First of all, watch these two videos where Laila and Valentina tell us about an occasion in their lives when they went through a dangerous situation, and answer the questions below to check your understanding.
a) What happened to Laila?
b) Who was Laila with?
c) Why were they in the States?
d) Why did they go to New York from New Jersey that day?
e) Why did they take a taxi?
f) How much do taxis usually cost?
g) How much did they pay?
h) What problem did the taxi driver have when they got to New Jersey?
i) What did the taxi driver ask Elton to do?
j) What did the taxi driver do when Elton got out of the car?
k) How did Elton react?
l) What excuse did the taxi driver give?
m) What time was it?
n) What did Elton and Laila do?
a) What happened to Valentina?
b) Why did she go to Brazil?
c) Why did she go to that village?
d) What time did she arrive at the village?
e) What problems did she have?
f) What did the bus driver give to Valentina?
g) Was it a good idea?
h) What did Valentina do?
Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with an English-speaking friend or relative and talk about a moment in your life when you went through a dangerous situation. You can use the questions below to help you structure your ideas and to think about what you are going to say before you start talking.
Also, try and use some of the expressions you heard Laila and Valentina use in their account.
What was the situation?
When did it happen?
Where were you?
Why were you there?
Who were you with?
What happened?
How did you feel?
How did everything work out in the end?
Key Laila:
a) She was Nearly kidnapped by a taxi driver in New York b) A friend, Elton c) They went to another’s friend wedding d) To see Manhattan, have a laugh, go to some bars, and do some cabbing e) They missed their last train home. The last train was at half twelve f) $120 g) $70, because Elton haggled h) He didn’t know the way i) To ask for street directions at a petrol station j) He drove away with Laila in the car k) He ran after the taxi, and caught up with it because the taxi had to stop at a red traffic light l) He had driven away to ask somebody else for directions m) 4 am n) They paid the taxi driver and walked the rest of the way
Key Valentina:
a) She was stranded in Brazil b) She was on holiday c) To meet a friend d) Half past four e) Her friend wasn’t there to meet her and she couldn’t use her mobile phone f) His calling card so that she could phone from a public phone g) No, because the card didn't work h) She stopped a taxi, which took her to her friend’s house, despite the fact she spoke little Portuguese and she didn’t know her friend’s address
