Jerry parked alongside the winding road next to his favorite golf course. He got out of his brand new Honda and took his clubs out of the trunk. He closed the trunk and stood there, admiring his new car.
He carried his clubs to the clubhouse. He rented a pull cart and paid his greens fees. He walked out to the first tee. Nobody was on the fairway in front of him. He hit his drive and started walking up the fairway. The first fairway was next to the road.
He could see his car as he walked uphill. Suddenly he heard tires screeching. He heard somebody yell something. He looked further up the road. A car was speeding downhill. It was going way too fast. Jerry watched in horror. Please don't hit my new car, he prayed. The driver of the speeding car lost control. The car crashed into Jerry's car.
A fence separated the road from the golf course. Jerry ran over to the fence. He saw the driver get out of his car. He was laughing! The driver started running down the road. Jerry climbed over the fence and ran after him. Another golfer called 911. Jerry couldn't keep up with the driver.
He lost sight of him. Jerry trudged back uphill to his car. It was totaled. He looked in the other car. On the passenger floor was a bottle of whisky. He saw a marijuana cigarette in the open ashtray. Several police cars drove up to the golf course. A policeman interviewed Jerry. Jerry saw a police helicopter searching for the driver.
Jerry called his wife. She arrived in her car. He put his clubs and a few things from the Honda into her car. Tow trucks towed the two wrecked cars away. Jerry and his wife went home. The police found the driver a day later. They charged him with various offenses. Later, the driver went to court. He told the judge he had had a flat tire.
The judge made him pay a small fine. Jerry couldn't believe it when he heard the news from a police officer. Jerry said, "That guy didn't have a flat tire. He was speeding! He was drunk on whisky and high on pot. He totaled two cars. If I had been in my car, I'd be dead. He left the scene of the crash. He ran from the police. He had no insurance.
He lied to the judge. And nothing happens to him?!" The officer said, "Yeah, some people have all the luck. On the other hand, if you had been in your car and he had killed you, he probably would be in jail right now. So, which do you prefer?"
✅ Vocabulary Words
| No. | Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | parked alongside | stopped the car parallel and next to (the edge of the road) | Jerry parked alongside the winding road. |
| 02 | winding road | a road that has many turns and curves | ...alongside the winding road next to his favorite golf course. |
| 03 | admiring his new car | looking at his recently purchased vehicle with pleasure and approval | ...stood there, admiring his new car. |
| 04 | rented a pull cart | paid to use a two-wheeled trolley for carrying golf clubs | He rented a pull cart and paid his greens fees. |
| 05 | greens fees | the money paid for the right to play a round of golf | ...and paid his greens fees. |
| 06 | first tee | the designated starting area for the first hole of the golf course | He walked out to the first tee. |
| 07 | hit his drive | executed the first, long-distance stroke of the hole using a driver club | He hit his drive. |
| 08 | fairway | the manicured strip of grass between the tee box and the green on a golf course | He started walking up the fairway. |
| 09 | tires screeching | the loud, harsh noise made by a car's tires losing traction suddenly | Suddenly he heard tires screeching. |
| 10 | speeding downhill | traveling at an excessive or illegal speed while descending a slope | A car was speeding downhill. |
| 11 | watched in horror | looked at the event with intense feelings of shock and dread | Jerry watched in horror. |
| 12 | lost control | was no longer able to direct or manage the vehicle | The driver of the speeding car lost control. |
| 13 | crashed into | collided violently with or struck (Jerry's car) | The car crashed into Jerry's car. |
| 14 | running down the road | moving quickly on foot away from the scene of the crash | The driver started running down the road. |
| 15 | called 911 | dialed the emergency telephone number for police/ambulance/fire services | Another golfer called 911. |
| 16 | trudged back uphill | walked slowly and with heavy steps back up the slope | Jerry trudged back uphill to his car. |
| 17 | totaled | declared a total loss by an insurance company due to irreparable damage | It was **totaled**. |
| 18 | bottle of whisky | a container of strong alcoholic distilled spirit (evidence of intoxication) | ...was a **bottle of whisky**. |
| 19 | marijuana cigarette | a rolled cigarette containing cannabis (evidence of drug use) | He saw a **marijuana cigarette** in the open ashtray. |
| 20 | charged him with various offenses | formally accused the driver of multiple illegal acts | They **charged him with various offenses**. |
❓ Comprehension Questions & Answers
| No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Where did Jerry park his car? | **Alongside the winding road** next to his favorite golf course. |
| 02 | What two things did Jerry do before hitting his drive? | He **rented a pull cart** and **paid his greens fees**. |
| 03 | What did Jerry hear that made him look up from the fairway? | He heard **tires screeching** and **somebody yell something**. |
| 04 | What was the speeding car doing that led to the crash? | It was **going way too fast** and the driver **lost control**. |
| 05 | What was Jerry's emotional reaction as he watched? | He **watched in horror** and **prayed** the car wouldn't be hit. |
| 06 | What was the other driver's immediate reaction to the crash? | He **got out of his car** and **was laughing**. |
| 07 | What did the driver do after getting out of his car? | He **started running down the road**. |
| 08 | How did Jerry and the other golfer react to the driver running away? | Jerry **climbed the fence** and **ran after him**; the other golfer **called 911**. |
| 09 | What was found in the speeding car as evidence of the driver's condition? (Name two items). | A **bottle of whisky** and a **marijuana cigarette**. |
| 10 | What happened to Jerry's car? | It was **totaled**. |
| 11 | What was the driver's lie (excuse) to the judge? | He told the judge he had had a **flat tire**. |
| 12 | What was the driver's final punishment for the offenses? | The judge made him **pay a small fine**. |
| 13 | What was the final question the police officer asked Jerry? | "So, **which do you prefer**?" (Getting off with a fine vs. going to jail for killing Jerry). |
| 14 | What does the word "totaled" mean in this context? | That the car was **so badly damaged** that it was considered a **complete loss** (by the insurance company). |
| 15 | What detail shows Jerry's love for his car? | He **stood there, admiring** his new Honda. |