英語播客 A Cup of English Do you have gas?

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Do you have gas?

Beginners.

What kind of a question is that? Are you talking about my body or my car? Well, actually, I am talking about your car. Gas, or petrol, as it is called in England, is a big subject at the moment. Driving a car has become really expensive. Oil prices all over the world are high. Many people have stopped using their cars and are going to work or school by bus or by bicycle. Many cars in the United States are big and use alot of gas, so, in order to save money, some people are selling their vehicles and buying smaller ones. It is a good idea. Oil comes from many countries, but mainly the Middle East, Russia, and Venezuela. Perhaps the oil prices will come down soon. Millions of people hope so.

Grammar notes.

Verbs. Present continuous has -ing ending. Exs: talking, driving, using.

Tens/ hundreds/ thousands / millions of + subject. Ex: millions of people.

Useful expressions: all over the world/ place/ country etc; to go by bus/ train/ airplane/ car/ bike/ boat etc.

Advanced.

It is quite depressing to pay a fortune every time you fill the car up with gas. But that is the circumstance for now. Everyone is feeling it. The high gas prices have made most people rethink their budgets and their real need for driving. When gas was cheap, it was easy to make a quick trip to the store just to buy an item or two. Not anymore. Planning ahead to buy most things in one place has become a priority for more and more people. It makes sense. Why waste money and time? A little forethought can prevent the losses. Alternative energy sources like biofuels, and electricity from solar, wind, and thermal energy, seem very attractive at the moment. Wouldn't it be wonderful to clean up our air and water supplies, and have cheaper energy? I suppose it is just a question of time until we have these energy sources at our disposal. There is, apparently, still an awful lot of gas available to us. Will we, as nations, invest in these 'smart' choices, or will we first wait until the oil has run out?

Grammar notes.

Common sayings: everyone is feeling it /feeling the pinch; to make a trip to the store; it makes sense; it is a question of time; an awful lot of ......

Related vocab: energy sources; electricity; gas; petroleum; solar panels; wind power; hydrofuels; biofuels; thermal energy; nuclear power plants; hydro-electric dams.

Wouldn't/ shouldn't/ couldn't = conditional tense to hypothesize and add a question.