Английский язык Travelling

Transcription

1 Федеральное агентство железнодорожного транспорта Уральский государственный университет путей сообщения Кафедра «Иностранные языки и межкультурные коммуникации» А. В. Григорьева Английский язык Travelling В двух частях Екатеринбург Издательство УрГУПС 2014

2 Федеральное агентство железнодорожного транспорта Уральский государственный университет путей сообщения Кафедра «Иностранные языки и межкультурные коммуникации» А. В. Григорьева Английский язык Travelling В двух частях Часть II Сборник текстов, упражнений и тестов на английском языке для студентов 1 курса всех специальностей Екатеринбург Издательство УрГУПС 2014

3 ББК Ш Г83 Г83 Григорьева, А. В. Английский язык. Travelling. В 2 ч. Ч. 2 : сб. текстов, упражнений и тестов / А. В. Григорьева. Екатеринбург : Изд-во УрГУПС, с. Сборник текстов, упражнений и тестов на английском языке предназначен для студентов 1 курса всех специальностей. Цель автора пособия развить у студентов навыки устной речи по теме «Travelling». Может быть использован для самостоятельной работы студентов, а также для всех видов аудиторной работы. Содержит тексты для чтения и аудирования, кроссворды, а также контрольные задания для проверки знаний студентов по теме «Travelling». ББК Ш Опубликовано по решению редакционно-издательского совета университета. Автор: А. В. Григорьева преподаватель кафедры «Иностранные языки и межкультурные коммуникации», УрГУПС Рецензент: Н.А. Завьялова канд. филол. наук, доцент кафедры лингвистики и профессиональной межкультурной коммуникации на иностранных языках Уральского федерального университета им. первого Президента России Б. Н. Ельцина Уральский государственный университет путей сообщения (УрГУПС), 2014

4 Contents Unit Unit Unit Unit Tests Crosswords Keys Bibliography

5 Unit 1 Race to the sun Exercise 1 In pairs, ask and answer the questions. 1. When was the last time you traveled...? by train by car by plane Where did you go? How long did your journey take? Did you have a good journey? 2. In general, which of the three forms of transport do you prefer? Why? Exercise 2 Answer the questions with by car, by train, or by plane. Which journey do you think was? the quickest the most comfortable the cheapest the most convenient Exercise 3 You're going to read the article «Race to the sun», but the paragraphs are not in the right order. Find the first paragraph for the plane journey, and then the other paragraphs. Do the same for the train journey and the car journey. Then compare with a partner. Race to the sun Every year thousands of British tourists travel to the South of France for their summer holiday. But what is the best way to get there, by car, train, or plane? A British newspaper sent three of its journalists to find out. They had to travel from their homes in London to Avignon. All three travellers set off one Saturday morning in July. Charles went by train (the Eurostar). 4

6 Rosemary flew with a «cut price» airline. Martin travelled by car. A When I got to security I saw that there was an enormous queue. I began to worry that I might miss my flight, because the boarding limit is 40 minutes before take-off. I had to run to gate 48 and I arrived completely out of breath. B Petrol s cheaper in France than in Britain but on the other hand you have to pay to travel on French motorways. In Britain there re free. C I arrived on time! I picked up my suitcase and followed the Exit signs. It was great not to have to wait ages for my luggage or to worry about getting a bus or taxi to the city centre. D I set off at six. It was still dark when I put my suitcase in the car and drove off. I had a good journey through London because it was Saturday so there was no rush hour traffic. E We boarded. Because there are no seat numbers on these flights, everybody tries to get on as quickly as they can. I sat next to a friendly Frenchman. We took off and soon I was looking down on London. There was no meal, not even coffee, but we landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule. F At 4.15 a.m. a taxi picked me up and took me 32 miles to Stansted airport. Although it was early morning, there was a lot of traffic and I arrived later than I had planned. I took my luggage to check in and asked for a window seat but the woman said there were no seat numbers. G Soon I was on the M20 motorway haeding towards Folkestone on the south coast. I stopped at a service station for a cup of coffee and a sandwich. I didn t buy any petrol because itt s much cheaper in France. H At 7.10 a.m. I arrived at Waterloo station by taxi. It took me just 30 minutes from home. I bought the papers and walked to the platform. I got on and found my seat. As soon as we started moving, I went to find the buffet car and had a cup of coffee. 5

