What it takes to get a driving licence

What it takes to get a driving licence

Exercise A

Can you answer the questions below after listening to the recording two or three times?

1 How many hours altogether are recommended before a learner driver takes a driving test?
2 What is the rough cost in total of learning to drive that is suggested here?
3 What 3 words convey the message that most people find it fairly difficult to pass their driving test?
4 What are the 2 new elements included in the practical part of the test?
5 What phrase means ‘ultimately’ or ‘at a time that is far away in the future’?

Answers to exercise A

Exercise B Can you fill in the missing words?

It is ………………………………. ¹ that a learner driver ……………………… ² 45 hours of ……………………… ³ with a …………………….. ……………………… ⁴ ……………………… ⁵ with 22 hours of private practice to reach testing standard. At an average cost of £23 per hour this ……………………… ⁶ ………………………⁷ £1,035 to learn to drive.

But after all these hours of practice and the considerable ……………………………….. ⁸ the driving test ……………………… ⁹ is still ………………………….. ¹⁰. In fact the current ……………………………….. ¹¹ for the practical test is just 44%. Generally, most candidates find it ……………………… ¹² to pass the theory test than the ……………………… ¹³, even though the theory test …………………………………… ¹⁴ to further test the candidate’s ……………………… ¹⁵.

In recent years a ‘Show Me, Tell Me’ element has been included in the practical test and the candidate must ……………………… ¹⁶ knowledge of how to carry out ………………………………….. ¹⁷. A common reason ………………………… ¹⁸ the practical test is lack of preparation. Candidates don’t take enough lessons with a professional instructor and book their test ……………………… ¹⁹. This can prove costly ……………………… ²⁰ time and money ……………………… ²¹. Taking professional ……………………… ²² from a ……………………… ²³ instructor can increase the ……………………… ²⁴ ……………………… ²⁵ the practical driving test.

Answers and notes