Unit 2 Locations and directions
Unit overview
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Telling someone where you live
【Expressions】Review:locations
Use
next to
to indicate that a place is next to another one.
e.g.
The library is next to the playground.
Use
on the corner of + two street names
to indicate the place where two streets intersect.
e.g.
The bank is on the corner of Pine Street and First Street.
Use
in front of
to indicate that a place is in front of another one.
e.g.
The bus stop is in front of the supermarket.
Use
between + two place names
to indicate that a place is between two others.
e.g.
The post office is between the restaurant and the movie theater.
Use
behind
to indicate that a place is behind another one.
e.g.
The pizza place is behind the library.
Use
across the street
to indicate that a place is across the street, andacross the street from
to indicate that a place is across the street from another place.
e.g.
The bookstore is across the street.
The bookstore is across the street from the restaurant.
【Vocabulary】Addresses
There are many different words used for streets. Here are some key words and their abbreviations. The abbreviations are used mostly to write formal addresses for documents, letters and mail. Remember to capitalize street words if they are used with a specific name, such as
Fourth Avenue
.
e.g.
street = St
road = Rd
avenue = Ave
boulevard = Blvd
drive = Dr
way
Use
on
to talk about the street or road where a place is located.
e.g.
I live on Maple Road.
The library is on Pine Street.
Use
at
to talk about the specific number of a street or road.
e.g.
I live at 1215 Maple Road.
The library is at 57 Pine Street.
There are many different ways to say street numbers. If the number has one or two numerals, say the number normally.
e.g.
The bank is at 43 Central Boulevard.
If the number has three or four numerals, it can be said in various ways. Listen to some examples.
e.g.
I live at 570 Beverly Drive.
I live at 1215 Maple Road.
The theater is at 406 Sunshine Way.
If the number has more than four numerals, say each numeral.
e.g.
The bank is at 11743 Fifth Avenue.
Notice that if any numeral is 0, you can say it as zero or oh.
e.g.
I live at 570 Beverly Drive.
He lives at 1208 Maple Road.
The library is at 21409 Second Avenue.
【Expressions】Asking for addresses
video:https://app.yinxiang.com/shard/s12/nl/2591669/2d5752a9-9a86-4437-b4bc-43b6761e476a
Use these questions to ask where someone lives or the address of a place.
e.g.
A: Where do you live?
B: I live on Pine Street.
A: What's your address?
B: It's 507 Pine Street.
A: What's the address of the restaurant?
B: The restaurant's at 819 Ocean Avenue.
Once you are told the address, you might need to ask follow-up questions.
e.g.
A: What's the cross street?
B: The cross street is Fourth Avenue.
A: What's your apartment number?
B: It's 2314.
A: What floor do you live on?
B: The 23rd floor.
Giving directions
【Expressions】Review:directions
video:https://app.yinxiang.com/shard/s12/nl/2591669/fd86bcf2-c3ea-4870-a7ca-ab6aa37d593c
Use these expressions to tell someone to go straight ahead on a street:
e.g.
Go straight on Pine Avenue.
Go down Oak Street.
Use the expressions
turn right
andturn left
to indicate direction. These expressions are followed byon
.
e.g.
Go straight on Pine Avenue. Then turn right on Central Boulevard.
Go down Oak Street. Next, turn left on Valley Road.
You can also use these expressions to tell someone to turn right or left:
e.g.
Go right on Central Boulevard.
Make a left on Valley Road.
To say if a place is on the right or left side of a street, use these expressions:
e.g.
His house is on the right.
The building is on the left.
【Expressions】Repeating directions
You can use the word
so
when you repeat directions for confirmation.
e.g.
A: Go down Main Street, and then make a right on Terrace Drive.
B: So, I go down Main and make a right on Terrace.
A: Yes, that's right.
The person giving you directions will tell you if you have understood correctly.
e.g.
Correct
Uh-huh
Yes, that's right
Or you'll be told that you misunderstood.
e.g.
A: Go down Main Street, and then make a right on Terrace Drive.
B: OK. Go down Main Street and make a left on Terrace.
A: No. Make a right on Terrace.
B: Oh, OK. Go down Main Street and make a right on Terrace.
A: Correct.
Be careful: The word
right
can be both a direction and another way to saycorrect
.
e.g.
A: Make a right on Terrace Drive.
B: OK. I make a right on Terrace.
A: Yes, that's right.
【Final Task】Giving directions
You spot your friend Kim on the street and decide to invite her to a party. Listen and record what you hear.
video:https://app.yinxiang.com/shard/s12/nl/2591669/62bc8030-0577-4ef6-b29d-f2f563648f72
Asking for directions to a business
【Vocabulary】Transportation
go by car
to go to a place by riding in a car, a road vehicle that carries only a few people
e.g. Should we go by car or take the train?
go by ferry
to go to a place by riding on a ferry, a large boat that carries people and sometimes cars across a body of water, such as a river
e.g. When we go across the river to Grandma's house, can we go by ferry?
take the subway
to go to a place by riding on a train that travels in tunnels beneath the city
e.g. I always take the subway when I am in New York.
go by plane
to go to a place by riding on an airplane, a passenger vehicle that flies in the air
e.g. They are going by plane to the vacation resort.
take the train
to go to a place by riding on a train, a passenger vehicle that rides on rails and has many cars linked together and pulled by an engine
e.g. John takes the train to visit his brother at school.
take the bus
to go to a place by riding on a bus, a large passenger vehicle that has regular stops along a fixed route
e.g. Does Jessica take the bus to school every day?
ride a bike
to go to a place by riding a bicycle
e.g. Chris rides a bike to work everyday.
take a taxi
to go to a place by riding in a taxi, a car that has a driver and charges money to drive people places
e.g. Let's take a taxi instead of taking the subway. I want to see the sights.
ride the streetcar
to go to a place by riding on a vehicle that runs on electric rails through a city or town
e.g. The kids love to ride the streetcar.
go on foot
to go to a place by walking
e.g. We usually go on foot to the ice cream store.
