#0322 – Picking up a Rental Car, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 322 – Picking up a Rental Car
GLOSSARY
reservation –
an arrangement to have or do something at a future date and time;
an arrangement so that something is held for one’s own use at a future date or
time
* Have you made a reservation at a hotel for next Tuesday night?
economy car –
compact car; a small, inexpensive car that doesn’t use very
much gas
* I prefer to buy an economy car because it’s small and inexpensive.
to upgrade –
to choose a higher class of something; to choose a better type of
something
* The airline offered to upgrade our seats from coach class to first class.
mid-sized car –
an average-sized car, not too small and not too big
* When the Wu family had its third child, they decided to buy a mid-sized car
because their old car wasn’t big enough anymore.
convertible –
a car where the roof can be folded down or removed so that the
passengers can feel the wind and sun
* Having a convertible isn’t very practical if you live in a state where it rains a lot.
offer –
promotion; special deal; something that a company offers to do or sell
inexpensively or for free for a limited period of time
* This airline has an offer where you can fly to Puerto Rico for only $225 between
now and the end of the month.
to stick to (something) –
to remain with something; to not change one’s plans;
to continue to do what one had originally planned
* Are you going to swtich to the deluxe service or stick to the basic service you’ve
always had?
to initial –
to write the first letters of one’s first, middle, and last name, usually on
a legal agreement, to show that one agrees with something
* Please initial each page of this agreement, and then sign your name on the last
page.
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ESL Podcast 322 – Picking up a Rental Car
insurance –
an arrangement where one pays money to a company each month,
and if something bad happens, that company will pay one a lot of money to cover
the costs, such as for fire, floods, theft, health problems, or death
* Some people with young children buy life insurance, so that if they die, their
family will have enough money to live.
to decline –
to decide not to do or accept something; to say ‘no’ to something; to
refuse something
* I decided to declined the company’s offer for early retirement.
gas tank –
the part of a car that is filled with gasoline
* It costs more than $45 to fill this car’s gas tank!
additional driver –
a person who will drive a rented car and whose name is not
on the rental agreement
* Many car rental companies charge extra for additional drivers.
contract –
a legal agreement; a legal document that shows what two or more
people or businesses are agreeing to
* I had to sign a two-year contract with the phone company to get my cell phone
at a discounted price.
paperwork –
documents; all the forms and other papers that are needed to do
something or apply for something
* Have you finished the paperwork for your university applications?
local –
nearby; connected with the surrounding area; not far away
*
The McQuillan Times
is the best local newspaper in the country!
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 322 – Picking up a Rental Car
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What does Ralph decide
not
to get?
a) An economy car.
b) Insurance coverage.
c) Additional drivers.
2. What does Ralph need to do after signing the contract?
a) Show his papers to the parking lot attendant.
b) Get a map of the local area.
c) Park the car in space W34.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to stick to
The phrase “to stick to (something),” in this podcast, means to not change one’s
plans, or to continue to do what one had originally planned: “We thought we
might be able to finish the project early, but we have decided to stick to our
original schedule.” The phrase “to stick with (something)” means to continue to
do something, even though it is difficult: “He didn’t enjoy playing the violin and
wanted to stop taking lessons, but his parents convinced him to stick with it.”
The phrase “to stick (someone) with (something)” means to do something so that
another person has to do something unpleasant, without one’s help: “My boss left
early and stuck me with finishing the work.” The verb “to stick” means to adhere,
or for two things to be attached to each other, usually with glue or tape: “May I
stick this poster on the wall?”
initial
In this podcast, the verb “to initial” means to write the first letters of one’s first,
middle, and last name, usually to show that one agrees with something: “The
bank employee initialed the check before giving the customer his money.” One’s
“initials” are the first letters of one’s first, middle, and last name when they are
written together: “Wally Hou wrote his initials, W.H., on all his books so that he
could find them if they got lost.” The word “initial” also means first, or earliest:
“His initial reaction was anger, but then he calmed down.” The adverb, “initially,”
means at first, or in the beginning: “Initially, this company had just one office, but
now it has offices in almost every state.”
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 322 – Picking up a Rental Car
CULTURE NOTE
People who rent cars in the United States have many “options,” or choices. They
can rent the car “onsite” (where the rental car company has an office) or “offsite”
(away from a rental car office, so that the company brings the car to another
location). Onsite car rentals are “cheaper” (less expensive), but offsite car
rentals are more “convenient” (easy and simple, because one doesn’t have to do
anything special), because the company brings the car to wherever it is needed.
Onsite care rentals are usually cheapest at airports, where rental car companies
offer the greatest “selection” (the number and variety of cars that are available).
When “shopping around” (looking for the lowest price) for a rental car, be aware
that the companies don’t provide the “full” (total or entire) cost of renting the car.
There are usually many “fees” (additional costs) and “taxes” (a percentage of the
price that must be paid to the government) that are not included in the “quoted
price” (the amount that a company says something will cost before the
purchase). When making a reservation, ask what the rental fee would be with
taxes and fees to get a more accurate total.
Rental car companies always offer car insurance, which is a good idea in case
the driver gets into an accident. However, be aware that many credit cards
“automatically” (happening without one having to do anything special) provide
insurance for cars rented with their cards.
It is important to return the rental car “on time” (not late), because if it is returned
late, the rental car company might charge the customer for an extra day. Ask if
the rental car company has a “grace period,” a short period of time when you can
return the car late, but still pay no extra charges. Also, the car needs to be
returned with a full gas tank. If not, the company may charge the customer an
“exorbitant” (extremely expensive) amount of money to fill the tank.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – a
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ESL Podcast 322 – Picking up a Rental Car
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 322: Picking up a
Rental Car.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 322. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Go to our website at eslpod.com and download a Learning Guide for this
episode. There you can find all of the vocabulary, definitions, additional sample
sentences, cultural notes, and a complete transcript of this episode.
This episode is called “Picking up a Rental Car.” When you are traveling and you
need a car, you can rent one. You “pick it up” means you get it. In this case,
we’re going to hear a conversation between Ralph and someone who works for
the rental car company, and we’ll hear all the common expressions and phrases
you use when you are picking up a car. Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
Ralph: I have a reservation for a car.
Clerk: What is the last name on the reservation?
Ralph: It’s Furcal.
Clerk: Just one moment. I have a reservation for Ralph Furcal, picking up today
and returning on the 19
th
.
Ralph: Yes, that’s right. I reserved an economy car.
Clerk: We do have an economy car reserved for you, but for $3.00 more per
day, you can upgrade to a mid-sized car. And, for only $5.00 more per day, you
can upgrade to a convertible. Would you like to take advantage of either of these
offers?
Ralph: No, thanks. I’ll stick to the economy car.
Clerk: That’s fine. If you’ll just sign here and initial here, here, and here, please.
Would you like to purchase insurance for the car?
5
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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