B1 Dialog #15. Talking about accidents

In this dialogue, we discuss accidents in English. For convenience, you can turn on subtitles. You will find the text for the video in the PDF file, which is available at the link above. We will be glad to receive comments and your questions!

How to work with the dialog?

1. Listen to the dialogue and read the PDF transcript. Turn on subtitles if necessary.
2. Listen to the dialogue again, repeating the questions and answers aloud (!!!).
3. Come up with your own answers to the questions. Use PDF vocabulary if needed.
4. Listen to the questions and answer them aloud (!!!), with a correct intonation, pronunciation and rhythm.
5. Go back to the video from time to time and repeat the exercise.

Talking about accidents

(1) What’s the biggest accident you’ve ever had?

When I was a kid, I had a fire that damaged our flat a lot. There was nobody at home and nobody was injured. So it was the biggest accident in my life.

(2) Are you accident prone?

No I am not. And I hope I’ll never become an accident prone. 

(3) Have you ever been in a car accident?

Yes I have, but it was a small one. Nothing serious.

(4) Have you ever seen a very bad accident?

I’ve seen a lot of car accidents. Some of them were really terrible. People should drive very safely. 

(5) Have you ever caused an accident?

I can’t remember anything like this. I think I have never caused an accident.

(6) Do you know what to do or how to treat people in an accident?

It depends on an accident. But in general, I can provide someone with first aid, do mouth to mouth, heart massage and so on. 

(7) Have you ever had any accident prevention training?

At school there were some subjects about this of course, but I need to renew my knowledge about it.

(8) Are there many big rail accidents in your country?

Not many. Railways and trains are very reliable and safe. 

(9) Do you worry about having accidents?

Sometimes I do. I think that it can happen to everybody. That’s life. 

Rinat —> Anya

(1) Have you ever had any work-related accidents?

Once when I was working, all of a sudden the fire alarm system started working! We went out of the office and were waiting in the street. It turned out it worked by mistake. It was a false alarm. 

(2) Have you ever received compensation for an accident?

No I haven’t.

(3) Have you ever visited the accidents and emergencies department of a hospital?

No I haven’t and I hope I will never visit it.

(4) What do you think of the expression “he / she was an accident”, meaning his / her parents didn’t plan on having him / her?

I think it’s very rude and not polite.

(5) Have you ever made an insurance claim for an accident?

No I haven’t but you did.

(6) Do you think there’ll be another big nuclear accident?

I’m not very good at this subject. I hope we have a reliable security system to prevent another nuclear accident.

(7) What do you remember about the Space Shuttle accidents?

Speaking of american Space Missions, there was an accident at the Challenger Shuttle and explosion in 1986. Seven space men who were on board died.

(8) Have you ever run into an old friend by accident?

No I haven’t. And you?

(9) What do you think “accidentally on purpose” means?

It means when somebody does something on purpose and wants to make it look like an accident. 

(10) What was the last tragic accident you read about?

I read about an earthquake and Tsunami in Fukushima in 2011. It was quite a big accident in the past ten years.