The great traffic jam in China

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The great traffic jam in China

Warm-up

Have you ever been to China?

Vocabulary Match

stranded •• huge, big
taken advantage of •• extending
stretching •• car-related
automotive •• traffic jam
congestion •• stuck
massive •• exploit

Vocabulary Answers

strandedstuck
taken advantage ofexploit
stretchingextending
automotivecar-related
congestiontraffic jam
massivehuge, big

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

In August 2010, China experienced a ________ traffic jam on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, lasting for 12 days and ________ over 62 miles. This jam, mainly caused by trucks carrying coal and construction materials to Beijing, was worsened by ongoing roadworks.

The number of vehicles in China has been rising due to the country's growing ________ market, leading to frequent traffic ________. Despite attempts to encourage the use of public transport to reduce pollution and ease traffic, these efforts have had limited success.

During the traffic jam, local residents saw an opportunity to earn money by selling food and water at high prices to ________ drivers. While some drivers were grateful, others were unhappy at being ________.

In August 2010, China experienced a massive traffic jam on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, lasting for 12 days and stretching over 62 miles. This jam, mainly caused by trucks carrying coal and construction materials to Beijing, was worsened by ongoing roadworks.

The number of vehicles in China has been rising due to the country's growing automotive market, leading to frequent traffic congestion. Despite attempts to encourage the use of public transport to reduce pollution and ease traffic, these efforts have had limited success.

During the traffic jam, local residents saw an opportunity to earn money by selling food and water at high prices to stranded drivers. While some drivers were grateful, others were unhappy at being taken advantage of.

Quiz

  1. What caused the traffic jam on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway in August 2010?
  2. How long did the traffic jam last?
  3. What did local residents do during the traffic jam?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. The traffic jam was mainly caused by trucks carrying coal and construction materials to Beijing.
  2. The traffic jam lasted for 12 days.
  3. Local residents sold food and water at high prices to stranded drivers.

True or False

  1. There was a massive jam sandwich on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway. T F
  2. There a more traffic jams because of the country's growing automotive market. T F
  3. Drivers in the traffic jam sold food and water at high prices to local residents. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Conversation

A:I can't believe this traffic jam!
B:Yeah, it's been days now. I'm starving!
A:Look! There's someone selling food over there.
B:Ugh... looks expensive. Guess we have no choice.
A:Yeah, but wow, look at the menu.
B:Bird's nest soup! I never expected to see that here!

Discussion

  1. Have you ever been stuck in a long traffic jam?
  2. What emergency supplies should you keep in a car?
  3. How can we solve the issue of traffic congestion in cities?
  4. How do you imagine the future of traffic?

Further Reading

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/the-longest-traffic-jam-in-history-12-days-62-mile-long-47237.html

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