TOPIC 11. TRANSPORT AND Travel

Discuss in small groups. Complete the sentences about yourself and your group mates.

How do you get around your town/ city?

Do you get to university by car, by bus, by train, by underground or on foot?

I usually get around my town by … because ….

I don’t like …. because ….

Put the words from the box into the correct groups. Add more words to each group.

airport car drive flight garage park passenger plane platform station ticket traffic train rush hour

AIR:

RAIL:

ROAD:

3. Ride, drive, go by or take? Write the correct word(s) in the sentence.

1. Can you ……… a motorbike?

2. He works for a railway company. He ……… a train.

3. She sometimes ……… the underground to work.

4. He goes away from home a lot. He ……… a lorry.

5. I prefer to ……… a bus than ……… a car.

6. Would you like to ……… an elephant?

7. You never forget how to ……… a bicycle.

8. I usually ……… a taxi when it rains.

Complete the word combinations with means of transport.

get on/ off ………… get into/ out of …………

catch ………… miss …………

take ………… ride …………

Fill in the gaps in each question. Then ask and answer the questions with a partner.

1) Do you ever go to university ……… bicycle?

2) Do you like ……… a bicycle in cities? Why/ why not?

3) Have you ever got ……… a train without a ticket?

4) When did you last ……… a taxi?

5) Have you ever got ……… a moving train or bus?

6) Have you ever ……… a plane?

A) Read and translate the mini-texts.

Different ways of travelling from one place to another

The bus passenger

I always take the bus to work. There’s a stop right outside my house, and the buses are very frequent in the rush hour. Usually there’s one every 5 minutes. Most days I can get a seat and read a book or newspaper. Sometimes I see someone I know on the bus, and we have a chat. One thing I don’t like is all the litter. Some people just leave their food all over the floor or on the seats. Another thing is people listening to personal stereos. The noise they make can be really annoying when they have it on very loud.

The cyclist

I use my bike because it’s the quickest way to get from A to B in the rush hour. All the cars are stuck in traffic jams, and you can go straight past them. My journey to work usually takes about 20 minutes door-to-door. It’s a good way of getting your daily exercise. The thing I don’t like about cycling is all the pollution. I don’t like breathing in exhaust fumes from cars and buses. It can also be rather dangerous, and you need to watch out for people opening car doors or coming out of junctions without looking.

The car driver

I normally go to work by car. I’d say my average journey time is about 50 minutes. When I’m in my car it’s very comfortable, like being in my own living room. I can turn on the stereo system and listen to my favourite CDs or listen to the car radio. There are some things though I don’t like about driving. The traffic keeps getting worse, and other drivers sometimes behave very badly. I know I should use my car less because it is bad for the environment, but it is much more convenient than public transport.

The train passenger

I generally take the train to work. It’s quick and convenient, and I can be in my office in about 35 minutes. In winter the service can be rather erratic, and I sometimes find myself waiting on the platform at the station in freezing cold weather, wishing I was in a nice warm car. The other thing I don’t like is people in my carriage with mobile phones, who talk loudly and say thing like “I’m on the train”. The good thing about taking the train is that someone else does all the driving, and I can just relax and read my newspaper.

Travelling by plane

Last week we flew to London. We took the bus to JFK airport. When we arrived at the terminal we went to the check-in desk for our flight. We showed our passports at passport control, and then went through security. We had to wait for a while in the departure lounge. When our flight was called, we went through the departure gate, and got on our plane. After the plane had landed at Heathrow, we went to the baggage reclaim to collect our bags, then went through immigration and customs, and out into the arrivals area.

b) Which of these words and word combinations relate to travelling by car? By bike? By bus? By train? By plane? Make up your own sentences.

exhaust fumes get a seat be stuck in traffic gate pollution carriage stop baggage reclaim terminal traffic jam get exercise check-in desk departure lounge platform arrivals junction go through the customs