Unit 3. The things I like and Dislike. My Travelling.
Not to go anywhere, but to go … travel
For travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Recommended grammar:
Sequence of Tenses. Conditionals.
BUILDING-UP YOUR VOCABULARY
|
Tourists and Tourism
Travel and tourism are addictive and their impact on our lives is truly monumental. Despite the fact that mass tourism is viewed as a simple but harmlessway of helping people see the world and broaden their horizons, our desire to maximize every traveling opportunity that presents itself has had a wholly unforeseen impact on our attitudes towards life in general and on the world we live in. In no way could this impact have been accurately predicted, even 30 years ago.
No matter how uninspiring our miserable destination may be, or how disillusioned we are by the transport systems; no matter what trouble our payment of debts due to overambitious holiday spending may lead us into, there is nothing amateur about our desire to make our fantasies realities.
Tourists travel to places away from home and stay there for a short time – a week or two, perhaps. They travel because they want to do business, or to visit friends or family, or to have a holiday. All three kinds of travel are part of tourism. But in the modern world, holidays are the most important kind of tourism.
The tourist industry gives tourists everything that they want and need during their visits: hotels, restaurants, airports, theatres, etc. When tourists visit places in their own country, this is called domestic tourism. When they visit other countries, this is international tourism.
Tourism is a very important business for many countries, and it’s getting bigger all the time. Millions of people like hoteliers and property owners depend on the tourist industry for their livelihood, as well as those who work in this industry. A decrease in the popularity of tourism would be nothing short of disaster.
|
Title 1. Travel Doesn’t Broaden the Mind
Title 2. Making the Best of Journeys
Text 1
It was the Victorians who were really obsessed with travel. They lived at a time when travel really did harden the body and improve the spirit. It took a rare breed of man to trudgethrough some malaria-infested swamp in a pith helmet after the native bearers had drunk all the whisky, stolen the rations, and run off with the compass.
Since then, travelers have thought of themselves as faintly noble, and they look down on mere tourists who stay in comfortable hotels and ride in air-conditioned buses. To travelers it is a mark of pride to suffer as much as possible. They get a perverse joy from spending all day squatting over a sordid cesspit.
Paul Theroux, a best-selling travel writer, is one of the people caught up in the myth: “The nearest thing to writing a novel is traveling in a strange country.” Travel, he declares, is a creative act. It isn’t. It may be fun. It may be interesting. But travelers get no insight into eternal truths.
Text 2
I've been shocked, but not altogether surprised, when I think of the efforts the human race (adult variety) has made, and makes to keep itself from being bored on journeys. Look what happens when it crosses the sea on board a great ship. Everything is organized to prevent boredom - games and concerts, swimming pools and cinema shows - all sorts of things go on, day in day out. Airports have huge bookstalls and everybody busily buys magazines and papers to read. In the air there's a continual succession of meals, drinks and sweets brought by helpful air-hostesses. No station, except the smallest, is complete without its railway bookstall, and if you make a journey along any main line for any length of time and look at your grown-up companions, you'll find them always hiding behind their papers and magazines.
Nowadays even those who go by car can’t do without the radio - at least a lot of adults can’t. It's all part of the general idea that journeys are deadly boring, and that they have got to drug themselves with something to get through. Very few people over the age of thirty look out of the window.
Questions:
1. What are the main ideas of the texts? Are they similar or different?
2. How is modern traveling different from that of the Victorian period? How can modern people get similar sensations?
3. What makes travelers different from tourists? Do you prefer to spend you holidays as a traveler or as a tourist? Why?
4. What makes modern journeys boring? Do your think they are boring? Why? Why not?
|
Not long ago I was traveling by air from London Airport to Prestwick in Scotland. It takes ages to get into the air these days - three-quarters of an hour to get through the London traffic on a bus, perhaps another half-hour at the airport until the flight is ready. On some air journeys you spend as much time on the ground as you do in the air between terminals! Waiting for the flight to be announced on the loudspeaker, I looked at the passengers who were going to travel in our aircraft. They were all slumped about in chairs, idly turning over the leaves of magazines, muttering to each other, obviously bored stiff. All, that is, except the passengers who were in their teens or younger. These were buzzing round the waiting-room with a great deal of zeal - indeed, impatience - looking closely at all the maps of air-routes, working through the time-tables of the different services.
When the flight was at last announced, a boy of about fifteen slipped, quite politely, to the head of the queue, and was one of the first to board the aircraft when we were out on the tarmac. I knew he’d traveled by air before when I saw he’d bagged a seat in the rear of the aircraft, by a window that I knew was one of the best for a view of the world below. I sat down behind him. Just after we’d taken off, and everybody had loosened their seat belts, we both fished traveling atlases of Britain out of our bags.
“Mine’s the same as yours,” I said, over his shoulder. “Ilike following the flight; and it’s a good day for seeing the ground,” he said.
It was a good day; we flew all the way to Scotland between six and eight thousand feet, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Now and then we got up to look out of the port window, to pick up an expected town, or a wood, or a lake.
