Make up your own dialogues

Part 6 «HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION»

1. Read to find out about different holiday accommodations:

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATIONS

There are many different places where you can spend your holidays.

Camp site: where you can pitch a tent or park a caravan.

Self-catering flat: flat which you rent, you cook for yourself.

Guesthouse: accommodation like a hotel but cheaper and with fewer services.

Youth hostel: cheap accommodation, mainly for young people, with, perhaps, ten or more people sleeping in bunk beds in one room.

Holiday camp: a place providing holiday accommodation in little chalets or flats, with restaurants, bars, swimming pools and a lot of other facilities and entertainments.

Time-share apartment: accommodation which one owns, say, a 26^th part of and so has the right to stay there for two weeks every year.

Hotel: … (give the definition)

EXERCISES

Choose 2 holiday places and speak about their advantages and disadvantages.

A) Read the advertisements below and decide which type of holiday each suggests.

B) Mach the type of the holiday with the equipment needed. Say what you will take if you go to these places.

C) Write your own advertisement for the place you like.

· Are you looking for sandy beaches, sparkling waters and cloudless sky without the bother of overpriced hotels or uncomfortable campsites? If so, you will love the Sunnyside self-catering apartments near the town of Torremolinos. The cosy apartments are situated on the peaceful seafront on the outskirts of this delighted resort and are fully-equipped with modern cooking and washing facilities. Make this summer one to remember – come to the Sunnyside.

· The Kingsbrooke campsite in the Rocky mountains is for all adventure lovers who want to escape to a land of endless rivers, bottomless lakes, towering mountains and colossal cliffs. The helpful staff, washing facilities and shop also mean that you do not even need to venture into town during your stay. Situated in one of the few vast undeveloped areas in the world, with clean fresh air and unpolluted water, the Kingsbrooke experience is definitely one not to be missed.

Equipment: boots, warm clothes, mosquito repellent, camera, swimming costume, portable gas stove, skis, flippers, suntan lotion, sunglasses, sandals, sleeping bag, sun hat, tent, light clothes, trainers, first-aid kit…

4. Make up and act out the dialogue between a travel agent and a customer. Mention the points:

· Dates of flight

· Number of people going on holiday

· Price of holiday

· Type of transport

· Weather details (clothes and equipment required for holiday)

· Method of payment

· Name and address of customer

· Type of accommodation (board) available

5. Project Work:

a) Work in groups. Complete the diagram:

B )Prepare the topic «Traveling».

TEXTS FOR ADDITIONAL READING

MY FAMILY

Text 1

My name is Petrova Alla. I am Belarusian. I was born on May 5, 1982 in the village of Bakino, Slutsk district, Minsk region. Two years ago our family moved to Minsk where I live now together with my parents. My father is a doctor, he works at a hospital. My mother is a housewife. She has much work to do about the house. We are five in the family. I have a younger sister and a brother. They are both pupils. Lucy is in the fifth form and Boris is a pupil of the ninth form. Our family is very united.

I’m quite sociable and easy to deal with. I have many friends with whom we spend much time together. I can also add that I’m energetic, rather intelligent, patient, calm and never lose my temper. I love animals. My hobby is collecting badges. My ambition is to become a good expert in languages. This year I’ve left school. Now I’m an applicant for entry to the Belarusian University, Philological Department. I hope my dream will come true.

You see, my biography isn’t long. I can only add that I’m fond of reading books on history and I’m keen on sports. I’ve got the first category in volleyball and have many friends among sportsmen. I also like shaping; it helps me to keep fit.

Text 2

I have a large family. My father is 57. He works as an engineer at a plant. My mother is 55. She works as a nurse. My younger brother is a student. He is going to graduate next year. I also have an elder sister. She is married and lives with her family not far from us. They often visit us. Her daughter Lena, my niece, is very talented. She plays the piano and writes interesting poems.

I am married. My wife Olga is a schoolteacher. She teaches mathematics. We have two children, a boy and a girl. My son Victor is six years old, and my daughter Anna is three years old. They go to a kindergarten near our house. My mother looks after the children during a week, and my mother-in-law takes care of them on Saturdays.

We live in a large house with a nice garden. There is enough room for all of us, and I even have my own study in the attic. It is small, but I like it. There is a table with my computer on it, a chair, and a book shelf. I spend a lot of time there working with my papers and studying English.

We have a lot of relatives. My aunt and two uncles live in a small town about 60 kilometers from my hometown. Their children, my cousins, are about 20-30 years old. Every year the whole family gets together for Christmas. We prepare a huge Christmas dinner, and there are a lot of presents for everyone.

