TOPIC. Travelling. Different means of travel. Travelling in your life

Exercise 259. Read and learn Vocabulary on Travelling. Read the texts and be ready to share the information with class.

Travelling by train

to be late; to miss the train; to book tickets; to get on; to get off; to reserve a seat; to change trains; a dining car; information office; left luggage; left luggage lockers; platform; railway station; ticket collector; ticket office; waiting room; first class; second class;

reduced rate; standard rate; one way ticket; return ticket; single ticket; timetable; coach; express train; fast train; local train; luggage rack; sleeper

Travelling by Train in Britain

If you are requiring fast Inter-City with the United Kingdom transportation using the rail network can be a good idea but do try to avoid the rush hour times especially close to the large cities as many commuters also use these services so things will be a little busy and your ticket will be expensive. If you can choose to travel outside of these times then these problems reduce.

Rail travel in the United Kingdom for long distance is popular and you are advised to check out the Train Timetables and book your ticket in advance via National Express Train Ticketing.

If you live in the United Kingdom your tickets can be mailed to your home address, so you not only probably save money but also you don’t have to queue at the station. If you do not live in the UK then you can book tickets in advance and then arrange to pick them up at the Ticket Collection Points at a number of the major entry points and main railway stations.

Trains are provided by a number of different operators and the facilities on the train can vary a great deal. You are unlikely to find refreshment carriages on commuter services however you will find more extensive catering arrangements on the Inter City services. These can sometimes be a little expensive but of good quality. If you are travelling on a budget buy a drink and some snacks before you get on the train!

Railway stations are usually have inter-connections for passengers with local bus and coach companies in the immediate vicinity of the station. Arriving passengers will also find a taxi rank event at the smaller stations. There are two kinds of taxi service in the Untied Kingdom, licensed cabs and mini-cabs. All licensed cabs are fitted with meters and therefore the cost of your journey is regulated by the state and most drivers will be happy to give you an idea of what a journey is likely to cost before you get in. With regard to mini-cabs it is up to you to negotiate the fee with the driver before your journey commences. In both cases you will be charged a little extra for additional passengers and also for luggage that need to go in the boot (trunk). All taxis will have a special taxi licence plate on the rear of the vehicle indicating how many passengers it may carry, the licence number and the issuing authority.

Special Excursions

Some trains are operated on main line tracks purely for pleasure, either for journeys through areas of outstanding natural beauty or for things like culinary delight where the whole train is one big restaurant car. Brochures are available from all main line stations. There’s also a possibility to travel on some of Britain’s preserved steam and diesel railways.

(from http://www.british-towns.net/holidays/touring/train.htm)

Travelling by car

coach; bus; lorry (Br.E.) / truck (A.E.); van; taxi; motorbike; battery; seat-belt; engine; petrol (Br.E.) / gas (A.E.); water; brakes; windscreen wipers; horn; headlights; tyre; spare wheel; steering wheel; rear-view mirror; radiator; car door

Getting around the United States

By Car

Rental.

Cars can generally be hired at airports and in most towns. Charges vary, so be sure to shop around for the best deal. Most car rental companies offer a flat rate that includes unlimited mileage. If you are planning to drive more than 70 miles a day, this is probably the solution for you. There are also companies specializing in older (3 or 4 years), worn but mechanically sound cars. They are much cheaper and good for local touring. You may also want to look into rent-here, leave-there deals. A major credit card is essential to avoid paying an enormous deposit; some companies even refuse to accept cash as a deposit.

For tourists from non-English-speaking countries, a translation of driving licence is highly recommended, together with the national licence itself, or failing this, an International Driving Permit.

By Bus

Greyhound-Trailways U.S.A. provides transport to and from cities all over the United States. Passengers can make as many stopovers en route as they wish, provided the destination is reached before the ticket expires. Sometimes travel by bus costs about the same – or even more – than flying. So don’t automatically assume the bus is cheaper. Flat- rate rover passes for specified periods of unlimited travel are available. These tickets must be purchased outside the U.S.

Areas not served by Greyhound-Trailways are usually covered by regional and local bus companies.

Travelling by air

departures; arrivals; airport; airbus; airport terminal; gate; boarding lounge; to take off; to land; plane ticket; pilot; captain; air hostess; runway; flight; airline; immigration; carousel; baggage claim; gangway; air pocket; to be air sick; rear part; business class

When you arrive at the airport make sure you are dropped off at the correct entrance: Domestic Departures or International Departures. You can usually find trolleys for your luggage outside the entrance and then go and queue up at the check-in desk. As you approach the counter the airline representative will ask you for your ticket and identification.

