Part X
Interview Questions  9 & 10
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Question 9:

  1. I’d like to know about a time when you were pulled over by a police officer. What did you do wrong? What did the officer say to you? How was the situation resolved?
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Answer Strategy:

       I’m not proud to admit it, but I have been pulled over by the police before. I usually stick to the rules of the road very well, but on this one occasion I was in a rush to meet my friends. I was waiting at the traffic lights for the signal to turn green, but it was taking an eternity. So after checking that there were no cars coming, I jumped the lights. As soon as I’d crossed the intersection I saw a police car in my rear-view mirror. I stopped immediately and tried my best to sweet talk the officer, but he didn’t let me off. He told me how irresponsible it was to go through a red light and gave me a lecture on the reason we all should obey traffic rules. He gave me a 50,000 won ticket and went on his way. I’ve never jumped the lights since that day.


Question 10:

  1. Have you ever had to go to the police station? Why did you have to go there? What was it like at the police station? Give me all the details.
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Answer Strategy:

        The only time I have been to a police station was because of a traffic accident that I was involved in. Well, I say involved in, but I was actually just a passenger in a taxi that hit a motorcyde. The police arrived on the scene in a matter of minutes and wanted to get statements from all eye-witnesses because the motorcyclist was badly injured. The officers were very polite and asked us to bear with them while they arranged the paperwork for the statements at the station. The police station looked very similar to an office inside, with desks and computers everywhere. The atmosphere was not what I imagined it to be; it wasn’t frightening at all. I gave them my statement as concisely as I could because it Looked Like they had their work cut out for them, dealing with 3 or 4 cases simultaneously.

Key Expressions:

  • jump the lights - I’ve never jumped the lights since I am afraid of the consequences that it might have.

  • sweet talk - We wondered how Ted was able to sweet talk Lisa into going on a date with him.

  • go on one’s way - The man just turned to the door to go on his way after giving a statement to the police.

  • on the scene - The officers scrambled to be on the scene of the crime before the police superintendent arrived.

  • bear with - We have to bear with the heavy traffic jam caused by an accident.

  • have one’s work cut out - Laura really had her work cut out for her yesterday at work.