7 I It s 960 kilometres from Calais to Avignon, and the journey on the motorway was boring. I listened to my favourite music to pass the time and stopped again for lunch. J Just outside the station I looked up and saw the medieval walls of Avignon's historic city centre. It was 2.20 (France is one hour ahead of the UK) in the afternoon and I was just in time for a late lunch! My ticket cost 65.80, and I gave the journey 8/10 for comfort and 9/10 for convenience. K I arrived at Folkestone at The problem with traveling by car from England to France is that Britain is an island. There are 35 kilometres of water between England and France. You can get across it by ferry, but there s a much better and quicker way the Channel Tunnel! L At eight o clock I finally arrived in Avignon. I found my hotel and I was kooking forward to a lovely French meal. M I only had to wait twenty minutes for my luggage. Then I walked outside into bright sunshine and waited for the bus to Avignon, about 40 kilometres away. I didn't have to wait long and the bus took 45 minutes. It was only and I had the whole day in front of me. My ticket cost 63, and I gave the journey 5/10 for comfort and 5/10 for convenience. N The Channel Tunnel s only a train tunnel, not a road tunnel and so you have to put your car on a train. The journey takes an hour and a half, and drivers have to sit in their cars because there are no seats on the train for passengers. I arrived at the terminal and joined the queue of cars waiting for the next train. O I looked out of the window. Although we were moving at 340 kilometres an hour, the journey was smooth and relatively quiet. The part where we travelled under the English Channel took just 22 minutes. Soon I was looking at the fields and farmhouses of France. The sun was shining. I closed my eyes and went to sleep. P At eight o clock I finally arrived in Avignon. I found my hotel and I was looking forward to a lovely French meal. It took me 14 hours to get there, and cost a total of 200. I gave the journey ten out of ten for convenience but only six for comfort. I was exhausted. 6

8 Q At the train arrived in Calais and I drove my car off the train and onto the road a French road. I had to remember to drive on the right, not on the left! The traffic in Calais was quite bad. Finally I got out of Calais and onto the motorway to the South of France. The speed limit on French motorways is 130 kilometres an hour and the road was clear so now Icould travel quickly. But first I stopped at a service station to fill up with petrol. Note: cut price air line a cheap airline which sells tickets on the Internet, set off to start a journey. Exercise 4 Underline words related to travel in general, words related to plane journey/ to train journey/ to car journey. Exercise 5 Mark the sentences T (true) or F (false). 1. There's a lot of traffic in London on Saturday mornings. 2. Petrol is more expensive in Britain than in France. 3. There are two ways to cross the English Channel by car. 4. You can't drive through the Channel Tunnel. 5. The journey through the tunnel takes an hour. 6. Drivers must sit in their car when they go through the tunnel. 7. The speed limit on French motorways is 120 km/h. 8. French motorways aren't free. 9. It's 970 kilometres from Calais to Avignon. 7

9 Exercise 6 Complete the table: London to Avignon By plane By train By car How long did it take? (from home) 14 hours How much did it cost? 63 Comfort/10 8 Convenience /10 5 Answer the questions with T (the train), C (the car) or P (the plane). On which journey...? Which journey was...? 1) did the traveller have to get up earlier 6) quicker 2) could the traveller see beautiful 7) cheaper scenery 3) was the traveller more stressed 8) more comfortable 4) could the traveller have something to 9) more convenient eat or drink 5) did the traveller have a meal when he arrived Exercise 7 Think of a town / city in your country. How many different ways are there of getting there? Which do you think is the best? Why? Exercise 8 Put the words into the correct column: buffet car, check in, gate, motorway, platform, rush hour, speed limit, station, take off. train car plane 8

10 Unit 2 Car journey Exercise 1 Complete the compound nouns: area belt crash fine hour jam lane lights limit park rank station transport works 1) petrol a place where you can get petrol, often with a shop or café 2) traffic a set of red, yellow, and green lights that control traffic 3) seat a strong belt in a car or plane that you fasten around yourself to hold you in your seat 4) rush the time of day when there is a lot of traffic 5) car when two or more cars hit each other 6) parking money you have to pay for parking illegally 7) traffic when there is so much traffic that cars can t move 8) speed the fastest speed allowed for vehicles in a particular area. 9) public buses, trams, trains, etc. 10) pedestrian a place where you can t drive 11) cycle a narrow part of the road for bicycles only 12) road repairs that are done to the surface of a road 13) taxi where taxis park when they are waiting for customers 14) car a place where you can leave your car Exercise 2 Ask and answer the questions in pairs. In your town/ city What kind of public transport is there? What time is the rush hour? Are there often traffic jams? What s the speed limit? 9

11 Are there speed cameras anywhere? Are there any cycle lanes? Do many people use them? Are there any pedestrian areas? Where? Are there enough car parks? Are they expensive? What happens if you park somewhere illegal? Do people usually wear their seat belt in the back of the car? Do motorcyclists and cyclists wear helmets? Are big lorries allowed to drive through the centre? Exercise 3 Read the beginning of a newspaper article and then talk to a partner: 1. Do you (or your family) ever do any of these things while driving a car? 2. Which three do you think are the most dangerous? Number them 1 3 (1 = the most dangerous). Which of these things is the most dangerous when you're driving a car? making a call on your mobile listening to your favourite music listening to music you don't know opening a packet of crisps or a can of drink picking up a specific CD from the passenger seat talking to other passengers A car magazine tested car drivers in a driving simulator. The drivers had to «drive» in the simulator and at the same time do the things in the list above. The results of the tests were surprising (and worrying). Exercise 4 Now read a road safety expert talking about the tests. Number the activities 1 6. Were your top three right? 10