We were not far from Birmingham when the captain of the aircraft came through on one of his periodic visits to the passengers. George was looking out of the window and mumbling away on his running commentary. The captain tapped him on the shoulder. “Navigator, eh?” he said. “You seem to know where we are - would you like to meet our navigator and look at his plot (= map)?”
“Would I?” said George. You couldn’t see his tail for smoke as he scuttled forward through the crew door.
On most longish flights captain once or twice passes a bit of paper down to the passengers which gives the aircraft's speed, height, position, and E.T.A. (= estimated time of arrival); or else he announces it over the loudspeaker; or he does both. After some time a voice came over the speaker: “Shortly,” it said, “we will see Windermere to our right - I mean starboard(= the side of an aircraft that is on the right when you are facing forward). Below us now, on our port side (= the side of an aircraft that is on the left when you are facing forward), is Morecambe Bay.” It sounded rather a young voice. Sure enough, along came Windermere, a silver ribbon in a landscape of great green hills, crowned with spring snow. And the voice told us when we were flying over Sea Fell, the highest mountain in England, and showed us Carlisle and the Solway estuary, and the hills of the Lowlands, also powered with snow. Some of the grown-ups even put down their magazines for a moment and looked out of the window.
Just before the air-hostess warned us to fasten our safety-belts for landing, George came back with a beaming face. “Wizard show,” he said, “the navigator’s a good type; he showed me all his things and even let me give the position on the loudspeaker.”
Questions:
1. Where was Mr. Fisher once going to? Was he travelling by sea or by air?
2. How was the behaviour of the young passengers different from the behaviour of the adults in the departure lounge?
3. What did a fifteen-year-old boy do when the flight was announced?
4. Why did the boy choose a seat in the rear of the aircraft?
5. What did the boy do when the plane was high up in the air?
6. What was the weather like on the day of the flight?
7. Why would Mr. Fisher and his young fellow-traveller get up from time to time from their seats?
8. What did the pilot suggest George could do?
9. What places did the passengers see from above? What did they look like?
10. How did the captain communicate with the passengers? How has the system changed since then?
11. Why was George’s face beaming when he returned to his seat?
|
General holiday expressions:
to be on holiday/vacation (AmE), holiday-maker, holiday in the mountains, camping holiday, seaside holiday, cruise, package tour, coach tour, charter flight, to go on an excursion, to go on a trip, to see the sights/ go sightseeing/ do the sightseeing/ do the city, to lie on the beach/ in the sun, to sunbathe/ to get a sun-tan, to swim in the sea, to take pictures, to visit museums, to send postcards home, to buy souvenirs, to hike/ go hiking, to tour/ go touring, to climb/ go climbing/ mountaineering, to get away from it all (= to escape your daily routine),value for money, non-refundable, to cancel a flight/ trip, stopover/ lay-over, to apply for a visa, to obtain/ get a visa;
Making a reservation:
a booking-office, to book/ to make a reservation/an enquiry, to cancel a reservation, to confirm/ reconfirm tickets;
At the customs’:
customs inspector/ officer, customs office, customs regulations, departure gate, departure lounge, to be duty-free, duty-free shop, entry visa, exit visa, multiple visa, transit visa, examination of one’s luggage, to go through customs and immigration, green channel, red channel, immigration office, landing formalities;
Travelling by air:
aircraft, jet, helicopter, supersonic aircraft, starboard (right), port (left), cockpit,aisle, porthole, nose, tail/ rear, wings, fuselage, joystick, crew, pilot, air-host(-ess)/ flight attendant, air traffic controller, ground staff, airline ticket, boarding pass/ card, certificate of vaccination, domestic flight, international flight, scheduled flight, route via Frankfurt, in the rear, landing, tarmac, terminal, departure lounge, hangar, runway, duty-free shop, jet lag,
to board the aircraft, to delay/ to postpone a flight, to embark, to go first class/ business/ economy class, to take off, to land, to see the scenery through a porthole, to be air-sick, to (un)fasten the seat-belts, be stranded at the airport overnight;
The plane was delayed by fog. Air passengers often suffer such delays.
Travelling by sea:
yacht,rowing-boat, fishing-boat, ferry, steamer, liner, steward(-ess), gang-plank / gangway, companionway, engine-room, shared (single, double, deluxe) cabin, state-room, upper (lower) deck, bunk/ berth, galley, life-belt, life-boat, starboard (right), port (left), crew, captain, skipper, purser, docker, docks, harbour, quay, port, buoy, light-house,
to cast anchor, to weigh anchor, to go ashore, to call at a port, to embark passengers, to disembark passengers, to be an old salt, to be a bad sailor, to be sea-sick;
We are sailing on the QE2. It sets sail at noon. It will dock in New York at 6 p.m. and we shall disembark as soon as we can.
The ship was wrecked. The passengers were marooned on a desert island.