Your luggage may weigh up to 20 kg altogether, and if it is heavier you may be asked to pay for excess baggage. You will have your documents returned along with a boarding card with the gate, seat number and boarding time printed on it. The boarding time, as well as possible delays, will also appear on a screen next to your flight number.

You will read on a screen when it is time to board the plane. You will be asked again for your identification and boarding card. Once on board a steward/stewardess will greet you and help you find your seat. Then a flight attendant will come round to make sure that your hand luggage is placed either under seats or in the overhead lockers. After take off the cabin crew will instruct you on how to behave in case of emergency, and show you the emergency exits.

When the plane lands you get ready to get off the plane. There might be a shuttle waiting for you to take you to the terminal building. There you will have to look for the baggage claim area where you collect your luggage. You will then go through customs. If no one is out there to pick you up, look for the information desk to find out about accommodation and public transport to the city centre.

Travelling by sea

embankment; a fishing harbour; to navigate; a tug boat; a coast guard ship; life saving; a captain; a stern; a star board side; to disembark; to call at a port; a port of call; a cabin; shipyard / a dockyard; a lifeboat; a bow; to cast anchor / to drop anchor; engine room; to put off; an oar; scuttle; dead calm; a storm; a lighthouse; ferry boat; aboard; a harbour; a port; a quay

“SHOWING HOW I CAME TO PALMISTE ISLAND AND THE PLACE OF PAUL AND VIRGINIA, AND FELL ASLEEP IN A GARDEN. A DISQUISITION ON THE FOLLY OF SIGHT-SEEING.

There is something very wrong in the Anglo-Saxon character. Hardly had the Africa dropped anchor in Penang Straits when two of our fellow-passengers were smitten with madness because they heard that another steamer was even then starting for Singapur. If they went by it they would gain several days. Heaven knows why time should have been so precious to them. The news sent them flying into their cabins, and packing their trunks as though their salvation depended upon it. Then they tumbled over the side and were rowed away in a sampan, hot, but happy. They were on a pleasure-trip, and they had gained perhaps three days. That was their pleasure.

Do you recollect Besant’s description of Palmiste Island in My Little Girl and So They Were Married? Penang is Palmiste Island. I found this out from the ship, looking at the wooded hills that dominate the town, and at the regiments of palm trees three miles away that marked the coast of Wellesley Province. The air was soft and heavy with laziness, and at the ship’s side were boat-loads of much-jewelled Madrassis—even those to whom Besant has alluded. A squall swept across the water and blotted out the rows of low, red-tiled houses that made up Penang, and the shadows of night followed the storm.”

(from “From sea to sea”, No.IV, by R. Kipling)

Use this links below to find out more about travelling by sea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_of_the_Seas

http://www.plimsoll.org/SeaPeople/TravellingBySea/default.asp

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/shipping_and_ports

Exercise 260. Read the following passage and answer the questions below.

People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a couchette, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find your passport when you cross a frontier. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.

Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motor-ways you can at least travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on narrow, bumpy roads which are crowded with traffic. By comparison, trips by sea offer a great variety of civilized comforts. You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, swim, meet interesting people and enjoy good food-always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it is not, and you are likely to get sea-sick, no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea-journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice up to a third of their holidays for the pleasure of travelling on a ship.

Airplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them. They also have the grave disadvantage of being the most expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an airplane gets you to your destination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a free film show and sip a hot or cold drink on some services. But even when such refreshments are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An airplane offers you an unusual breath taking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken clouds, plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled. You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

Answer the following questions:

1) Why is it difficult to read on a train in long distance journeys?

2) What are the two disadvantages of travelling by sea?

3) What are the two disadvantages of travelling by air?

4) What are the pleasures of air-flight, according to the writer?

5) Why does the writer dislike long car journeys?

