Episode 3: Lost in the City

Hi there, and welcome back to Classes with Cass—the podcast where you learn English through stories! I’m Cass, and today, we’re going on an adventure.

In this episode, you’ll hear a story about a traveller exploring a big city—but there’s a little problem along the way! Listen closely for travel and transportation vocabulary, and see if you can guess what will happen next!

Before we begin our story, don’t forget that you can follow along with the transcripts of this episode on my website classeswithcass.com.

Okay, Are you ready? Let’s begin!

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Samuel had always dreamed of visiting New York City. The bright lights, the tall skyscrapers, the yellow taxis—it was everything he had imagined. After months of planning, he finally arrived, ready to explore.

With his map in hand and his backpack on, he stepped out of his hotel and onto the busy sidewalk.

"Alright! First stop—Central Park!" he said excitedly.

He walked to the nearest subway station and looked at the signs.

"Hmm… the green line… or the blue line? Oh no… which one takes me to Central Park?"

A man in a business suit rushed past him. A woman with a coffee in one hand and a phone in the other walked by. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going—except for Samuel.

He took a deep breath and decided to ask someone for help.

"Excuse me," he said to an older man waiting on the platform. "Do you know which train goes to Central Park?"

The man smiled. "Yes! You need to take the green line heading north. The train should arrive in about two minutes."

"Thank you so much!" Samuel said, relieved.

He stepped onto the train when it arrived, found a seat, and looked out the window as the city zoomed by. But after a few stops, he started to worry.

"Wait a minute… I don’t see any signs for Central Park. This doesn’t look right."

He checked his map again—and he was shocked.

"Oh no! I got on the train going south, not north!"

The doors opened at the next station. Samuel quickly got off, found a transit worker, and asked for directions.

"You need to take the same train but in the opposite direction," he explained.

Samuel laughed. "That makes sense! Thank you!"

As he waited for the next train, he noticed something interesting. A street musician was playing music on the platform, filling the station with a beautiful sound. Samuel smiled, dropped a few dollars into the musician’s hat, and tapped his foot to the beat.

The train arrived, and he stepped on, double-checking the signs to make sure he was going the right way. This time, he relaxed and enjoyed the ride, watching as the city passed by outside the window. After a few more stops, he finally saw the sign: Central Park Station.

As soon as he stepped onto the street, he heard the sound of birds chirping and the laughter of children playing. The park was even bigger than he had thought, with tall trees, walking paths, and street musicians playing their music.

Feeling adventurous, he rented a bicycle and rode along the park's trails, riding between joggers and families enjoying picnics. He stopped to buy a snack from a street vendor and sat on a bench, enjoying the view around him.

"I may have gotten lost," he thought, "but I wouldn’t change a thing. This has been an adventure to remember."

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Did you catch all the travel vocabulary in today’s episode? Let’s go over some important words!

Subway – An underground train system.

Platform – The area where you wait for the train. 

Transit worker – A person who helps with transportation services. 

Skyscrapers – Very tall buildings in a city. 

Sidewalk – The path next to a street where people walk. 

Taxi – A car that takes passengers from one place to another for a fee or money.

Street vendor – a person who sells food at a stand on the street.

Try using these words in sentences! You could say: "I took the subway to work this morning." and "I waited on the platform for the train." or "There are many skyscrapers in big cities."

Or, if you want a bigger challenge, try writing your own short story about getting lost in a city!

That’s all for today’s episode of Classes with Cass: The Podcast! I hope you enjoyed Samuel’s travel adventure and learned some useful words.

If you liked this episode, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a story! And if you want to practice more, listen again and repeat the phrases out loud.

Until next time—keep learning, keep practicing, and enjoy the adventure!

See you soon!