Study Options
373 Train Ride
Adrienne asks her grandmother, Vivian, about her memories of taking a train.
- Transcript
- Vocabulary
 |
 |
Vivian
|
Adrienne
|
Print Now
Adrienne: I understand you recently rode a train from Milwaukee to Minneapolis. Was this the first time you ever rode a train?
Vivian: No, I have been on a train many times as a young person but recently in the past 3 or 4 years I have ridden a train again several times. There was a period of time in my life that I did not ride the train, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Adrienne: How is it different riding the train now then it was back when you were younger?
Vivian: When I was younger they had a different set of train people. Back then, you weren't served meals at your seat. You had, if they had a dining car, if they had a dining car, you could go into the dining car and eat but some trains, especially on short distances, like when I lived in Jaffy, Missouri, it was halfway between Memphis and St. Louis. Those were short routes and they did not have dining cars. On this trip that we just got back from yesterday, we had our, we were in the lower car because it's a handicap car. My sister is handicapped, and they brought us a menu, and they brought us a full dinner, including salad and dessert and coffee or tea, whatever we would like to drink.
Adrienne: How was the food on the train? Was it better than plain food?
Vivian: Oh, much better. Much better. It was fixed. The chef's did a fantastic job and I understand that it is cooked on the train. It may not be all cooked on the train but it certainly is prepared and the salads are prepared on the train so that you don't get these package food tastes.
Adrienne: That sounds fun though.
Vivian: Oh, it was great fun! We enjoyed every minute of it.
serve
Back then, you weren't served meals at your seat.
When something is 'served' to you it is brought to you
where you are sitting. We usually use this to talk about
food or drinks.
Notice the following:
- I used to serve the customers in my grandad's
restaurant.
- There was nobody available to serve us.
dining car
You could go into the dining car and eat.
A 'dining car' is a carriage on a train that serves food
and drinks.
Notice the following:
- Are there tables and chairs in the dining car?
- They are serving a lovely soup in the dining car today.
halfway
I lived in Jaffy, Missouri, it was halfway between Memphis
and St. Louis.
When something is 'halfway' between two places it means
that it is the midway point.
Notice the following:
- I will stop halfway and take a break in my journey to
have a rest.
- I think we are halfway there now.
get back from
On this trip that we just got back from yesterday, we were in the lower car because it's a handicap car.
To 'get back from' somewhere means that you return home.
Notice the following:
- I will cook dinner when I get back from work.
- I have to find a job when I get back from my holiday as
I have no money.
handicapped
My sister is handicapped.
When somebody is 'handicapped' it means that they have a
disability of some kind. This can either be a physical or
mental disability
Notice the following:
- He was born handicapped.
- I work for a charity that helps handicapped people.
