listening scripts - amazon web services · 3 t listening practice 2 04|02 speaking of food (page...

1Trends 1 © B Burlington Books

LISTENING SCRIPTS

Trends 1 © B Burlington Books

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LISTENING PRaCTICE 1 �04|01 It’s a Dog’s Life (page 96)

Speaker 1: Our dog, Lucky, is a chihuahua. She’s a tiny dog, and people sometimes worry that they’re going to step on her and hurt her. So far, she’s managed to get out of the way in time. We say that Lucky thinks that she’s a person – probably because I give her lots of people food. She likes all kinds of things, like bananas and pizza, and she’s mad about junk food. Of course, I never give her any chocolate, because that’s really bad for her. She usually carries her food over to wherever I am – she doesn’t like to be alone! I take Lucky with me everywhere I go. When I go over to a friend’s house, Lucky usually comes along, too. No wonder she doesn’t realise that she’s a dog!

Speaker 2: I’m not a dog owner, and I find the dogs in my neighbourhood really annoying. Our neighbours have a dog and it barks all day long. I’ve complained about it so many times, but the neighbours just say they’re not home during the day and can’t do anything about it. I’ll have to suffer with the noise, I suppose. Well, at least they don’t let their dog run around off the lead like some other people do. It makes me nervous to see a big dog on the street without its owner. I’d report it to the local authorities, but I always worry that they’ll catch the dog and destroy it.

Speaker 3: I really want a dog, but my parents just won’t agree. I promised them that I’d walk and feed the dog, and do everything to take care of it, but they aren’t interested. I’m supposed to learn how to be more responsible – well, taking care of a dog is being responsible, isn’t it? My mum said that I couldn’t have a dog because she would end up doing all the work, and my dad said he might be allergic, but I think that’s just an excuse. They said I could have a dog when I get older and move out of the house, but that’s too long to wait. I want a dog NOW!

Speaker 4: I chose my dog Pogo from an animal shelter. I was worried that I wouldn’t know how to pick the right dog, but it wasn’t hard at all. First, I walked around the shelter and looked at all the dogs. They were in different rooms, and you could look through a glass window and see them. Some of the dogs barked loudly as I walked past, but Pogo was just sitting in a corner. When I came up to the window, she got up and wagged her tail. The animal shelter worker let me go inside to play with Pogo, and to stroke her. I knew straight away that she was the dog for me! I took her home that day. She is the sweetest, calmest dog ever.

Speaker 5: We have a dog with a discipline problem. Every time we open the front door, he runs out. We can usually get him back after chasing him around the neighbourhood for a while, but it’s a big problem. He doesn’t come when we say “come”, and he doesn’t sit when we say “sit”. I’ve just started taking him to a dog training class and I hope that will make things better. The trainer told us that our dog should be hungry when he comes to class, because they use food in the training – usually meat or cheese. In the first lesson, we worked on getting the dog to respond to his name. I hope we’ll soon see some positive changes because it’s driving us crazy.


LISTENING PRaCTICE 2 04|02 Speaking of Food (page 97)

1� Lynn: Veena, the meal’s amazing – I’ve never tasted anything like it! Veena: Thanks. I had a lot of fun cooking it. Lynn: I bet it’s hard to make. Veena: Not really. It’s a simple curry. It’s got – let me see – I threw in some salt and pepper – oh, and lots of garlic

and curry and well, just what vegetables I had in the fridge. Lynn: Oh, wow. You’re one of those people who don’t need a recipe, aren’t you? Veena: It depends, I guess. But with this curry, my mum made it for me when I was a kid, so I kind of know what

to do without looking at a recipe.

2 Kayla: Is your food hot? Mike: It’s OK. Kayla: Well, mine’s cold. Mike: That’s awful. Let’s find our waiter and you can complain about it. Kayla: There he is, over there. Excuse me! Waiter: Is everything OK? Kayla: My vegetables aren’t hot. Can you heat them up in the microwave for me? Waiter: Sure, no problem. But the vegetables won’t be as crispy. Kayla: That’s OK. I just can’t stand cold food.

