The car

Semaine 7 - AnglaisBases level 2

Hello everybody, and welcome to this new lesson in AnglaisBases level 2. So today we will be
talking about … the car ! Let’s start with a conversation.

Conversation

B : Hello Alban

A : Hi Ben. How are you today ?

B: I’m fine thanks. And you ?

A : I’m good thank you. So let's talk about cars. How long have you been driving ?

B : I've been driving for four years.

A : And did you pass your driving license in England or in France ?

B : I did my driving test in England.

A : How does it work, how do you pass your driving test in England ?

B : Well it's very similar to the test in France. In England to do your driving test you have to be
seventeen years old. And you have to have about 20 hours of lessons. This is not obliged, but
on average most people do about 20 hours before they do their test.

A : And how is the test structured ?

B : Ok so first you have to do the theory test. and this is in two parts : The first is a multiple
choice exam, and you need to have at least 45 points out of 50 to pass. The second part is what
we call a hazard awareness test.

A : Hazard awareness...what does it mean ?

B : Ok so this is an exam by video. You're sat in front of a computer screen. It's like you're
driving the car, but it's a video. Every time you see a possible hazard, you have to click the
button on the mouse. So when you see a hazard, you have to react as quickly as you can.
Because the longer you take, the less points you will get. And you need at least, again 45 points
out of 50 to pass the test.

A : Okay so you need to see the potential hazard well in advance.

B : That's correct yes.

A : And what about the practical exam ?

B : Ok, so when you've passed your theory test, you can then do the practical test. The is when
you're driving the car with the examiner sat next to you. Normally you do it in a town, and you
have to respect the rules of the road. So you have to stop at the red light, wait for pedestrians,
etc.

A : And did you get it the first time ?

B : I passed the theory test the first time, but the practical test no. Unfortunately the first time, I
failed it.

A : Why did you fail, what happened ?

B : Well, during the exam, the examiner asks you to do 3 manoeuvres with the car. This can be
either a parking manoeuvre, or maybe doing a U-turn in the road, And it was the U-turn that I
failed. I did everything very well, and just before starting off in the other direction, I forgot to look
in the mirrors again, and there was a motorbike coming.

A : Big mistake...

B : Big mistake and it was an automatic fail.

A : And was it difficult for you to adapt to driving in France ? Because you have to drive on the
right side of the road...

B : Yes, at first it was very strange for me. Steering the car, that was fine. The pedals, it was
fine...thankfully. But the problem is the gears. Because in England the gear stick is on the left.
And in France, it's on the right.

A : Are the gears inverted or are they in the same position ?

B :They're in the same position, but because they're on the other side...
For example if you want to select first gear, in England, you push the gear stick away
from you, and up. And in France, you pull it towards you and up. So in the beginning it was a
bit...Rrr..Rrr... with the gears you know.

A : It seems quite confusing.

B : It was, it was, but now, it's three years I've been driving in France and...it's ok now.

A : Have you ever driven a sports car ?

B : No I haven't. I would love to drive a Ferrari or a Porsche or something like this. And you ?

A : No I have never driven such a car either.

B : I once drove my father-in-law's Mercedes. I'm used to a Volkswagen Polo with just 84
horsepower. And my father's Mercedes, it has 240.

A : That's a big difference.

B : A very big difference. It was a lot of fun, but quite difficult to stay within the speed limits.

A : Yes I can imagine. So it's more the car's fault if you break the speed limit then.

B : Yes, but I don't think the police in France would agree with you.

A : Certainly not...

Expressions expliquées dans la vidéo

Expression 1
Driving license ​= permis de conduire.
Theory​ / ​practice​ = théorie / pratique.
Practical exam​ = examen pratique.

Expression 2
Multiple choice exam​ = examen basé sur des questionnaires à choix multiples.
Hazard awareness test​ = Test de « conscience des dangers ».
Expression 3
To drive around the city​ = conduire dans / aux alentours de la ville.

Expression 4
To respect the rules​ = respecter les règles.

Expression 5
Pedestrians​ = piétons.

Expression 6
To fail​ = échouer.

Expression 7
A manoeuvre​ = une manoeuvre.
A U-turn​ = un demi-tour.

Expression 8
Automatic fail​ = erreur éliminatoire.

Expression 9
On the right side of the road​ = sur la côté droit de la route.

Expression 10
To steer the car​ = diriger la voiture.
A steering wheel​ = un volant.

Expression 11
Gear stick​ = levier de vitesses.

