Unit 15 :
Taking the Subway

 Pre- intermediate

Summary

To understand the  importance and value of subway.

  • Brain Storm : Share your ideas with your teacher. Try to make sentences.

 Have you tried taking the subway  as a mode of transportation? What does  it look like in your country?

Vocabulary

Repeat the following words and phrases with your teacher and use them in a sentence.

  • subway (n)
  • express (adj)
  • retrieve (v)
  • station agent (n)
  • central (adj)
  • tracks (n)
  • token (n)
  • expires (v)
  • issued (v)
  • unlimited (adj)
  • turnstile (n)

Dialogue 1

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Dony

Cayla

Come on, we need to buy our subway tickets at that ticket machine.

Why can’t we just get them at the ticket window? I’m not sure what the fare is.

There’s a long line and we need to catch a train right now.

I’ve never taken the subway before. I don’t know how it works.

Just follow me. Here, take this card and walk through the turnstile. Put your card in this slot and then retrieve it as you pass through.

Okay, now where do we go?

Let’s look at this subway map showing all of the lines. That’s the station we want.

Don’t we need to get transfers?

We don’t need transfers to take connecting trains. Let’s see, we want the express, not the local train…

Are you sure we shouldn’t just ask somebody, like a station agent?

Good luck finding one. And plus, I don’t need one. I can figure it out. Follow me. I think that’s the right platform.

Are you sure that’s the right train?

Yes, and if you ask me another question, you can continue this conversation with those tracks!

Let’s practice

Complete the paragraph with your own sentences.

         Before I take on the subway ____________________________________________.____________________________________________________________. When I get on the subway ________________________________________.__________________________________________________. After I got on the subway ___________________________________________________________.________________________.

Dialogue 2

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Clerk

Misha

 I’d like to buy a token for the subway.

The subway doesn’t use tokens anymore.

Oh? I didn’t know that. It’s been a few years since I visited New York. How do I pay for the fare?

You can buy a ticket for a single ride that expires two hours after it’s issued. If you’re going to be here all week, I’d suggest getting a 7-day card that gives you unlimited rides. Otherwise, I’d recommend getting a MetroCard.

 I’m only here for two days. How much is each ride?

It’s $2.00. If you buy a MetroCard worth more than $10.00, you get a 20% discount. So with a $10 card, you get six rides instead of five. The card allows you to transfer to buses, too.

Okay. I’ll take a MetroCard worth $10.00. How is the money deducted from my card?

The turnstile automatically deducts the fare each time you go through it. Here’s your card.

Thanks, but I’m not sure which line to take to Queens.

Here’s a subway map. Follow the signs to the platform of the train you want.

Okay, thanks.

Let's Practice

Choose the correct answers from the box below to complete the sentences.

  1. We walk down the steps to the _________,____________.
  2. He is a ___________,___________.
  3. We swipe our ______________.
  4. After we swipe our Metrocards,we go through the __________________.
  5. We wait for the train on the _____________,_____________.
  6. The doors open so let us enter the _____________.

Subway station      Metrocard       Turnstyle        Subway     Platform            Subway Train    transit worker

 

 

Discussion：

Share your  ideas with your teacher.

  1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “trains”?
  2. Is the train system in your country good?
  3. How important are trains in your country?
  4. Do you like over ground or underground trains?
  5. Which country has the best train network?