Text 3

Our family is not very large. I have a father, a brother and a sister. We all live together in a new flat in one of the industrial districts of Minsk.

My father Igor Ivanovich is 45 years old. He is a tall and well-built man with short black hair and grey eyes. He works at a big automobile plant as an engineer. He likes his work and spends most of his time there. By character my father is a quiet man, while my mother is energetic and talkative. Her name is Olga Petrovna. She is a teacher of music and plays the piano well. She is intelligent, patient and always ready to help. I’ve got good relations with my mum. She is always interested in what I do, and I can always ask her for advice. I love her very much though I love my father not less.

My sister’s name is Alla. She has blue eyes and lovely fair hair. She is a very good-looking girl. Alla is three years younger than me. She is a pupil of the 9th form. She does well at school and gets only good and excellent marks. Alla has a good sense of humor and is very popular with her friends at parties.

My name is Tanya. I’m 17 years old. I resemble my mother in appearance but take after my father in nature. People say I'm an easy-going person. I have many friends. They come to my place very often.

Our family is very united. We like to spend time together and help our mother about the house. In the evenings we watch TV, read books and newspapers, listen to music or just discuss everyday problems. Our parents don’t always agree with us but they take into consideration our opinion. All of us like to spend our week-ends out of town. We often go to the village to see our grandparents. They are old-age pensioners now but prefer to live in the country.

I also have some other relatives: uncles, aunts, cousins and many friends. We are happy when we are together. It is really very important to have a good family where all people are tactful, helpful, tolerant and respect each other. In such families children get on well with their parents. They are confident; willingly share domestic duties, joys and difficulties, views and opinions. In happy families parents are not bossy and never dominate their children. They teach them to communicate with different people in different situations. It’s nice to have a good family.

FAMILY PROBLEMS

Text 1

Family is an essential part of every person’s life and of our society. Family is a little world with its own values and priorities. Close families share dreams, ideas, hopes and even possessions, and it’s a good side of being a family. However, as usual, every good thing can have its drawbacks. Same with families: they can often have different types of problems.

One of the most frequent and common problems is the misunderstanding between parents and children, due to the difference of generations. This problem is especially acute with teenagers, who want to have more freedom, to express their self-identity in a way they want to. They can also gradually develop different values and interests which conflict with those of their parents. During this complicated periods, parents should rather try to understand their children, find the right approach to them, or find the ways to solve the conflicts. It’s important to talk about the family problems openly to solve them. There are also many problems in modern young families, which might be based on misunderstanding, shortage of money, bad conditions of living and else. Family conflicts often occur because of change of interests. To solve such kind of problems families should try to spend more time together.

Another variety of problems occurs in extended families, between brothers and sisters. They often quarrel or treat each other badly. They can also get jealous about parents’ attention. From one hand, nobody wants to share and many people prefer they had more privacy and freedom. From the other hand, life without siblings would be boring. There are many other problems which can take place in any family, but when regarded with love, respect and understanding, every problem can be solved.

MY FRIEND

Text 1

I have a very good friend. His name is Mike. Friends are very important in our life. I think one cannot live without friends. The most important thing for being good friends, to my mind, is to be ready to help one another in any situation, nevertheless how difficult it is, to support one another and to solve all the problems together. And never mind, that the friends may have different interests and hobbies, different likes and dislikes. They say that the friend in need is a friend indeed. I think it is really so.

My friend and I always do our best to help one another. We discuss all our troubles and try to find the best decision in any situation. My friend is a very good, kind and clever boy. We often spend our free time together. It is not very easy now, because both of us are very busy – we are going to enter institutes and have a lot of work to do.

My friend is going to become a doctor. Our future professions are different and the subjects we have to study are different too, but we like to work together and to help one another in our study.

When we have some free time, we go for walks, read and discuss books, watch films, go to discos or play computer games. Playing computer games is our hobby. Both of us are fond of sport. We go in for swimming, tennis and often go to the swimming pool and to the tennis court together. We are football fans and we like to watch and discuss football matches on TV or to go to the stadium. I think Mike is a true friend. Our friendship is very dear to me and I try to do my best to be a good friend too.

EDUCATION IN MY LIFE

Text 1

Education has been a key point in my life and it has opened me the doors to many different experiences. Thanks to education I have had the opportunity to choose what I wanted to do in my life and decide where I wanted to live. Education has given me more freedom to make decisions. Plato said that education should be mandatory for everyone because is the only way to develop a just society. The author defended that education is the process that enables man to become aware of the existence of another reality. I agree with Plato that there is another reality. In my opinion there are many realities as there are many perspectives of the world.