3 Mary: I thought I was so full after I finished eating dinner. I can’t believe I ate a huge piece of pie for dessert! Ben: It’s really not that surprising. We learned about this in our science lesson the other day. Apparently, you’ve

got a separate appetite for salty foods and for sweet foods. So that means you can eat a huge meal of salty foods and still want something for dessert.

Mary: Oh, so that’s why I’m always in the mood for chocolate after I eat a bag of crisps. Ben: Exactly. And both sweet and salty foods make you thirsty. That’s why you probably want to have a fizzy

drink after your crisps and chocolate.

4 Jessica: Hey Paul, we’re all going to the cinema tonight. Do you want to come? Paul: I’d really like to, but I’ve started working on Tuesday nights – I really need some extra money. Jessica: I didn’t know you’d found a job. Paul: Yeah, at the pizza place on the high street. It doesn’t pay much, but it helps. Jessica: Great! Next time I order pizza from home, maybe you’ll deliver it! Paul: Not me – I’m a waiter – but if you come in on Tuesday night, I’ll serve you.

5 Hi Dave, this is Mum. I thought I was going to be home for dinner tonight, but it turns out I’m not. I’ll be back around nine. I just wanted to let you know that there’s a chicken sandwich in a plastic container with a yellow top on the bottom shelf of the fridge. It won’t be good for much longer, so you should eat that. You can make yourself a baked potato in the microwave. And there’s some salad and cake left over from yesterday – so you won’t go hungry! Oh, and don’t worry about me – I’ve eaten. OK, see you later.

6 Jessica: OK, where are we going to eat? Tom: How about Burger Queen? Jessica: But we always go there. Tom: I’m open to anything – Chinese food, health food, whatever you want. Kelly: Jessica, where would you rather go? Jessica: How about Pepe’s? They’ve got really good Mexican food. Kelly: But aren’t they closed on Mondays? Jessica: Oh yeah, you’re right. Kelly: How about The Italian Corner? Jessica: We could go there. It would be a nice change from Burger Queen. Tom: Great! Let’s meet around eight outside the restaurant. continued


7 Tania: I’m so hungry. Let’s get a chocolate bar from the vending machine. Greg: When was the last time you used the vending machines? Tania: What do you mean? Greg: They took out all the junk food and put in food that’s a lot better for you to eat. Tania: That’s depressing! Greg: There are these new national regulations about what you can and can’t sell in vending machines at schools. Now we can’t get anything that’s not healthy. It can’t have too many calories or too much

sugar or fat. Tania: Oh great! What about drinks? Did they take the diet fizzy drink away, too? Greg: I think so. Tania: Well, I’m starving, so I’ll just have to try whatever they’ve got.

8 Sarah: I think we’ve got everything for the party here. Can you think of anything else we need? Fred: I don’t know – maybe watermelon? There’s some over there. Sarah: Good idea! Everyone likes cold watermelon – and look – it’s on sale – it’s only £2 per melon!

My problem is I never know if it’s ripe or not. Fred: Let’s ask that guy – he looks like he works here. Excuse me, can you help us pick out a ripe

watermelon? Store:worker: No problem. Hmmm … . I think this one’s OK. See, the bottom part is a lighter colour, and when you

pick it up, it’s heavy. This should be perfect. Fred: Great! Thanks!

LISTENING PRaCTICE 2 �04|02 Speaking of Food (page 97) continued


LISTENING PRaCTICE 2 �04|02 Speaking of Food (page 97) continued LISTENING PRaCTICE 3 �04|03 The Robots are Coming (page 98)

Good morning, everyone. Today for my presentation, I’ll be talking about robots, but not just any robots. I’ll be talking about humanoid robots – they’re the kind that may take over our world in the future – or at least that’s what science-fiction writers believe. So, what is a humanoid robot anyway? Basically, it’s a robot that has human characteristics like, for example, it can walk like a human being and can pick things up. A lot of these robots have got a head, two arms and legs, and some even have faces. But not all – some have a screen where their face should be.

