Distracted Driving: More of a Problem in the United States than in Europe
Talking, texting, and reading email behind the wheel may be more of a problem in the United States than in Europe. A 2011 CDC study compared the percentage of distracted drivers in the United States and seven European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Overall, the study found that a higher percentage of U.S. drivers talked on the phone and read or sent emails or texts while driving than drivers in several other European countries. For example, the study found that 69 percent of U.S. drivers ages 18-64 years old reported that they had talked on their cell phone while driving within the 30 days before they were surveyed, compared to drivers from the United Kingdom. The study also found that about one-third of drivers in the United States reported that they had read or sent text messages or emails while driving, compared to just 15 percent of drivers from Spain.
Questions – Comprehension
1-What is the text about? Explain it with your own words.
2-Are you a distracted driver/pedestrian?
Questions (Review)
1-Are you used to walking long distances?
2-What should we do during the week to be in shape?
3-Did you fly by plane last year?
4-Do you know somebody who is always on the run?
5-Is it cheaper to buy a house or an apartment in your city?
6-Which one do you prefer to drive a car or ride a motorcycle?
7-Do you think it is important to walk your pets once in a while?
8-Have you ever been to an opera concert? If not, would you like to go?
9-Name at least three presidents of your own nationality.
10-Do you believe breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck?
11-Would you like to have birds at home?
12-What do you usually do on Thursdays?
13-Which is more expensive nowadays ethanol or gas?
14. Do you always look both ways before crossing the street?
15-What is your favorite brand of car or motorcycle?
16-Have you ever gotten a flat tire on a rainy night?
17-Do you know the price of the bus ticked from your town to the state capital?
18-What is your opinion about people who drink and drive?
19-If you want to buy a car in your country what must be the down payment?
20-Do you usually fold your arms when you are talking standing up?
21-Are you paying any expensive debts at the moment?
22-How often do you clean the stove in your kitchen?
23-When was the last time you filled out an online form?
24-Could you walk to school by yourself when you were little?
25-Who is someone famous you respect (admire) very much?
26-Which is harder in your opinion speaking or listening in English?
27-If you found a lot of money on the street, would you try to find the owner or would
you keep it to yourself?
28-Were you a better reader last year than this year?
29.Talk about something that was worse in the past than in the present.
30-How often do you buy bottled water?
31-Nowadays what are the most common problems people have in life?
32-Would you say you are a shy or an extrovert person?
33-If you could have a different life style how would it be?
34-Is there someone you consider above all the others? Explain.
35-Are you taller or smaller than your best friend?
36-Would you like to be older or younger than you are now?
Choices
Would you rather live in an apartment or in a house?
Would you rather travel to Europe for a month or travel around Asia for a year?
Would you rather take a road trip in a luxury car or a camper van?
Would you rather sit in the window seat every flight for the rest of your life or in the aisle seat for the rest of your life?
Would you rather miss your flight or lose your luggage?
Would you rather spend a day on a beach or explore a bustling city?
Would you rather do a shark cage dive with Great Whites or skydive?
Would you rather visit a famous landmark or explore a hidden gem?
Would you rather only travel domestically for the rest of your life, or only travel internationally but never see anything else in your own country outside of your hometown?
Would you rather travel the world for free with no return date or have unlimited money but never leave your hometown?
Miscellaneous (varied/ diverse)
Do you usually get enough sleep?
Do you watch your weight? What foods do you think are healthy?
Have you ever been hospitalized?
Have you ever been to an acupuncturist? What do you think of acupuncture?
Have you ever broken a bone?
Have you ever burned yourself with hot water?
Have you ever donated blood?
Have you ever gotten a black eye?
Have you ever had braces on your teeth?
Have you ever had stitches?
Have you ever had stitches?
Have you ever sprained your ankle?
Have you ever taken a sleeping pill to get to sleep?
How can you reduce stress in your life?
How have you been feeling lately?
How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
How many hours of sleep do you usually get?
How often do you eat junk food?
What kinds of junk food do you eat?
How often do you exercise?
How often do you catch a cold?
How often do you get sick in one year?
How often do you go to the doctor’s?
How often is garbage collected in your neighborhood?