1.Read and translate the text
“I never thought it was going to be like this,” John said. He was talking about his honeymoon and he looked very disappointed. He and Ann, his bride, were walking along the beach. It was drizzling and a strong wind was blowing. Although it was the middle of summer, it seemed like late autumn.
Everything was wrong. First of all, Bascome, the town they had come to, was not at all like the description they had read in the holiday brochure. It was an ugly seaside town on the East Coast. The beach was full of litter. The cafes and pubs in the town itself were all in the worst sort of ‘modern’ style, with loud juke boxes and plastic flowers. Secondly, the weather had been dreadful all the five days they had been there. Thirdly, the hotel they were staying at was awful and in addition the food was disgusting. Their room was small, dark and cramped. Breakfast was a greasy fried egg and one thin slice of toast. Dinner was even worse; the meat was always tough and tasteless and the vegetables were overcooked and watery. Last but not least, the hotel was managed by a stout and terrifying lady with the voice and appearance of an army sergeant. Nobody ever dared complain to her. John and Anna had booked for two weeks.
On the sixth day they went for a long walk along the coast. At first, the sky was overcast as usual. But after a while it began to brighten up. The clouds cleared and suddenly the sun came out. About lunch time they got to a small very pleasant fishing village. There was a good old-fashioned pub on the quayside. It had a fine view of the harbour. They had some good beer and sandwiches there for lunch. They began to cheer up and started talking to the friendly landlord. Then they sat for a time outside the pub in the warm sunlight and watched the fishing boats sail past them. Suddenly Anna noticed a sign in the pub window. “Bed and breakfast. Reasonable Prices”. Then she said, “Why don’t we spend the second week here instead of that ghastly hotel in Bascome?”
John began to think of excuses he could use with the terrifying woman back at the hotel. What, he wondered, would she do if he told her they were leaving early?
2.Choose the one best answer:
1.Bascome was . . . like the description in the holiday brochure: a)nothing; b)exactly; c)only a bit; d)more or less.
2.John and Anna went to a fishing village and: a)found a room there; b)decided they could not stay; c)had to leave early; d)wanted to spend the second week there.
3.Find the words that mean:
a)newly-married wife; b)things thrown on the ground and left lying there; c)so bad that it makes you thick to look at it; d)covered with clouds; e)part of the harbour where ships are loaded and unloaded.
TALKING POINTS
Basic Situation:You find out (from a friend of yours) which is the best hotel for you to stay in; registering at a hotel and then staying at it, you have a talk with the receptionist (desk-clerk, chambermaid and other personnel).
Topical Words:
| guest; reception-clerk, desk-clerk, chambermaid, bell-boy, porter; accommodation: single (double) room with bath (shower), suite; to reserve, to book, to put up (at), to sign in (out), to recommend, to suit; arrival card: name, middle name, surname, nationality, date of birth, passport ¹, signature. |
Speech Patterns:
1.
Can you recommend a good hotel? I think you can stay (put up) at the Astoria. It’s one of the best hotels in town.
What hotel can you recommend? I think you can stay at the Colonnade. It’s one of the cheapest hotel I know.