However, I think that knowledge is not enough to understand the other realities and it is needed the experience to realize that there are more things behind our reality. In my opinion, knowledge allows me to make my own decisions with freedom but I am able to understand the other realities through experience. Although philosophers insist that education is the process of learning different concepts and skills required to understand another reality, I will argue that experience has played a more important role in my education than the knowledge learned from others. In addition, I think that education’s role should be helping the people to choose freely rather than developing a just society.

I think the youth must be more interested in education, because we live in such a complex world. At school our teachers told us about universities and institutes, organized different excursions to the enterprises of our city and meetings with the leading experts to help us in our choice. In our republic there are more than sixty higher educational establishments, both state and private, which offer a wide choice of specializations and professional trends.

In my opinion, education and freedom are two correlated aspects. I don’t understand education without freedom and vice versa. If I don’t have the freedom to study what I want I will not be able to make my own decisions in the future.

TRAVELLING

Text 1

People on our planet can't live without travelling now. Tourism has become a highly developed business. There are express trains, cars and jet-airliners and all of them provide you with comfort and security.

Travelling gives us a good opportunity to see wonderful monuments, cultural and historical places, to learn a lot about the history of the country you visit, about the world around us, to enjoy picturesque areas you are passing through, to meet people of different nationalities, to learn a lot about their traditions, customs, culture. In other words, you will broaden your mind.

Nowadays people travel not only for pleasure but also on business. You have to go to other countries to take part in different negotiations, to sign contacts, to participate in different exhibitions, in order to push the goods produced by your firm or company. Travelling on business helps you to get more information about achievements of other companies, which will make your own business more successful.

There are a lot of means of travelling: by sea, by plane, by car, on foot. Tastes differ. That is why you have to decide which means of travelling you would prefer. No wonder that one of the most popular means of travelling is the plane. It combines both comfort and speed and you will reach the place of destination very quickly.

Before boarding the plane you must check in at the airport. You are required to have your baggage weighed. Each passenger is allowed 20 kilograms of baggage free of charge. But if your baggage is heavier you must pay an extra charge.

Before the plane takes off the stewardess gives you all the information about the flight, the speed and altitude. She asks you to fasten the belts and not to smoke. She will take care of you during the flight and will help you to get comfortable in your seat. Inside the cabins the air is always fresh and warm. During the flight you can take a nap or have a chat, you can read and relax. In some planes you can watch video or listen to the music.

When the plane is landing or taking off you have an opportunity to enjoy the wonderful scenery and landscapes. While travelling by plane you fly past various villages and cities at the sight of which realize how majestic and tremendous our planet is. No doubt, travelling by air is the most convenient and comfortable means of travelling.

But if you are airsick the flight may seem not so nice to you. Unfortunately sometimes the flights are delayed because of unfavourable weather conditions, and one more inconvenience is jet-lag.

Text 2

A PACKAGE HOLIDAY

It is a well-known fact that many people use travel agency service, while others prefer to make trips themselves. Personally I like to use the help of professionals in organizing the holidays.

The way I see it, a package holiday is one of the most convenient and interesting holidays one can have. To start with, the way of buying a ready trip is easy and quick, because people do not need to think and worry about arranging flights, booking a hotel room. This work will be done by special agents. Not to mention the fact that it is very exciting. There are so many interesting places in the world about which people can learn in tour agency.

A package holiday is an all-inclusive pre-arranged holiday. It will include travel arrangements, accommodation and, optionally, a tourist activity such as a special tour, a sport or an activity. The last might not be linked to either the transport or accommodation, but which makes up a significant part of the package. Package holiday information is usually provided in the form of a travel brochure, which forms the basis of the package contract. One can claim damages if the package trip turns out to be different from what the brochure indicates.

While booking the package holiday deal, the traveler must receive a copy of the travel contract that contains all the relevant trip information. This contract should mention the travel destination, transport type, departure times and places of visit. The contract should contain accommodation details such as location and category and indicate whether the traveler requires a passport and visa for travel. Apart from this, the contract should explain how and when the package holiday could be cancelled.

Many package holidays include additional services. For instance, one’s package may cover further transportation needs, like travel to and from airports or a rental car. Some packages also cover expenses such as meals, admission to tourist sites or theme parks, theater tickets, and so forth.

The concept of the package holiday was developed in Europe in the late 19th century, and gained popularity in many parts of the world in the decades that followed.

As the Internet increasingly became a part of everyday life for many in the late 20th century, Internet-based travel companies offered vacationers a new way to book package holidays. They have allowed consumers greater freedom to tailor vacation packages to their own needs and interests. Many of these companies allow travelers to tailor a package holiday to fit their own needs and budget.