12 TV host: And this evening on Behind the wheel we talk to Brian Delany, who s an expert on road safety. Brian, you did some tests to find out how dangerous it is to do other things when we re driving. According to your tests, what s the most dangerous thing to do? Expert: Well, the first thing I have to say is that doing any other things when you re driving is dangerous and can cause an accident. Because when you re driving you should concentrate 100% on controlling the car and anything else you do is a distraction. The tests we did in a simulator showed that the most difficult and most dangerous thing is to try and open a packet of crisps or to open a can of drink. The reason is that most people actually need two hands to open a packet of crisps or a can of drink so they take both hands off the wheel for a second or two. And, of course, that s the most dangerous thing you can possibly do. In fact, one of the drivers in the simulator actually crashed when he did this. TV host: And which is the next more dangerous? Expert: The next more dangerous thing is to select a specific CD from the passenger seat. This is extremely dangerous too because to do this you have to take your eyes off the road for one or two seconds. TV host: And number three? Expert: Number three was making a phone call on a mobile. What we found in the tests was that drivers drove more slowly when they did this, but their control of the car got worse. TV host: Yes, I can believe that. And number 4? Expert: Number four was listening to our favourite music. In the tests most drivers drove more quickly and less safely when they were listening to music they already knew. If the music was fast and heavy, some drivers even drove more aggressively. TV host: So no heavy metal when you re driving. Expert: Absolutely not. TV host: And in fifth place? 11

13 Expert: TV host: Expert: In fifth place was talking to other passengers. The problem when we talk to other people in the car is that we pay too much attention to what we re saying or what we re hearing and not enough attention to what s happening on the road. So the least dangerous is listening to music you don t know. That s right. The least dangerous of all these activities is listening to unfamiliar music on the radio or on a CD player. It seems that if we don t know the music then we re less distracted by it. In this part of the tests, all drivers drove safely and well. Exercise 5 Read again and answer the questions. 1. What should you do when you are driving? 2. Why is opening a packet of crisps or a can so dangerous? 3. What do people often do when they pick up a CD? 4. What gets worse when drivers are talking on the phone? 5. How do people drive when they are listening to their favourite music? 6. What happens if the music is fast and heavy? 7. What's the main problem when drivers talk to other passengers? 8. Why is listening to music you don't know the least dangerous? Exercise 6 Look at the statements below and decide whether you agree or disagree. Think about your reasons. Drivers should not use any kind of phone when they are driving. The minimum age for riding a motorbike should be 25. People who drink and drive should lose their licence for life. The speed limit on motorways should be 100 kilometres an hour. Cyclists are just as dangerous as car drivers. Speed cameras do not stop accidents. 12

14 People over 70 are more dangerous drivers than young people. Exercise 7 In groups, give your opinions on each sentence. Do you agree? Exercise 1 Telling a story Read the story once. What happned in the end? Nightmare journeys We asked you to tell us about your nightmare journeys. Jutta from Germany wrote to us about hers A nightmare journey I remember was three years ago 1 I was going to the airport with my friend. We were going to Mallorca on holiday and we had to be at Dresden airport two hours before the flight. We leaved home with plenty of time, 2 when we got to the motorway there was a huge traffic jam! The traffic wasn t moving at all. We didn t knew what to do. It was too late to go another way, 3 we just sat in the car getting more and more stressed. 4 ten minutes the traffic started moving slowly. We decided to leave the motorway and try to found another way to the airport, 5 I wasn t sure of the way and we got completely lost. We was sure we were going to miss the flight. We finally arrived at th airport just thirty minutes before the plane was going to leave. Th woman at the check-in-desk said we couldn t to check in our luggage 6 it was too late 7 we had to run with all our cases to the departure gate. 8 my friend felt over and hurt her leg, we managed to get to the gate in time and 9 we caught our flight. Exercise 2 Correct the six grammar mistakes with the verbs (wrong tense or wrong form). 13