Exercise 261. Read the texts. What options are suggested for people who intend to travel?

a) Welcome to Toronto, Canada

Most of the world’s major airlines fly into the Toronto Pearson Airport. When travelling within Canada, keep the size of the country in mind. Travelling by plane or train are the two main forms of transportation when travelling to another province. Different means of transportation within the city include: automobile, subway, bus, street car and taxi. Conducted bus tours or rail/bus excursions are offered, especially in the peak tourist months. Canada’s cross-country train service provides travellers with a unique way to see Canada’s/Toronto’s breathtaking landscapes.

b) Where to go in the USA

Confronting your journey to the United States, you have to make some rather painful decisions. If this is likely to be a once-in-a-life-time trip, you may want to get a feel for the whole country or at least a representative slice of it. Essential to this is a sense of the sheer size of America, in which case you may want to take in both the East and West coasts with some of the grand wide open spaces and natural won-ders in between. This is an entirely feasible and financially reasonable proposition with the many special airline tickets that permit multiple destinations, often with almost un-limited mileage. But to “do” Amer-ica this way, without exhausting yourself, you’ll need at least a month.

If, however, this is to be just one of many trips to the U.S., or if you don’t have much time, it might be better to concentrate on one or two major regions. Don’t forget, any one of these regions might embrace a whole European country, if not two or three.

First-time visitors with just two weeks available could, of course, begin with New York. Without it, they can’t claim to have seen America. Manhattan itself will do for a start. In this car-dominated nation, you should realize that a car in Manhattan is worse than useless. Elsewhere, however, you’ll find a car an important asset for excur-sions. In cities like Los Angeles or the big towns of Texas, you just can’t do without a car.

For cross-country trips, Grey-hound-Trailways visit all important points on the continent. Trains are less practical, except along the East Coast. Obviously flying is the best choice for long distances, much cheaper and simpler than in Europe. On the “shuttles” between New York and Washington, for instance, it’s like taking a bus. But do try the bus or car if you can, to get a taste of America’s immensity.

From New York the most con-venient regions to include in a two-week stay are the Mid-Atlantic (Washington D.C. and Philadel-phia) for the historically minded, and/or New England (Boston and the resorts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island) for those who would like to mix history with relaxation. Or, the Florida part of the South for those who want nothing but fun in the Disney and other theme parks round Orlando, or on the endless beaches.

Another possibility for the two-week holiday is to combine New York with an excursion further afield, either clear across the conti-nent to California, or to one of the country’s natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. New York, especially in summer, is an exhilarating but also exhausting experience, so you’ll need to pace yourself for the rest of the trip.

For the month-long stay, your itinerary might include New York-Boston-Washington, then di-rectly to California, making your way back east via Yellowstone or Grand Canyon; then perhaps San Antonio or Santa Fe for a taste of Spanish America; a distinctive big city like New Orleans or Chicago, then rest up on a beach in Florida till your plane carries you home. If you want to see a lot of America in your four weeks, resist the tempta-tion to start with California. You may be so seduced by it that you’ll forget to look at the rest of the country.

Exercise 262. Find out about options for tourists in Australia (http://www.australianexplorer.com) or about any country of interest and share with class.

Exercise 263. When travelling there are different places for you to stay. Match the mixed definitions with the terms given below.

youth hostel	a place where you can put up a tent or park a caravan
guesthouse	holiday accommodation for people to live in little chalets, huts or flats; there are restaurants, bars, swimming pools and other facilities for entertainment
self-catering flat/villa	accommodation like a hotel but cheaper and with fewer services, often B&B (bed and breakfast) are included
camp site	cheap accommodation for young people where people sleeping in bunk beds in one large room
holiday camp	accommodation a part of which a person actually owns and has the right to stay there for 3-4 weeks every year (regardless of the season)
time-share apartment/house	a flat or a villa you rent, do your own grocery shopping and cook for yourself
ranches	enormous complexes with all facilities (from swimming pools to barbecues), and the simpler – but nevertheless comfortable – where you can participate in everyday cowboy life

Exercise 264. Read the note on Studies of Written English in your textbook. Read the personal letter given below. Write your own personal letter (imagine your relative has paid you for your trip and you write to him to describe what great time you have had).

32, Carry Street,

Pleasant Garden,

Devon

5^th October, 2004

Dear Monica!

How are you? I miss you and so do the girls. There are two new girls in our class, we have just met them. They seem nice. Do you like your new school? Have you made any friends yet?

We are getting ready for a test in Geometry. It’s so boring! Our new teacher is stricter than Mrs. Fines was. She says we must study harder than before.

The new gym at our school has just been opened. It’s about two times bigger than the old one! We are going to have a PT class there tomorrow.

I am looking forward to the winter break and to seeing you. Going to Europe together! It will be fun!

I hope your Grandma is doing better.

P.S. Donny says hello to you.

Love,

Annabel.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-16