Unit 24:
Driving in a Foreign Country

 Intermediate

Objective

To learn words and rules related to driving in a foreign land.

Have you ever driven a car in a foreign country? If yes, which side of the road did they drive on? Were the road signs different?

Vocabulary

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

  • boot (n)
  • moved (v)
  • hired (v)
  • required (v)
  • campus (n)

Dialogue 1

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Patrick

Lucy

Excuse me, do you know where the Chemistry Building is?

No. Are you a new student at the University?

Yes. I just moved here from the U.S. I’m on my way to class, and I’m lost.

Oh, no! I don’t know where that building is, but I can help you find it.

Really? Thank you so much. My name is Patrick. What’s yours?

I’m Lucy. It’s nice to meet you! My car is over there. I’ll drive.

Thank you for offering to help me. This university has a huge campus.

Yes. It’s very big. Do you want to put your books in the boot?

I’m sorry. I don’t understand. What is the boot?

It’s the storage area in the back of a car.  What do you call it in America?

We call it a trunk.

Interesting. Okay. Let’s go.

Sorry, but aren’t you in the wrong lane?

No, we drive in the left lane in England.

Really? I never noticed.

 I’m going to stop here and ask for directions. I’ll be right back.

Sure.

Okay. The man said we should drive straight and the Chemistry Building will be on our right.

Look! There it is!

Excellent. I hope you won’t be late for class.

No. I’m right on time. Thanks for the ride, Lucy!

No worries!

Let’s practice

Match the words in Column A to their synonyms in Column B.

Column A

  1. ride
  2. boot
  3. no worries
  4. noticed
  5. help

Column B

a. trunk
b. come to somebody’s attention
c. assistance
d. lift
e. you’re welcome

Article

Read the article aloud with your teacher.

Driving in Different Countries

Although people drive in all countries, the rules can be quite different between nations and areas. For this reason, you should always learn the laws before you decide to drive in a foreign country.

If you are not careful, you can get into trouble, since the rules might be very different from what you are used to. For example, you can find some big differences in laws related to the minimum driving age, the appropriate side of the road to drive on, and mobile phone use while driving.

It may also surprise you to learn that not every country allows its citizens to drive, although most of them do. For example, women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia no matter how old they are. Instead, they must have a male family member or hired male driver to travel by car.

Driving on the right or left side of the road also varies. For instance, in Great Britain, Cyprus, Australia, India, and Malaysia people drive on the left. However, in the U.S., Mexico, France, and Canada people are required to drive on the right.

As a matter of fact, one country can have different driving rules for different areas. For example, people in Hong Kong drive on the left, while drivers in other parts of China use the right side of the road.

You might also find it interesting to learn that some countries have very strange or unusual laws. For example, in the country of Cyprus, it is against the law to eat or drink anything while driving. Even more interesting is that in Germany, there is a famous road called the Autobahn, where certain parts have no speed limit at all!

Let’s Practice

Choose the correct answer based on the reading above.

1) According to the passage, why is it illegal to eat or drink while driving in Cyprus?

A) Eating or drinking while driving causes car accidents.
B) Eating or drinking while driving stops drivers from watching their speed.
C) Eating or drinking while driving is not responsible.
D) The passage does not give the reason.

2) Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A) You can drive as fast as you want on all parts of the German Autobahn.
B) It is okay to hold your mobile phone and talk while you drive in Australia.
C) Females cannot drive a car in Saudi Arabia.
D) People in India drive on the right side of the road.

3) Why should you learn the laws before driving in a foreign country?

A) It is important because it is fun to learn about other countries’ driving laws.
B) It is important because you can get into trouble when you are not used to another country’s rules.
C) It is not important to learn the laws before driving in a foreign country.
D) It is important because you can have a car accident if you do not know the rules.

Discussion:

Share your  ideas with your teacher.

  1. Do you think people change character when they are behind the wheel?
  2. Would you like to drive an F-1 race car?
  3. What do you think of driving in other countries?