15 Exercise 3 Read the story again and complete with a connecting word or phrase: after although because but (x2) in th end so (x2) when Exercise 4 Look at the list of possible travel problems. Mark them C if they refer to a car journey and P if they refer to a plane journey. the flight was delayed you broke down you got lost you missed oyur flight there was a traffic jam you got a puncture you forgot your passport your flight was overbooked Exercise 5 Write about a nightmare journey you ve had (or invent one). Plan what you re going to write using the paragraph summaries below: Paragraph 1. When was the journey? Where were you going? Who with? Why? Paragraph 2. What went wrong? What happened? Paragraph 3. What happened in the end? Check the story for mistakes (grammar, punctuation, and spelling). 14

16 Unit 3 Air travel Exercise 1 Read the back cover of a book about air travel. Can you guess the answers to any of the questions? Air Babylon is a best-selling book, co-written by Imogen Edwards- Jones and anonymous airline staff whose identities must remain secret. It tells the 'inside story' about flying and answers all these questions and any more What are the check-in staff really doing when they type at their computers? Why is the heating often suddenly turned up halfway through a flight? Out of 1,000 passengers, how many will probably lose their luggage? Why do airport staff sometimes have a problem with wheelchairs? Why can you sometimes smell roast chicken in a plane when they are serving you fish? Exercise 2 Now quickly read the extract from Air Babylon. Did you guess correctly? Air Babylon Depending on what computer system the airline uses, check-in staff can talk to each other via simultaneous . So when they seem to be taking a very long time to type your rather short name into the computer, they are probably sending one of their colleagues a message - usually about you or about someone in the queue behind you. These messages range from «Have you seen this incredibly good looking woman / man?» to «I've got a really difficult passenger here - does anyone have a seat next to a screaming child?» (1) 15

17 There is a sensible drinking policy on all airlines, which means that we are not supposed to serve passengers if they start getting noisy, but some air crew think that if you give them enough to eat and drink, they will eventually fall asleep and give you no trouble at all. (2) That's the reason, of course, why we like to turn the heating up halfway through a flight... Some airports are notorious for losing passengers' luggage. Heathrow has a poor reputation - most airports lose about two in every thousand bags, but Heathrow loses eighty per thousand, which means for every five hundred people who check in, forty won't get their bags or suitcases at the other end! (3) When the airport is busy, which it always is, there is so much baggage being transported between the terminals and so little time to do it that a lot of the transferred luggage gets left behind. (4) Not only is there always a shortage of them for the people who really need them, but worse still, some of the people who request them often don't need them at all. I've lost count of the number of times I've pushed someone through the airport, taken them through customs and passport control, and got a porter to pick up their luggage, and then seen the person jump up in Arrivals and sprint towards their waiting relatives. One flight attendant I know gets so annoyed when this happens that as soon as the passenger gets out of the chair she shouts, «Ladies and gentlemen! I give you another miracle, courtesy of the airline industry! After decades in a chair, he walks again!» The passenger is normally so embarrassed that he (and it's usually a he) disappears as quickly as he can. Birds are one of the major problems for any airport when planes are taking off and landing. A swan or any large bird can easily cause an accident. (5) Smaller birds are less of a problem. In some cases they can do some damage, but more often than not they are just roasted. When this happens, there is often such a strong smell of roast bird that passengers on the plane think that chicken is being cooked, and they're often surprised when they are given a choice of fish or beef at dinner! 16

18 Exercise 3 Now read the extract again. Complete each paragraph with one of the sentences below. Be careful, as there is one sentence you do not need to use. A. Wheelchairs are a big problem for us. B. It flies into the engine, totally destroying itself and the machinery. C. I'll never forget the last time it happened to me. D. So you can see, it really does pay to be nice to the person at the desk. E. This is mainly because the transport times between the terminals are so tight. F. And, as every flight attendant knows, a snoring plane is a happy plane. Exercise 4 Complete the column on the right with a word or phrase (all the words come from the Air Babylon extract). At the airport 1. Most big airports have several different buildings called ( ). terminals 2. Passengers leave from Departures and arrive at. 3. Two general words for bags and suitcases are and. 4. When you arrive at the airport, you go to to get your boarding pass. 5. Before you get on the plane you have to show identification at and go through security. 6. After you have arrived you go to baggage reclaim to your luggage. 7. When you go through, you may be asked, «Do you have anything to declare?» 8. A person whose job is to carry your bags for you is called a. 9. Ryanair and easyjet were two of the first low-cost. 17

19 On the plane 10. The pilots and other people who work in the plane are the (air). 11. The people who have paid to travel in a plane are. 12. The person who looks after you during a flight is the 13. You can usually ask for a window or aisle. 14. The noun from the verb fly is. 15. When a plane is going up into the sky it is. 16. When a plane is coming down from the air it is. Exercise 5 or train? Which of the words in exercise 5 can also be used if you are travelling by bus Exercise 6 Cover the words on the right and read the definitions again. Can you remember all the words and pronounce them correctly? We're going to crash! Exercise 1 Read a newspaper story about an incident during a recent flight. What happened? Do you think the flight attendant should lose her job? Hysterical flight attendant causes panic on transatlantic flight Everything was going smoothly on Virgin Atlantic flight VS043 from London Gatwick to Las Vegas. The 451 passengers were relaxing after lunch when the plane hit some turbulence over Greenland. There was no advance warning, so many passengers were out of their seats or were not wearing seat belts when the plane started dropping violently. 18

