them to go aheadand do it but you think they’re wrong, basically.

Ignacio says that his “co-worker,” someone he works with, had warned him tosteer clear of private cabs. To “steer (steer) clear of” something or someonemeans to avoid, to not go near, to not get involved with. He should steer clear ofprivate cabs, cabs that do not have “licenses,” official permission from the city tooperate as a taxicab driver. “They really will take you for a ride,” he says. “Theywill really take you for a ride” means they will really steal your money. To takesomeone for a ride usually means, in this case, to steal their money or to chargemore money than they should – to cheat them. It can also mean simply to getinto a car and drive somewhere, but that’s the double meaning that Ignacio wasusing here. He says, “They will really take you for a ride – and not the kind youwant!” meaning not an actual ride, but using the meaning of the expression totake your money.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.