Travelling is one of the things which allows people to satisfy their natural aspiration to cognition of the surrounding world. Modern life is impossible without travelling. Some people travel on business, some do it for pleasure and some just look for adventures. True, we often get tired of the same surroundings and daily routine. Hence some relaxation is essential to restore our mental and physical resources. That is why the best place for relaxation, in my opinion, is the one where you have never been before. It will leave a deep and lasting impression upon you and it is a guarantee that you will enjoy your journey. Moreover, modern means of travelling allow us to cover long distances without any difficulties and to save our precious time.
To understand how true it is you’ve got to go to a railway station, a sea or a river port or an airport. There you are most likely to see hundreds of people hurrying to board a train, a ship or a plane.
To be on the safe side and to spare yourself the trouble of standing long hours in the line, you’d better book tickets beforehand. As a matter of fact, all you have to do is to ring up the airport or the railway station booking office and they will send your ticket to your place. And, of course, before getting off you have to make your preparations. You should settle all your business and visit your friends and relatives. On the eve of your departure you should pack your things in a suitcase. When the day of your departure comes you call a taxi and go to the airport or the railway station.
At last you are on your way to the destination and can escape and get rid of the same and completely annoyed surroundings. So you get a chance to have a pleasant rest especially if you have a pretty penny about you. All the world is at your disposal and you can head anywhere you want. While being on move you can get acquainted with new people, make friends with them, get some new cultural and life experience, admire the beauty of nature and just enjoy being somewhere but not at home.
For a number of reasons it is important for us to rest after hard work, but after some period of time we get tired of relaxation, we become home-sick and feel like returning home. We realize that "“East or West-home is best “, as the saying goes.
3.Answer the questions.
1.Why do people travel?
2.What is the best place for relaxation?
3.What means of travelling are there nowadays?
4.How can you get the tickets if you want to travel ?
5.What preparations do you have to do before the departure ?
6.Why is it important for us to rest ?
4.Find the synonyms.
a) to allow 1) to travel
b) cognition 2) rest
c) to look for 3) knowledge
d) relaxation 4) to arrange
e) to restore 5) a lot of money
f) precious 6) to queue
g) to stand in the line 7) valuable
h) a pretty penny 8) to reconstruct
i) to be on move 9) to let
j) to settle one’s business 10) to search
5. Fill in the gaps with the words below.
Many people like … as it gives them the possibility to satisfy their natural … to cognition of the surrounding … . True, we often get tired of … routine and do our best to … our mental and physical … . We can get to the place we want by a car, train, plane or by … . To be on the safe side and to spare yourself the trouble of standing long … in the line, you’d better … tickets … . If you don’t want … a train or a plane you can call a … . All the world is at your … , admire the beauty of nature and … every minute of your … . But in some time you become … and realize that “East or West – home is best”.
(daily; world; sea; resources; aspiration; book; taxi, home–sick; travelling; restore; rest; hours; enjoy; to miss; disposal; beforehand)
6.In each line there is one noun which does not go with the verb. Which one?
1)to drive a car, a plane, a train, a bus
2)to ride a bike, a boat, a horse, a camel
3)to get on / off a car, a plane, a horse, a train
4)to go by bus, foot, car, helicopter
5)to get into / out of a motorbike, a taxi, a car, a lorry
7.You can use the following adjectives to describe different means of transport:
| reliable noisy cheap healthy | fast quiet safe slow | dangerous comfortable expensive |
| Means of transport | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| train | ||
| car | ||
| bus | ||
| ship | ||
| airplane |
8.Speak about advantages and disadvantages of different means of transport.
9.Write a composition “Travelling in my life”.
READING
Text A. A Letter to a Friend .
1.Read and translate the text.
Dear Victor, 23rd June 2003 .