Robots are nothing new. They’ve been used to perform repetitive tasks that would put you or me to sleep in minutes. But those robots aren’t designed to live with humans. For instance, a traditional robot wouldn’t manage in a human world because it couldn’t do all the simple things that we do – like turning handles, turning lights on and off or opening doors. The humanoid robots are made to interact with people. These robots can react to the environment and imitate human movements. Some robots also have sensors that help them pick things up without breaking them. These robots could pick up a human being and carry him without causing any damage. In a situation where people need to be rescued, like in a fire, these robots will be able to help. Imagine a rescue team of real people going into the fire – it’s dangerous and someone might get injured. But one day, rescue workers will be robots – and they’ll go in and carry people to safety without getting hurt! One day, humanoid robots will be able to do all kinds of jobs. They could be tour guides or security guards or caregivers – they could look after old people.

There’s another reason that robots are being designed to look and move like people. It turns out that we humans relate better to something that looks like us. There was a very interesting study that showed this with a robot called Autom – here’s a picture of it now. In the study, there were 45 people who wanted to go on a diet. Fifteen of them got this robot – as you see, it’s got eyes on its face and a touch screen on its stomach. The dieters would enter information about what they ate that day on the touch screen on the robot’s stomach. The robot would speak to them and advise them on their diet. The others were given an ordinary computer to help them, and the rest just wrote all their diet information on paper. At the end of six weeks, most people who had robots didn’t want to let them go! They actually felt they had a relationship with their robots. Some people even went out to the car to say goodbye to the robot when it was taken away.

Believe it or not, there are other robots that have been designed to relate to people even more. They can change their faces to show emotions – the mouth goes down to show that the robot is sad, the eyebrows get closer together to show that the robot’s angry. It’s incredible – soon we’ll have robots that look like they have feelings – just like people.

Clearly, robots will be a part of our future. But what I’d really like to know is, how will they be accepted in our society? Will this change our idea of what it means to be human? It will be amazing to see what happens as robots develop even more in the future.


LISTENING PRaCTICE 4 �04|04 a Wedding Speech (Page 99)

Hi, everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Nicole, and I’m Amanda’s best friend. It’s an incredible honour for me to be here today. Amanda and Ian, it’s been an amazing wedding.

I’ve known Amanda since we were ten years old. Her family moved into the flat next to ours, and she has been my best friend ever since. I remember how easy it was for her to make friends with the kids I’d been at school with since kindergarten. We were such a close group of friends and I thought it’d be hard for a new person to join in. But it only took Amanda a week – and it was like we’d known her all our lives. This woman has got such a friendly personality that no one can resist her!

We had such great times together. I remember those sleepovers when we’d stay up all night trying to get concert tickets on the radio or watching scary movies. One time, we decided we needed new haircuts – so we cut each other’s hair! And of course, we did a terrible job – much too short – and had to go to the hairdresser’s the next day so she could fix it. When I think of those times, I remember myself laughing so hard that I could barely talk.

We went off to university in different cities and ended up living in different places. We aren’t able to get together as much as we used to, but Amanda, you are still my very dear friend.

Now I’m sure you all know that Amanda’s a bit of a rebel, and she has always said that she was never going to get married. Then she met Ian.

They were both working at Taylor Industries. Amanda was keen on him right from the start and it was pretty clear he felt the same. But Amanda was worried about having a relationship with someone who worked at the same place. We had a lot of long phone conversations about whether or not she should date him. Since I’m her best friend, I told her what I thought. I said, “never date someone you’re working with. Just enjoy the friendship and be satisfied with that.” Well, it’s a good thing Amanda is such a rebel, because she obviously ignored that bit of advice! After Amanda and Ian started dating, things moved really fast and soon they were together all the time. When I finally got to meet Ian, I could see why Amanda was so crazy about him. He’s warm and funny and intelligent, and it turns out that he is very romantic, too.

