Left in a taxi

Read the article and answer the questions.

Forgetful passengers

paragraph 1

Sound Silence

It may be that Londoners switch off when they are in the comfort of a taxi - or they may have had one too many after a hard day at work.
The capital's cab users have emerged as the most forgetful passengers in the world, leaving behind a bizarre haul of personal possessions including a machine gun and a blow-up sheep.

Questions

  1. switch off means ____ ?
    1. Relaxed and not concentrating
    2. unconcious
    3. Without electricity

paragraph 2

Sound Silence A survey of cabbies found that passengers lost more than 50,000 mobile phones in just six months. Among other valuables were a wooden leg, an antique telescope and a bag of diamonds worth £100,000. One peeved man even left his drunken girlfriend sprawled on the back seat "as a tip".

Questions

  1. Which phrasal verb means sprawled
    1. covered up
    2. dished out
    3. spread out
  2. Make a sentence with each of these phrasal verbs.
  3. Which of these words is not similar in meaning to bizzare. a) strange b) weird c) busy
  4. Which word matches peeved a) poor b) angry c) rich
  5. Who do you think the peeved man was angry with? Why?

A Black Cab

taxi

London

london

Central column

Statistics

paragraph 3

Sound Silence In the past six months, 54,872 mobile phones, 4,718 handheld computers, 3,179 laptops and 923 computer memory sticks have been left behind in the capital's cabs.

Notes:

Find a single word verb to replace these words

  1. left behind

paragraph 4

Sound Silence Bombay was second on the list for lost mobile phones with 32,970 abandoned , followed by Sydney with 6,440, according to new research based on the experiences of 2,000 cabbies in 11 cities around the world.

Questions

When we abandon things, we often choose to leave them somewhere deliberately.

In this article the things were left behind __ accident.

  1. by
  2. for
  3. on
  4. in
  5. as

Things that were not accidentally left behind or abandoned were left behind __ purpose.

  1. by
  2. for
  3. on
  4. in
  5. as

Honest Taxi Drivers

paragraph 5

Sound Silence London's taxi drivers also emerged as an honest bunch, with 96 per cent of lost mobile phones being returned by drivers and 97 per cent of laptops. Many cabbies reported chasing after passengers to return their property although one was rebuffed when trying to give a man back his suitcase, which turned out to be packed with pornographic material.

Questions:

  1. Which verb has the meaning give back?

paragraph 6

Sound Silence Licensed Taxi Drivers Association spokesman Richard Massett said: "All sorts of things do turn up in the back of cabs. Laptops, phones, umbrellas and briefcases are the most common but we do get wooden legs and the story of the diamonds is quite correct."

Questions

  1. In the context of this article, which verb has the meaning turn up?
    1. appear
    2. Arrive
    3. rise