I’m very sorry I couldn’t write to you last week, because I was very busy. At last I’ve taken my Literature examination and I’m quite free. When my wife takes her last exam next week, we’ll go to Yalta for a holiday. I hope we shall have a good time there. You know how we love the sea. We are going to swim, lie on the beach, and sunbathe two or three hours a day. You write that you can’t forget the holiday which we spent there two years ago. I can’t forget it either. I’m awfully sorry you will not be able to go with us this year.
When are you going to have your holiday? Is your wife’s health still poor? I hope that she will soon be all right. How long do you intend to stay in the country? Is there a river and a wood there?
I’ll be back early in August in order not to miss my mother’s birthday. She will be sixty on the tenth of August, you know.
I think I’ll be able to go to see you some time at the end of the month.
I shall be very glad to hear from you before we leave.
Love to you all,
Boris.
2.Write a letter to your friend about your last summer holidays.
Text B. Adventure Holidays
What kind of holidays do you prefer? Exciting and adventurous holidays or peaceful and relaxing holidays?
1.Where would you like to spend your holidays?
a) around the world; b) in a tourist village; c)in the country;
2.Do you like sports that are … ?
a) a little violent; b)based on strength and ability; c) unusual;
3.Would you like to set sail on …
a)a big sailboat; b) a submarine; c)a fast liner;
4.Would you like to go …
a) looking for sharks in the ocean; b) fishing at night with a net; c) sailing on a boat.
5.When you go to the seaside, do you prefer to …
a) go fishing among the reefs; b) run on the sand; c) read a nice book;
6.If a hang glider trainer invites you for a free lesson, would you …
a) accept enthusiastically; b) like to accept it but with hesitation; c)refuse the invitation;
7.When you watch an Indian Jones film, do you …
a)dreams about accomplishing heroic enterprises like the protagonist; b) watch it because it is interesting; c)get bored;
8.Do you think that taking along a tent on a holiday is …
a) exciting; b) nice only in an organized camping trip; c)troublesome;
9.If you happen to cross a forest, would you cross it …
a)on foot; b)in a canoe on the river; c) flying above on a plane;
10.Which of these means of transport do you prefer?
a) the Concorder ; b) a Ferrari; c) the Orient Express ;
11.What do you like best about mountains?
a) the possibility of doing mounting climbing; b) the scenery; c) silence;
12.Which of the following words reminds you of holidays?
a) freedom; b) enjoyment; c) going for a walk;
PROFILE
You score 3 points if you tick A , 2 points if you tick B and 1 point if you tick C. Add up the points and then read your profile.
Above 42 points –Adventures: Holidays, for you, mean looking for adventure without organizing or planning before. You are rich in enthusiasm and curiosity. In short, you are made for a trip that is far from daily routine. You want to hunt for an unknown, undiscovered place, to make new friends and to gain new experience.
From 25 to 42 points –Imaginative: You possess a good dose of adventurous spirit and a good deal of courage, but you don’t like to get into trouble. You are quite enthusiastic about inventing hundreds of adventurous ideas. You should leave your text books and worries behind and use your imaginative quality to make new friends and to enjoy yourself.
Less than 25 points - Peaceful: You are a calm type. For you, an ideal holiday is sitting under a beach umbrella or relaxing under a tree in the silence of the countryside. Adventurous activities don’t attract you. Holidays, for you, should be a way to do sports and exercises and to meet new people.
TALKING POINTS
1. Read, learn and act.
-Hello, I haven’t seen you for ages. Where have you been?
-I have been to the Crimea. I had a good time at the seaside. The weather was beautiful, so I spent a lot of time swimming, sunburning. What about you?
-I spent the time in the country helping my grandparents about the house. And sometimes my friends and I went to the forest to gather berries and mushrooms. We were walking along the fields enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of the landscape.
-Surely, your grandparents were very glad to see you.
-Of course, they always wait for me. Where are you going now?
-I am going shopping now. Will you join me?
-With pleasure.
2.Make up your own dialogues about your holidays.
UNIT 2
| Grammar: Continuous (Progressive) Tenses Active Topic:Travelling by Train Reading:Text. Mistaken Identity Talking Points |