In conclusion, I would strongly recommend using of the professional service because it is safer. But on the other hand, making own holiday plans can be a great experience.

Text 3

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BUSINESS TRIP

Business trips are essential to keeping a business thriving. Traveling to different locations to attend meeting conferences or even just to meet old and new clients are just some of the reasons why people embark on business trips. To have a successful business trip it is important to plan wisely.

Instructions:

1. Plan ahead. Once you have determined the dates of your business trip, it is necessary to plan ahead. Reserve your travel accommodations which can include air travel, hotel, and car reservations way in advanced. If you are planning on attending big conferences that will surely be attended by a lot of people from different parts of the globe, ensure that you do this months in advanced so that you can still get a confirmation for the travel accommodations as well as the conference itself.

2. Set goals. It is important that before you leave for your business trip to set your goals. What would like to accomplish when you arrive at your destination. You would want to be as productive as possible for a very sort amount of time. Time management is the key in making sure that you meet your goals.

3. Set up appointments. Business trips cost companies money to pay for the travel accommodations as well as food. Make it worthwhile by hitting more than one bird with one stone. Try to schedule some appointments to meet up with your clients, vendors and other key business contacts. If you have staff members that report to you in the same location you are attending a conference, try to meet with them personally.

4. Set up tasks. Before traveling set up tasks. For example, if you are running a conference yourself, ensure that the equipment you will be using such as projection screen, projectors and microphones have been reserved together with the meeting room. Contact the local admin in the branch you are visiting or the technical support personnel to ensure that you have a spot to do your work with proper network and phone connections.

5. Send information ahead. If you have power-point presentations for the meetings, send them via email ahead of time. It gives your partners enough time to review the materials as well as prepare questions for you to answer. Doing this gives you also an opportunity to review your own materials.

6. Bring tools. Don't forget to bring your laptop, PDA, address books, journals, cell phones, flash drives, disks, or anything that you would need. Be prepared by bringing files saved in a flash drive, CD or floppy disks. This way even if your laptop gets damaged or lost, you still have your documents safe to use on other people's computers.

7. Update contacts. A business trip is also an opportunity to update your contact lists. Add new contacts of people you meet while traveling and attending conferences. The person seated next to you on the plane may have something in common with you. Build your networking list for more future opportunities for your business and for you.

LINKING WORDS

Consequences and reasons:

as a result it leads to due to thanks to so

so that’s why because (as) that is because of

Sequencing and concluding:

firstly (secondly, thirdly) then after that also besides moreover in addition to additionally what’s more finally at last

in conclusion to conclude to sum up summing up generally speaking in general all in all

Contrasting:

on the one hand on the other hand nevertheless however though (although) furthermore

in spite of this fact in comparison with in contrast to but both … and neither …nor

Giving examples:

for example

such as

especially

Linking paragraphs:

I’d like (want) to tell you about

I’d like to start (begin) with

To begin with, I’d like to say that

Introducing the topic (the next point), I’d like to talk about

Speaking about …, it is necessary to say (point out, mention, stress)

Speaking about …, we should say some words about

Speaking about …, we shouldn’t forget to say

Firstly (first of all) I want to say that

It is not a secret It is (widely) known that As it is known As far as I know In fact

I’d like also (now) to Frankly speaking If I’m not mistaken There’s one more thing to be noted As for

Giving opinion:

in my opinion my opinion is that from my point of view of I think (suppose, guess, believe) personally I believe It depends (on)

as I see it the way I see it if you ask me I wouldn’t say that All things considered, I must say that

Asking for opinion:

What’s your opinion? What do you think about it? Do you agree?

Don’t you agree? Don’t you think so? Does anyone object?

Agreement:

I agree with you. I’m of the same opinion. I partially agree that (with you) I totally agree that ...

No doubt, it’s a good idea. That’s a good point. I think you are right.

Doubt:

I doubt it. I doubt if it is possible. I’m not at all sure that ...

I’m not quite certain that ... I don’t think it is realistic. Maybe ....

Disagreement:

If you don’t know a person well: That’s a good idea, but ... Yes, it’s quite true, but ... I’m afraid I can’t agree with you on that. I’m not sure I quite agree... Perhaps, but don’t you think that ... I see what you mean, but ...

If you know a person well: I can’t agree with you here. I’m afraid I disagree with you. I don’t agree at all. You can’t be serious!

Interrupting:

Sorry to interrupt you, but ... Sorry for interrupting you, but ... Excuse my interrupting you ...

By the way ... I’d just like to say that ...