Travelling by train:
direct train, through train, freight train, local train, express, carriage, buffet/ buffet car/ dining-car, compartment, smoking (non-smoking) compartment/ smoker (non-smoker), sleeper, cloak-room/ check-room/ luggage office, an aisle (window) seat, engine/ train-driver, guard, fellow-passenger, ticket collector / ticket conductor (AmE), ticket inspector, emergency brake, engine, refreshments, season ticket, timetable, junction, signal-box,
to board the train, to have a seat facing the engine, to have a seat with one’s back to it, to change train (at);
Trains always run on time here. You have to change trains at Crewe.
Traveling by car:
to hire a car, to go for a drive, toget around (informal: travelling to different places), to buy accident insurance, to go as you please,
SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle);
Our car does 10 km to the litre. It goes quite fast. We can
usually overtake other cars.
The car swerved into the middle of the road to avoid the
cyclist.
He backed the car into the drive and parked in front of the
house.
Luggage/ baggage (AmE):
Check-in desk, hand luggage/ hand baggage (AmE)/ carry-on baggage (AmE), baggage allowance, excess luggage, excess baggage charge, porter,
to apply a luggage tag, to hail/to call a porter;
Accommodation:
hotel, bed and breakfast (B&B), full board (FB) (= all meals), half-board (HB) (= usually breakfast and one other meal), boarding house/ guest-house, campsite, caravan/trailer (AmE), motel, youth hostel, spa, seaside resort, ski resort, facilities, room service;
self-catering (= where you do your own cooking) accommodation: a holiday apartment, chalet, small cottage, cabin,
to make arrangements about the room, to stay in a hotel, to fill in an arrival card, to extend a stay;
I’d like to book/reserve (AmE) a single room (a double room, en suite room, a suite, a twin-bedded room, a room with an en suite bathroom).
I’d like a room with a sea view. Do you have any vacancies?
What are your terms/ rates for a double room?
When do you serve breakfast? 
Is breakfast included?
I have a double room booked for me/ in my name.
I have a reservation for a double room.
I’d like to check in (check out).
I’d like to have breakfast in my room.
Could we have dinner in our room, please?
How much are my telephone charges?
Could I have these clothes cleaned (washed, ironed)?
Where’s the front desk (the receptionist, the lounge, the doorkeeper, the floor attendant, the room chambermaid)?
Call Room Service, please.
Is there a hairdresser's (a barber's, a beautician, a round-the-clocksnack-bar, dry cleaning) in the hotel?
What is the check-out time, please?
Sorry to bother you, but I am afraid the TV in my room isn't working.
I'm afraid there's something wrong with the..., could you have a look at it?
General impressions about the holiday:
the holiday of a lifetime,
We had a really good time. /We had lots of fun.
There was a relaxed atmosphere.
The scenery was beautiful. / The nature was unspoiled. /It was a fascinating place.
The town was rich in architecture.
The children were excited.
It wasn't boring at all.
The room was lovely and clean. The beds were comfortable.
The entertainment was excellent.
The food was adequate.
The service was poor.
|
1. ___ A travel agency is the same as a tour operator.
2. ___ A package tour is a holiday in which the price includes flights, transfers to
and from the airport and accommodation.
3. ___ An all-inclusive holiday is a holiday in which the price includes flights,
transfers, accommodation, food and drink.
4. ___ When passengers embark, they get off a plane or ship.
5. ___ When passengers disembark, they get on a plane or ship.
6. ___ The first thing you do when you go to an airport is go to the check-in.
7. ___ The first thing you do when you arrive at your hotel is checking in.
8. ___ The opposite of a package tourist is an independent traveller.
9. ___ Mass tourism can have a negative effect on the environment.
10. ___Eco-tourism is tourism which has a negative effect on the environment.
11. ___ The words trip, excursion, journey and voyage all have the same meaning.
12. ___ It is always necessary to have a visa when you visit a foreign country.
13. ___ A flight from London to Paris could be described as a long-haul flight.
14. ___ Flying economy class is more expensive than flying business class.
15. ___ A Canadian citizen flying to Japan will have to fill in an immigration card
before he arrives.
|
(a) a scheduled flight and a charter flight;
(b) a crossing and a cruise;
(c) a camp site and a holiday camp;
(d) a time-share apartment and a guest house;
(e) a hotel and a bed and breakfast place;
(f) a tour operator and a travel agent;
(g) seasick, airsick and carsick;
(h) at sea, at the seaside and in the sea;
(i) red channel and green channel;
(j) hand luggage and check-in luggage;
(k) a multiple visa and a transit visa.
|
| a single ticket | a ticket that allows you to travel any number of times within a particular period |
| a return ticket | the money that you pay to travel by bus, plane, train, etc. |
| a season ticket | a ticket that allows you to travel to a place but not back again |
| a through train | a seat next to the passage between rows of seats on a plane, etc. |
| fare | a ticket for a journey to a place and back again |
| hand luggage | a small piece of paper or plastic attached to the bags to give some information about the owner |
| boarding pass | small bags that you can keep with you on an aircraft |
| an aisle seat | a card that you show before you get on a plane or boat |
| junction | a train going directly from one place to another |
| luggage tag | the place where two or more roads or railways lines meet |
|
a) Holidays