Ian told me about his plan to ask Amanda to marry him several days before it happened. The plan was that he would do it exactly at midnight on her birthday. He said that Amanda would probably call me as soon as it happened. In the end, Ian couldn’t get the ring from the jeweller’s that day, so he decided to wait a few days till it was ready, but he forgot to tell me. Amanda and Ian went out on her birthday anyway and, of course, Amanda called me afterwards to tell me about their date. “Congratulations!” I said. “When’s the wedding?” Amanda was surprised – because Ian hadn’t asked her to marry him yet! Sorry Ian – I know you wanted to surprise her!

Ian, as I’m sure you know, Amanda is a very special person. Apart from being friendly and a rebel, she’s also a bit forgetful. But it doesn’t upset you! She told me about the time she left her mobile phone at work and you got into your car and drove to the office to get it for her. Wow! I hope my future husband is that nice!

Anyway, Amanda, I am so happy that you and Ian are married. And this is how I see our future: when I find the perfect man and get married, we’ll still be best friends. Then, we’ll have children and they’ll have a long and wonderful friendship with each other, too.

And now, here’s to the bride and groom.


LISTENING PRaCTICE 5 �04|05 airport Tales (page 100)

Speaker 1: I had a great trip to Rome, but coming back was a nightmare! I should have realised that there would be so much traffic at four in the afternoon. For the longest time, we were moving along very slowly. Finally, I got to the airport in Rome. Luckily, I could check myself in and didn’t have to stand in line for that, but the queue for security was ridiculous! And then, of course, I was selected for an extra security check. I guess it was because I looked so nervous. Well, I was nervous because, after all, I was about to miss my flight! After I got through security and passport control, I raced through the airport. If my flight hadn’t been delayed by half an hour, there’s no question, I would have missed it.

Speaker 2: My trip to Boston was much longer than I expected. The day before I was meant to leave, snow started falling … and falling … and falling! When I woke up in the morning, it was pretty clear that no one was going anywhere. The airport reopened later that day, but since so many flights had been cancelled, there were a lot of people competing for seats on the planes. I couldn’t get a flight home until two days later.

Speaker 3: Our plane will start boarding in a few minutes. This will be my son’s first trip on an aeroplane and, so far, he’s having a great time! We got to the gate a little early and we’ve been sitting by the window for the past half hour watching the planes. First, we saw the baggage handlers loading bags onto a plane, and then came a lorry with boxes full of prepared meals. The whole time we’ve been here, planes have been taking off and landing in the distance. I pointed out the air traffic control tower and explained how they tell the pilots when to take off and land. I’m really glad that my son is on this trip – even sitting around in an airport becomes exciting because he’s so interested in everything.

Speaker 4: I used to hate flying. As soon as I got onto the plane, I would start talking non-stop to the person next to me. I’d do anything to try to forget that I was about to be thousands of kilometres up in the air with nothing under me at all. One time, I even held the hand of a total stranger as the plane was taking off! It was an older woman, and she was very nice about the whole thing. Fortunately, I do much better on planes now, because I have a trick. I pretend that I’m on a bus. It sounds too simple to help, but it really works! That makes it easier to relax and get through the flight without panic.

Speaker 5: I drive a taxi, and I take people to the airport almost every day. By now, I know which airlines are at each terminal, and I know the airport pretty well. Sometimes, I have to go inside to pick people up – I hold up a big sign with the person’s name until they find me. I always start up conversations with my passengers. I like hearing about the places people are going to or coming back from, and I ask lots of questions. Most of my passengers are surprised to find out that I’ve never flown anywhere myself. Maybe one day, I’ll have the time and money to travel.