20 Suddenly one of the flight attendants screamed, «We're going to crash!». Panic immediately broke out. In the 30 minutes of chaos, passengers desperately clung to their seats, as drinks and magazines flew around the cabin. Amid the terror, the flight attendant screamed every time the plane dropped. Businesswoman Angela Marshall was travelling with her partner. «Until then the flight had been fine», she said afterwards. «I'd been reading my book and my partner had been having a nap. But when the flight attendant started screaming, I was totally convinced that we were about to die». Another passenger said, «It was unreal, like something from a film. People started crying and being sick. That woman shouldn't be a flight attendant. After we landed she was joking and laughing as if nothing had happened, but we all staggered off the plane in a state of shock». Glossary: turbulence sudden and violent changes in wind direction; break (broke, broken) out - start suddenly; cling (clung, clung) hold on tightly to sb / sth; nap a short sleep especially during the day; be about to be going to do something very soon; stagger walk as if you are about to fall. Interview Exercise 1 You are going to read an interview with two pilots. Before you read, discuss questions 1-6 with a partner and guess how the pilots will answer them. 1. What weather conditions are the most dangerous when flying a plane? 2. Which is more dangerous, taking off or landing? 3. Is it really worth passengers wearing seat belts? 4. Is it worth listening to the safety instructions? 5. Are some airports more dangerous than others? 6. How important is it for pilots to speak English well? 19

21 Exercise 2 Read the first part of the interview. How many of the questions did you answer correctly? Interviewer: With me in the studio today I have two pilots, Richard and Steven, who are going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about flying and air travel. Hello to both of you. Pilots: Hello. Interviewer: Right, the first question is what weather conditions are the most dangerous when flying a plane? Steven: Probably the most dangerous weather conditions are when the wind changes direction very suddenly. This tends to happen during thunderstorms and typhoons and it's especially dangerous during take-off and landing. But it's quite unusual I've been flying for 37 years now and I've only experienced this three or four times. Interviewer: Is all turbulence dangerous? Steven: No, in fact it's not normally dangerous. Pilots know when to expect turbulence and we try to avoid it by changing routes or flight levels. Interviewer: Which is more dangerous, take-off or landing? Richard: Both take-off and landing can be dangerous. They're the most critical moments of a flight. Pilots talk about the «critical eight minutes» the three minutes after take-off and the five minutes before landing. Most accidents happen in this period. Steven: I would say take-off is probably slightly more dangerous than landing. There is a critical moment just before take off when the plane is accelerating, but it hasn't yet reached the speed to be able to fly. If the pilot has a problem with the plane at this point, he has very little time maybe only a second to abort the take off. 20

22 Interviewer: Richard: Interviewer: Steven: Interviewer: Richard: Interviewer: Steven: Richard: Interviewer: Passengers often think that putting on seat belts in a plane is really a waste of time. Is that true? Not at all. When the plane is moving on the ground and the pilot suddenly puts the brakes on, passengers can be thrown out of their seats, just like in a car. But more importantly, during the flight if there is sudden and severe turbulence, you could be thrown all over the cabin if you aren't wearing your seat belt. That's why airlines usually recommend you wear your belt even when the seat belt light is off. Should we really listen to the safety information? It's definitely worth listening to the information about emergency exits. If there's a fire on a plane, it may be dark and the plane will be full of smoke and fumes. So listening to where the exits are and working out which one is the nearest exit to you might save your life. Most aircrew can even tell you where the emergency exits are in the hotels where they stay. What about life jackets? Fortunately, planes very rarely have to land in the sea, but to be honest the chances of surviving if your plane did crash into the sea are not high. Are some airports more dangerous than others? Yes, some are particularly airports with high mountains around them and airports in countries with older or more basic navigation equipment. For some difficult airports like, let's say Kathmandu, they only allow very experienced pilots to land there. And for some of these airports pilots have to practise on a simulator first before they are given permission to land a plane there. How important is it for pilots and controllers to have good clear English? 21