Expression 12
To pass the first gear, you have to ​push to gear stick ​away from you and then ​up = pour
passer la première vitesse, vous devez pousser le levier de vitesse dans la direction opposée à
vous, puis vers le haut.
In France, you have to ​pull the gear stick ​towards you and then ​up = En France, vous
devez tirer le levier de vitesse vers vous et ensuite vers le haut.

Expression 13
Father-in-law​ = beau-père.

Expression 14
Horsepower​ = cheval de puissance.
Expression 15
To break the speed limit​ = dépasser la limite de vitesse.
To stay within the speed limit = rester en dessous de la limite de vitesse (within = à
l’intérieur).

Test de compréhension

Now we’re going to do the test of comprehension. Remember to listen very carefully to every
word that I say. Good luck !

1 ) To start the car, you have to turn the key in the ignition.

What do you have to do to start the car ?

→ Turn the key in the ignition.

2 ) To check the oil in the engine, you need to lift the bonnet.

What do you need to do to check the oil in the engine ?

A - Open the boot.

B - Close the door.
C - Lift the bonnet.
D - Start the engine.

→ C - Lift the bonnet.

3 ) The speed limit on a motorway in England is 70 miles per hour.

Where is the speed limit 70 miles an hour in England ?

A - In town.
B - On a motorway.
C - On a small road.
D - In front of a school.

→ B - On a motorway.

4 ) John’s sports car has 560 horsepower, but Mark’s sports car has 630 horsepower, so
it’s much more powerful.

How many horsepower does John’s car have ?

→ It has 560 horsepower.

5 ) If I want to go backwards in my car, what do I have to do ?

A - Put the car in first gear.

B - Put the car in reverse.

→ Put the car in reverse.

6 ) In England, the priority is to the left. So if a car comes from the right, what should I
do?

A - Make way for the car coming from the right ?

B - Don’t make way for the car coming from the right ?

→ B - You don’t need to make way for the car coming from the right, because the priority is to
the left.

7 ) On the dashboard, there are many instruments, but which one tells me how fast I’m
going ?

A - The speedometer.
B - The fuel gauge.
C - The oil gauge.
D - The indicators.

Vocabulaire

Parts of the car:

Exterior
Wheels = roues; ​doors = portes; ​bonnet = capot; ​roof = toit; ​boot = coffre; ​windscreen =
pare-brise; ​wing mirrors = rétroviseurs; ​headlights = phares; ​brake lights = feux de freinage;
bumpers = pare-chocs; ​numberplates = plaques d’immatriculation; ​windows = fenêtres;
exhaust pipe = pot d’échappement; ​hubcaps = enjoliveurs; ​engine = moteur; ​brakes = freins;
tyres = pneus; ​door handle = poignée de porte; ​spare wheel = roue de secours; ​fuel =
carburant; ​petrol = essence; ​diesel = diesel; ​electric = électrique; ​hybrid = hybride; ​indicators
= clignotants;​ fuel tank​ = réservoir d’essence; ​door lock​ = serrure de la porte.

Interior
Seats = sièges; ​steering wheel = volant; ​dashboard = tableau de bord; ​handbrake = frein à
main; ​gear stick (or ​gear lever​) = levier de vitesse; ​gears = vitesses; ​pedals = pédales; ​clutch
= embrayage; ​accelerator = accélérateur; brake pedal = pédale de frein; ​seatbelt = ceinture
de sécurité; ​speedometer = compteur de vitesse; ​radio (or ​car radio​) = radio; ​front seats =
sièges avant; ​back seats = sièges arrière; ​fuel gauge = jauge d’essence; ​horn = klaxon;
ignition​ = contact / allumage; ​car keys​ = clés de voiture.

Actions:
To drive = conduire; to start = commencer; ​to stop = arrêter; to accelerate = accélérer; to
brake = freiner; to change gear = changer de vitesse; to speed up = prendre de la vitesse; ​to
slow down = ralentir; to park = se garer; ​to reverse = rouler en marche arrière; ​to beep or ​to
honk = kloxonner; ​to indicate = mettre son clignotant; to take off the handbrake = enlever le
frein à main; ​to fill up = faire le plein; ​to switch on or ​to switch off the lights = allumer /
éteindre les phares; ​drink-driving = conduite en état d’ivresse; driving license = permis de
conduire; ​to take your driving test = faire son examen de conduite; to pass = passer / réussir;
to fail​ = échouer; ​driving lessons​ = leçons de conduite; ​to steer​ = diriger.