LISTENING PRaCTICE 6 �04|06 On the Phone (page 101)

1 Thank you for calling the Morton Art Museum. The museum is located at 42 Belmont Avenue in Morton. Admission to the museum is $10 per person and $8 for students. Our hours are 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. The café and museum shop are open from 10 am to 4 pm. Due to popular demand, the current exhibit, Impressionists in Their Time, will be extended until 24th May. There are many programs and events scheduled around this exhibit, so be sure to check our website for more information.

To speak with an operator, please stay on the line, and someone will be with you shortly.

2 Hello, this is Roger Jamison, candidate for mayor. Did you know that the crime rate in our city has risen 25 per cent in the last five years? We need new leadership in order to make our city safe. Do you remember the days when citizens walked the streets at night without fear? I’m going to bring those days back! As your mayor, I will put more police on the street in addition to the citizen safety patrols that we have now. I’ll also increase the number of street lights so that the streets are safer places. Don’t forget to vote for Roger Jamison on 14th October – for a safer future!

3 Caller: Hello, may I speak to Ray? Rita: Sorry, there’s no one here by that name. What number were you calling? Caller: Just a second, let me check … 555-3142. Rita: This is 555-3145. You’ve reached an accountant’s office, not a private home. Caller: I must have dialled the wrong number. Sorry for bothering you. Rita: No problem.

4 Welcome to the Horoscope Hotline! This is a free service, but your service provider may charge you for this call. You must be 18 years or older to use this service. And now, your free daily horoscope.

For Aries, press 1. For Taurus, press 2. For Gemini, press 3. Gemini: You’re full of energy this week. This is a good time to concentrate on a new business offer or a change in

career. Don’t stay in a job that makes you unhappy. And another piece of advice: You must be honest with the person you love. Today is the day to confront an

issue that has been bothering you for a long time. Don’t be afraid to say what’s on your mind – it will make your relationship much stronger.

5 Hostess: Rainbow Restaurant, may I help you? Fred: Hello, I’d like to make a reservation for two at 6.00. The name is Thompson. Hostess: I’m sorry, we don’t have anything available then. There are tables free at 5.00 or at 7.30. Fred: 5.00? That’s quite early, but all right, we’ll take it. We’ve got a show at 7.30. We have a voucher for 20

per cent off that we found on your website – can we use that? Hostess: Of course. Fred: All right then, see you at 5.00.

6 Hi Alison, this is Kendra. I’m calling to give you the information about the hiking trip on Thursday. Jeff is driving, and we’re going to pick you up at 7.30. It would be great if you would wait for us outside – we have to get an early start. You’ll need to bring two large bottles of water, some lunch and some snacks to share. You should wear shoes that can get wet – we’ll be walking through a river. But you don’t need a swimming costume. Don’t forget your hat and sunscreen! OK – I hope I didn’t forget anything. Text me so I know you got this message, OK? See you on Thursday!

7� Caller: Hello, may I speak with Jane Ramsey? Jane: Speaking. Caller: Jane, your name was chosen to complete a survey about the media. Could we have a few minutes of

your time? Jane: I’m kind of busy right now, but I could answer a question or two. Caller: Alright. How many hours of TV do you usually watch per week? Jane: I don’t really watch TV. I like to watch films, and I see most of them online. Caller: No TV at all? Jane: Not really. Caller: I guess we can’t do this survey then. Thanks for your time.

continued


8� You’ve reached the North Park Clinic. We are experiencing unusually high call volume. To avoid a long wait, you may wish to try again later. If you are experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911.

If you know your party’s extension, please enter it now. To make an appointment, please press 1. For the blood lab, press 2. To speak with a nurse, press 3. All other callers, please remain on the line. Calls will be answered in the order in which they were received. If you hang up and call again, you will lose your place in line.