23 Steven: Richard: It's the official language of the air, so obviously it's vital for pilots and controllers to have good English. To be honest, it doesn't always happen. And apart from people's English not being good, some countries don't respect the convention and don't force their pilots to speak in English. But most of them do, luckily. Exercise 3 With a partner try to remember as much as possible about the pilots' answers. Exercise 4 Now read the second part, try to remember the anecdotes. Interviewer: Have you ever had a problem with a famous person as a passenger? Richard: I've carried a lot of famous people and they are usually very well behaved. But I remember once I had the actor Steven Seagal as a passenger and the cabin crew told me that he had just got on board and he was carrying an enormous samurai sword. Weapons aren't allowed on board, of course, so I had to go and speak to him. He looked very imposing standing in the cabin. He was nearly 2 metres tall, dressed completely in black, carrying a sword and he is as you probably know a martial arts expert. But in fact he was very happy to give us the sword, which was gold and which had been given to him as a present in Bali. Interviewer: What's your most frightening experience as a pilot? Steven: Crossing the road outside the airport terminal! That's certainly the most dangerous thing I do. Probably in connection with flying, my most frightening experience would have to be a near miss I had when I was flying a Boeing 747 at night. A small aeroplane passed in the opposite direction just 15 metres below my plane. Just after 22

24 Interviewer: Richard: this happened, a flight attendant brought us some hot snacks and I distinctly remember how good they tasted! Have you ever been taken ill during a flight? Once I was flying from Hong Kong to London, that's a 13-hour flight, and I got food poisoning after six hours. I felt terrible incapable of doing anything at all for the rest of the flight. Luckily though, the rest of the crew were fine, because on all flights the crew are given different meals, just in case. So as my co-pilots had eaten a different meal and felt fine, the flight was able to continue safely. Exercise 5 Do you think you would like to work as a pilot? What are the main advantages and disadvantages? Flight stories When someone tells us a story or anecdote, we normally interact with the person who is telling the story. Useful language Asking for more information Showing surprise Showing approval Showing sympathy What happened next? Then what happened? Really? You're joking? Wow! That's great / Oh no! How awful! How did you feel? What was it like? No! I don't believe it. fantastic! What a pity! Exercise 1 Read a newspaper story to retell to your partner. Write down 10 words that will help you remember the story. 23

25 Student 1 read a newspaper article «Lovesick violinist grounds plane», Student 2 read a newspaper article «Tourist stranded at airport for five months». Student 1 Lovesick violinist grounds plane Nuala Ni Chanainn, an Irish violinist, had been traveling round San Francisco as part of a theatre group. When the tour was over, she went to the airport and boarded the plane that would take her back home to Irland. She was in her seat, waiting for the plane to take off, when she suddenly decided not to go after all. She rushed off the plane at the last minute, leaving TWA airline officials thinking tjat she perhaps had planted a bomb on the plane and escaped. The plane and all the luggage were thoroughly searched by a bomb-sniffing dog. Meanwhile, the airport authorities stopped Nuala and took her away to be questioned. However, after extensive questioning, she managed to convince them that she hadn t planted a bomb: she simply couldn t bear to leave her new boyfriend! The plane was allowed to depart nearly four hours later, minus the love-struck violinist, who then spent another two weeks in the States with her boyfriend. Student 2 Tourist stranded at airport for five months When student Sheridan Gregorio arrived at Fortaleza airport in Brazil, he was planning to fly home to Holland. He had had a great holiday, but unfortunately he had spent all his money. All he had was his return air ticket to Amsterdam. But when he checked in, the airline staff at the airport told him that he would have to pay airport tax before he could leave the country. Sheridan explaned that he was completely broke, but he wasn t allowed to fly and so he missed his flight home. His ticket was non-refundable, so now needed to buy a new ticket and pay the airport tax. As he had no money, Sheridan s only option was to sleep in the airport and clean restaurants in exchange for food and some money. After working for five months, he had saved enough for the airport tax and the Brazilian police persuaded 24

26 the airline to let him use his old ticket to go home. Sheridan told a newspaper reporter from Jornal da Globo, «The Brazilian people were really nice to me, they treated me very well». Sheridan finally arrived home safe and sound last week. Exercise 2 Close your book and tell your story to your partner in your own words, e.g. There was a woman called Nala who was a violinist from Ireland or There was a Dutch man who was on holiday in Brarzil Exercise 3 Listen to your partner s story, and ask your partner to clarify or rephrase if there s anything you don t understand. Exercise 4 You are going to tell an anecdote. The story can either be true or invented. If it is invented, you must try to tell it in such a convincing way that your partner thinks it's true. Choose one of the topics below and plan what you are going to say. Look at the Story plan below, and ask your teacher for any words you need. Talk about a time when you (or someone you know)... had a frightening / funny / unusual experience when travelling by plane / bus / train; got ill or had an accident while traveling; missed a bus / train / flight which caused serious complications; arrived home from a trip and had a surprise. 25

