Daily English 6 (2 of 2)
Well, I get onto the onramp, or “I get on the onramp and I drive to where I have to get off.
My office is only a few miles from the exit.
” The “exit” (exit) is where you leave the freeway.
It can be a noun or it can be a verb.
“To exit” means to leave, and normally, in a public building, a hotel or other areas, they have a sign that says, “exit,” so you know in case there is an emergency how to leave the room or leave the building.
On an airplane, we have something called the emergency exits, and those are doors that you use if the plane is having problems.
I hope you never have to use the emergency exits.
Well, this is an exit from the freeway, and “my office is only a few miles” after I get off of the freeway.
“I pull into the parking garage,” the place at my work where you park or keep your car, and I swipe my key card to get in.
A “key card” (key card) – two words – is like a credit card.
It's an electronic card that the company gives you that allows you to get in and out of a garage, in and out of the building, maybe even in and out of your office, and it's an electronic card, like a credit card.
To swipe is the verb we use when we talk about credit cards or key cards.
“To swipe,” (swipe) means to take the card and put it into what we would call a reader very quickly.
So, for a credit card, the clerk will swipe the card - will put it through the machine very quickly.
For a key card, you put it through the machine so you can get into somewhere.
It's a key - an electronic key.
I “park my car,” I “grab my briefcase and my coffee” - very important, my coffee - and I “head toward the elevator.
” “To head toward something” means to walk in that direction or move in that direction.
So, I walk toward the elevator, and my whole trip “only took 40 minutes.”
Americans love to complain about how terrible their commutes are.
In some cities, 30 or 40 minutes is considered a long commute, and in some cities, like Los Angeles, it's considered an average commute.
In other countries, some people commute an hour or an hour and a half in order to get to their work.
Now let's listen to the story, this time at a regular speed.
[Start of story]
I open my car door and throw my briefcase in the back seat, and get comfortable for my drive.
I put my coffee mug into the cup holder, put the keys in the ignition, find the gas pedal, and start the car.
My wife drove the car last night, so I have to readjust the rear view mirror and the side mirrors.
I turn on the radio to listen to the drive time traffic report.
I take the transmission out of park and into reverse, back out into the driveway into the street, close the garage door, and put the car into drive.
I used to drive a stick shift, but as I get older, I like my automatic transmission more and more.
I usually take the freeway to the office, so I get on the onramp for the freeway and drive to where I have to get off.
My office is only a few miles from the exit.
I pull into the parking garage, swiping my key card to get in.
I park, grab my briefcase and coffee, and head toward the elevator.
And that only took 40 minutes!
[End of story]