LISTENING PRaCTICE 6 �04|06 On the Phone (page 101) continued


LISTENING PRaCTICE 7 �04|07 Exploring Theme Parks (page 102)

Interviewer: On today’s programme, we have the travel writer Lisa Black. Recently, she toured theme parks around the world to research and write about them. Her book, The World’s Greatest Theme Parks, has just been published and has got great reviews. Welcome to the show, Lisa.

Lisa: Thank you. Interviewer: What made you decide to write this book? Lisa: Actually, it was my publisher’s idea, and to be honest with you, I wasn’t very keen at first. Interviewer: Why not? Lisa: Well, for me, theme parks were noisy places with overpriced food. Kids insisted on being taken to them,

so the parents couldn’t avoid them – whether they liked it or not. I feel differently now, though – these days I’m hooked. In fact, my next book will be about the history of theme parks.

Interviewer: History? I thought they were a recent phenomenon. Lisa: Not at all. And the other thing people get wrong is that theme parks aren’t an American invention. Interviewer: People think that because of Disney, don’t they? Lisa: That’s right – Walt Disney was American and there are lots of theme parks with his name. But the truth

is that the oldest amusement park is actually in Denmark and dates back to 1583, and there was an amusement park built outside Vienna, Austria back in 1766. Then there was a theme park that opened in Tokyo, Japan in 1853. The oldest park in the US wasn’t built until the late 19th century.

Interviewer: OK, so it’s not just an American phenomenon. Lisa: Not at all – but Disney theme parks are very popular. Actually, Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, is the

most visited theme park in the world today. Interviewer: What about Disneyland Paris? Lisa: You know, they originally considered building that theme park in Spain, but in the end, they went with

the present location. One reason is that it’s very central – it’s estimated to be no more than a four-hour drive for 68 million people! Today, it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in all Europe. There are over 16 million visitors a year! And that’s twice the number of people who have climbed the Eiffel Tower. But you know, it wasn’t always so successful.

Interviewer: I didn’t know that. Lisa: Yeah – well – in the beginning, a lot of the French public didn’t want something that was so American in

France. Some French people still feel that way. There were also problems at the park. They expected around 60,000 people a day, but only around 25,000 were coming. Maybe that’s because the food and souvenirs were really expensive. And then there was an accident on one of the rides which gave the park a lot of bad publicity. But eventually, the prices at the park went down and a new ride was built that also attracted a lot of people. It took a while, but things picked up.

Interviewer: We’ve talked about Disney parks in the US and Europe, but where else are there big theme parks? Lisa: Well, there are theme parks just about everywhere. And the main reason, of course, is that they’re big

business. Think of it, very often whole families come to the park – including grandparents – so you’re looking at groups of four to six people. On average, it costs about €40 per person to get in and then people buy things while they’re there. You can do the maths!

Interviewer: Of all the parks you visited to write your book, which was your favourite? Lisa: A place called Sea World in Orlando – it’s just fantastic. They have water shows, aquariums and big

rides. What I really like about it, though, is that you can learn a lot there about marine life and animal rescue. They’ve got special day programmes and summer camps where you can learn all about the amazing creatures of the sea.

Interviewer: In your book, you give each theme park a score out of ten for the length of the queues. How big a problem is this?

Lisa: Oh, it’s a huge problem. Sometimes, you have to wait for hours. However, there is one place in Florida that’s very different because you never have to wait in line. That’s because the number of visitors is limited to 1,300. It’s called Discovery Cove and it’s another of my favourite places because guests can swim with dolphins and go snorkelling. It’s a real paradise, but it’s not cheap. A day ticket with the dolphin swim is around €235 – but it’s around €150 without the dolphin swim.

Interviewer: Still, it sounds like an amazing place to visit. One final question, Lisa, and for some, it’s the most important of all. Where is the world’s best roller coaster?