27 Story plan Setting the scene This happened to me when I was I was -ing when I because I had / hadn t The main events I decided to because So then I Suddenly / At that moment What happened in the end In the end / Eventually I felt Exercise 5 In pairs, Student 1 tells the story to Student 2. Student 2 asks Student 1 for more details and decides whether the story is true or not. Then swap roles. There is no need to panic I knew it was going to be a bad day when, on the way to the airport, the taxi driver told me he was lost. I had booked my flight over the telephone, so when we finally arrived, I had to rush to the reservations desk to pay for my ticket. The woman at the desk told me that my name was not on the passenger list. It took fifteen minutes 26

28 for her to realize that she had spelled my name incorrectly. She gave me my ticket and told me I'd better check in my luggage quickly or I'd miss my flight. I was the last person to get on the plane. I found my seat and discovered that I was sitting next to a four-year-old boy who had a cold. I sat down and wondered if anything else could go wrong. I hate flying, especially take-off, but the plane took off and everything seemed to be all right. Then, a few minutes later, there was a funny noise and everything started to shake. I looked out of the window and oh my goodness there was smoke coming out of the wing. All I could think of was «The engine is on fire. We're going to crash. I'm too young to die». Almost immediately, the captain spoke to us in a very calm voice, «Ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. We are having a slight technical problem with one of our engines. There is absolutely no need to panic. We will have to return to the airport. Please remain seated and keep your seat belts fastened». Well, you can imagine how frightened I was, but the crew was fantastic. The flight attendants were really calm and told us not to worry. One of them told me to relax and said that everything would be all right. A few minutes later, we were coming in to land. The pilot made a perfect landing on the runway. It was over. We were safe. That day, I decided not to fly again. I caught another taxi and went home. But as I closed the front door, I looked down. Somehow, I had picked up the wrong suitcase. Exercise 1 Answer the questions about yourself. Are you afraid of flying? Which form of transportation do you believe is the safest and which is the most dangerous? Why? Have you ever had a bad experience while flying? What happened? 27

29 Unit 4 The true story of the Titanic Exercise 1 Do the quiz in pairs. 1. When did the Titanic sink? a) January 1910 b) April 1912 c) March Where was the ship sailing to? a) America b) England c) Canada 3. How many people were there on board (passengers and crew)? a) 2,207 b) 4,532 c) 1, How many lifeboats were there? a) enough for everybody b) enough for most people c) enough for half the people 5. What was the name of the ship that went to help them? a) The Olympic b) The Carpathia c) The Californian 6. What happened to Bruce Ismay, the director of the company? a) He drowned. b) He survived. c) He killed himself. 7. When did the rescue ship arrive? a) about an hour too late b) four hours too late c) a day too late 8. How many people survived? a) about 1,500 b) about 1,200 c) about 700 Exercise 2 Read the text and check your answers. The sinking of the Titanic Sunday, 14th April 1912, p.m. It was a freezing cold night with a sky full of stars. The Titanic was traveling across the Atlantic to New York on its first voyage. It was traveling at full speed. The 28

30 Titanic was the biggest, fastest, and most luxurious ship in the world. There were 2,207 people on board. Among them were some of the richest and most famous people in the world, including ten miilionaires p.m. Most of the passengers were sleeping or getting ready for bed. Suddenly in the darkness one of the sailors saw an enormous dark object. Iceberg ahead! he shouted. The huge ship turned slowly to avoid it, but it was too late. The Titanic hit the side of the iceberg, which made a hole in the side of the ship more than 100 metres long. Water began to rush in... When the engines stopped, the captain went down to see exactly what had happened. With him was the ship s designer, Thomas Andrews. «What do you think, Thomas? Is it serious?» «I m afraid it is, Captain. The ship s going to sink in less than two hours.» «Sink? Are you sure?» «I m certain. You ll have to abandon ship.» But Captain Smith and Thomas Andrews knew something that none of the passengers knew. The Titanic had only 20 lifeboats, enough for about half the people on board a.m. The two radio officers on the Titanic began sending the desperate SOS message, «We have hit an iceberg. We are sinking fast. Come immediately.» The nearest ship, the Carpathia, was four hours away. As soon as it heard the message, it started coming at full speed to help a.m. Captain Smith gave the order to abandon ship «Women and children first!». The Titanic s orchestra of eight musicians began playing cheerful dance music on deck to keep the passengers calm. The first lifeboat was lowered into the water a.m. The last lifeboat left the Titanic. At the final moment, Bruce Ismay, the director of the company which owned the ship, got into the lifeboat. The men, women and children who were still on the ship now had no hope of rescue. The orchestra' continued playing a.m. With an awful noise, the Titanic disappeared completely into the sea. 29

