You

You are
are going
going to
to hear
hear an
an interview
interview about
about texting
texting and
and walking.
walking.
Listen and choose the correct answer.
Listen and choose the correct answer.

1. Dr. Bates mentions a 19-year-old who… 5. According to Dr. Bates, the best place
a. was hit by a car. to text is...
a. was texting while she was driving. a. at your destination.
b. was lucky not to be seriously injured. b. on a quiet street.
c. broke her leg. c. when the traffic light is red.
d. at the bus stop.

2. The doctor describes how one person

died from.... 6. Dr. Bates thinks that giving people
a. falling off a parking garage. tickets for texting and walking is...
b. driving too fast. a. unfair.
c. falling onto subway tracks. b. effective.
d. being hit by a car. c. illegal.
d. unrealistic.

3. According to one study, texting while

walking... 7. While texting, a new app can...
a. caused 500 injuries in 2010. a. read your text message out loud.
b. is most common for people under 21. b. take photographs.
c. causes more injuries than texting while driving. c. show you where you’re going.
d. is most common for people over 25. d. change your message.

8. Dr. Bates thinks the new app...

4. In the Seattle study, texters... a. won’t sell.
a. were observed at 30 intersections. b. is dangerous
b. took more time to cross the street. c. will prevent accidents.
c. were twice as likely to ignore traffic signals. d. won’t work.
d. often listened to music at the same time.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1chg8MWJiciZ-qtru4atnOwi1N2l3joaQ/view?usp=sharing

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, walking 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 it 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.

Keys: 1. c 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. a 6. d 7. c 8. d