Lisa: Hmm ... that’s a matter of opinion, but for me, it would have to be Nemesis at Alton Towers in England. The interesting thing about it is that instead of building it high into the sky, they built part of it under the ground, so you go up to the top of the trees and then you go underground. The queues are long, but if you go, there’s a single rider queue, if you don’t mind sitting next to someone you don’t know – and it’s quicker. Before I went on it, someone told me to keep my eyes open – so I did. It was amazing – really not to be missed!


LISTENING PRaCTICE 8 �04|08 Stay alive – Don’t Text and Walk (page 103)

Host: They’re everywhere – people checking their e-mail or sending off text messages as they walk down the street. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times. In our busy world, everyone’s trying to get two things done at once.

But texting while walking is more dangerous than you’d think. Here to discuss the problems of texting and walking is Dr Karen Bates, an emergency room doctor at North End Hospital. Dr Bates, welcome to our show. Let’s begin by hearing about the typical cases that you see.

Dr Bates: We see a lot of broken bones as a result of people falling down stairs or walking into walls. Just a few days ago, I treated a 19-year-old girl who was texting and accidentally walked straight into a busy street. She

was almost hit by a car. Luckily, she just fell and broke her foot. Host: Hopefully, she learnt a lesson and will pay more attention when she’s walking around. Dr Bates: I don’t think so – she was texting even as she walked out of the emergency room. Host: Incredible! I understand that there have also been many more serious injuries as a result of texting and

walking. Dr Bates: Oh, yes. One man wasn’t paying attention and walked off a subway platform and fell onto the train tracks.

Fortunately, there weren’t any trains coming, but the thought of what could have happened is frightening. There have even been deaths from texting while walking, like in Australia a young man fell over the rail of a multi-storey parking garage while texting a friend.

Host: How awful! Do you have any statistics about how many injuries occur each year because of this? Dr Bates: According to one study, 1,500 people were treated for texting and walking-related injuries in the US in

2010. That’s actually higher than the number of injuries from texting and driving! Those at the highest risk are young people between the ages of 21 and 25.

Host: So if texting and walking is so dangerous, why is it that everywhere you look, you see people doing it? Dr Bates, do you have any statistics on how many people text while walking?

Dr Bates: Yes, there was a recent study that followed people who were crossing the street at 20 different intersections in Seattle, Washington in the US. One out of every three people was using their cellphone in some way

while crossing the street, whether it was for texting, talking or listening to music. Texters took 18 per cent longer to cross the street than people who weren’t distracted by their phones. And they were four times more likely to walk without looking both ways or to ignore traffic signals. And that’s why we’re seeing a lot more patients in the hospitals these days.

Host: So what do you think can be done to reduce the number of these accidents? Dr Bates: Well, the most obvious solution is not to walk and text at the same time. Just put away your phone and take i out when you get to your destination. But since not everyone is willing or able to do that, the next best

thing is to stop and move off to the side far from the road when you’re texting. In that way, you won’t endanger yourself, and you won’t inconvenience anyone either.

Host: There have been some attempts to prohibit texting and walking. In the US, some cities will even give you a ticket for it. Do you think that this is effective? Dr Bates: Not really. These rules would be very hard to enforce because so many people text and walk. You’d have to give tickets to practically everyone on the street. No city has such a large police force. Host: I heard there’s a new app that changes your cellphone into a camera with a transparent keyboard so you can actually watch where you’re going while you’re busy texting. Do you think that could prevent some

accidents? Dr Bates: I haven’t seen that app, but I’m not sure that it would work. The whole problem is that your brain can only

focus on one thing – in the case of texting and walking, it’s either the text message or the world around you. Even if the picture of the outside world is right there in front of you, when you are paying attention to the text message, you might not notice anything.

Host: Dr Bates, you’ve given us a lot to think about. Hopefully, we’ll all be a little more careful! I’m sorry, but we’re out of time. You’ve been listening to Dr Karen Bates, emergency room doctor at North End Hospital. Next

up: the news with Kelly Clyde.

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