【Expressions】More directions
The four compass directions are
north (N)
,south (S)
,east (E)
andwest (W)
. These four words are commonly used when giving directions.
e.g.
Go north on Third Avenue.
Go down Central Boulevard, and turn east on Clover Street.
You can also ask direction questions with
which
.
e.g.
A: Which direction is it?
B: It's west.
A
block
is a section of a street, from one corner to the other. It is commonly used in giving directions.
e.g.
Go down Main Street for three blocks, and then make a right.
Go south for two blocks, and turn left.
dialog
e.g.
Take the number 13 bus, and get off at Pine Street.
Then walk north on First Street for three blocks.
Our office is on the left at 3489.
We're on the fourth floor in office number 420.
【Expressions】Asking for directions to a business
When you phone a company, a receptionist may answer and say something like:
e.g.
ABC Industries. How can I help you?
If you are going to visit a business, you might ask for the address or directions to get there. Add
please
to make the question more polite.
e.g.
What's your address, please?
Where's your office, please?
How do I get to your office, please?
Can you please tell me how to get there?
The person you are asking might need more information from you. For example:
e.g.
Where are you now?
How are you coming?
After you receive the directions, you might want to ask how long it takes to get there. The receptionist will probably give you an estimate.
e.g.
A: How long does it take?
B: It takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Don't forget to thank the receptionist.
e.g.
Thank you for your help!
dialog
e.g.
A: Good morning. Telex Company. How can I help you?
B: Yes, good morning. I have a meeting at your company today. Can you tell me how to get to your office, please?
A: Yes, of course. Where are you coming from ?
B: I'm in front of the Regency Hotel on Park Drive. I'm walking.
A: Oh, OK. First, go north on Park Drive for two blocks, and make a right on Seventh Avenue.
B: North on Park, turn right on Seventh.
A: Correct. Next, go one block on Seventh, and take a left on Chase Street. Our building is on the right - number 729. We're on the third floor . Our office is number 316.
Describing the location of a city
【Vocabulary】Geography
video:https://app.yinxiang.com/shard/s12/nl/2591669/0481718c-7c7b-4885-a6b5-6af75bcde9df
mountains
a very high hill, often with rocks near the top
e.g. a mountain rescue team
coast
the land beside or near to the sea or ocean
e.g. a town on the south coast of England
desert
a large area of land that has very little water and very few plants growing on it. Many deserts are covered by sand
e.g. the Sahara Desert
river
a natural flow of water that continues in a long line across land to the sea/ocean
e.g. the River Thames
beach
an area of sand or small stones (called shingle), beside the sea or a lake
e.g. tourists sunbathing on the beach
hills
an area of land that is higher than the land around it, but not as high as a mountain
e.g. I love walking in the hills(= in the area where there are hills).
forest
a large area of land that is thickly covered with trees
e.g. a tropical forest
lake
a large area of water that is surrounded by land
e.g. We swam in the lake.
ocean
the mass of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface
e.g. the depths of the ocean
valley
an area of low land between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it; the land that a river flows through
e.g. a small town set in a valley
【Vocabulary】Giving the location of a city or town
Hometown
refers to the place where you were born or grew up.
e.g.
A: What's your hometown?
B: It's New York City.
If someone is unfamiliar with your hometown, you might be asked where it is. Use the preposition on with the following geographical vocabulary. Notice that, in this context, on has the same meaning as next to.
e.g.
Where is it?
It's on the ocean.
It's on a lake.
It's on the beach.
It's on a river.
It's on the coast.
Use the preposition
in
with the following geographical vocabulary. Notice that, in this context,in
has the same meaning asin the middle of
.
e.g.
Where is it?
It's in a forest.
It's in the mountains.
It's in the hills.
It's in a valley.
It's in the desert.
To give the location of a city, you can also use the preposition
in
with the points of the compass:north
,south
,east
andwest
.
e.g.
It's in the north.
It's in the south.
It's in the east.
It's in the west.
【Expressions】Asking for a giving distances
Use the expression
How far is it?
to ask about the distance to a place.
e.g.
A: Let's go to the coffee shop.
B: How far is it?
A: It's only two blocks.
To ask about the distance between two places, use the expression
How far is it from (place) to (place)
?
e.g.
A: How far is it from your house to the beach?
B: It's about two kilometers.
Most of the world uses
kilometers (km)
to measure distance. The UK and the United States usemiles
. One mile is approximately 1.6 kilometers. If you don't know the exact amount, you can usearound
orabout
before the number.
e.g.
A: How far is it from London to Paris?
B: It's about 340 kilometers.
It's around 215 miles from London to Paris.
dialog
e.g.
SARAH: So, how far is it from Paris to Berlin?
PAUL: Well, first we drive from Paris to Bruges, in Belgium. It's about 300 kilometers . Then we drive from Bruges to Berlin.
SARAH: How far is it from Bruges to Berlin?
PAUL: About 800 kilometers.
SARAH: Wow. That's pretty far.
【Reading】Reading about locations
Rio de Janeiro is a big city in the south of Brazil.
It's on the east coast of the country.
Rio has beautiful beaches on the Atlantic Ocean.
Two very famous beaches are Ipanema and Copacabana.
Rio also is in the mountains.
Sugarloaf is the name of a very famous mountain in Rio.