31 Immediately afterwards the people in the lifeboats heard the terrible shouts and screams of the passengers in the freezing water. After half an hour, the noise finally stopped a.m. The Carpathia finally arrived an hour and ten minutes after the Titanic had sunk, and the 705 passengers in the lifeboats were rescued. The Carpathia searched the area where the Titanic sunk, but they found no more survivors. 1,502 people had drowned. Exercise 3 Read again for more detail. In pairs, answer the questions. 1. What was the weather like on the night of the tragedy? 2. What were the passengers doing at when the ship hit the iceberg? 3. How big was the hole it made? 4. What radio message did they send? 5. What did the orchestra do? Why? 6. Who did the Captain tell to leave the ship first? 7. What time did the ship sink? 8. Did the rescue ship find anybody alive in the water? The truth about the Titanic The sinking of the Titanic on its first voyage has fascinated people all over the world for nearly a hundred years. It is a story surrounded by mystery and speculation. Here we answer the questions most often asked about the most famous of ships. 1 The regulations controlling the number of lifeboats that a ship should carry were terribly out of date. The Titanic only had to have 16 lifeboats, enough for 962 people, which was ridiculous as the ship could carry 3,511 people. Nobody would have died on April 14th 1912 if the Titanic had had enough lifeboats for all the passengers. 30

32 2 A small ship called the Californian was only 20 kilometres away from the Titanic. It had stopped for the night because of the icebergs. It was so near that the two ships could see each other s lights.the radio operator had just gone to bed so he didn t hear the Titanic s S.O.S message. Later, sailors saw the Titanic's eight white rockets in the sky. They woke up their captain but he didn t do anything as he didn t think the rockets were important. If the Californian had known the Titanic was sinking, it would have rescued everybody. The captain of the Californian was later blamed for not going to help the Titanic and his reputation was destroyed. 3 Although they had received several warnings of icebergs from other ships in the area, the Titanic was going at top speed. The captain of the Titanic, like other captains, was under great commercial pressure to make the Atlantic crossing as quickly as possible. Also Bruce Ismay, the director of the White Star Line which owned the Titanic, was on board and he wanted his ship to beat the company record for the fastest crossing. Another criticism of Captain Smith is that he was not on the bridge at the time of the collision. Perhaps if he had been there, his ship would not have hit the iceberg. Captain Smith and the ship s designer Thomas Andrews both drowned. 4 In the confusion of the evacuation, many lifeboats left the Titanic half empty. This was partly because Captain Smith and his crew found it difficult to persuade people to leave the unsinkable Titanic. Many were terrified at the idea of being lowered down into the sea in a tiny lifeboat. When the Titanic finally sank, some of the passengers in the lifeboats wanted to go back and rescue some of the people swimming in the freezing water. If they had gone back, many more people might have been saved. But other people in the lifeboats argued that they had to put their own lives first and that if too many people in the water tried to get into the lifeboats, they would overturn and everybody would drown. Finally, only one of the sixteen 31

33 lifeboats went back to pick up survivors. They only managed to rescue five people. Everyone else was dead. 5 After the collision, the little group of musicians started playing in the firstclass lounge to keep the passengers calm, but later they moved up onto the deck. Some survivors in the lifeboats said they could still hear the musicians playing a waltz called Autumn until just before the ship finally sank. If they hadn t continued playing until so the end, there would have been much more panic on the ship. Not one of the orchestra survived. 6 The public were extremely suspicious about any of the 58 men who survived the disaster, especially as about 150 women and children died (mostly from Second and Third class). But Bruce Ismay received the most criticism. When his beautiful ship sank, Ismay, in one of the lifeboats, turned his head so as not to see it. Later, numerous articles were written in newspapers attacking him for saving his own life. Ismay had to retire from the company and from public life. Nobody was ever allowed to mention the Titanic in his presence. Exercise 1 Read the text and match the questions below to paragraphs 1-6. Did the orchestra really play until the end? Was Captain Smith to blame? What happened to Bruce Ismay after the disaster? Why weren't there enough lifeboats? Was there another ship which could have helped the Titanic? Why didn't the lifeboats go back to rescue survivors? 32

34 Exercise 2 Read the text again and underline any words or expressions you don't know. In pairs, try to guess their meaning. Exercise 3 In pairs, cover the text and answer the questions in a from memory. Exercise 4 Find the words for these definitions in the text 1) sailors and officers on a ship 2) go down in water 3) save someone from danger 4) die in water 5) a small boat used in emergencies 6) person who doesn t die in an accident 7) a journey by sea 8) the floor of a ship 9) people who travel on a ship, plane, etc. 10) two things hitting each other 11) something telling you about possible danger 12) leave a ship (because it s sinking) Exercise 5 Read a story to retell to your partner. Try to remember it. Student 1 read a story «The Spanish couple», Student 2 read a story «The French children». Student 1 33

35 The Spanish couple A young spanish couple, Victor and Josefa, aged 24 and 22, had just got married. They were from two of the richest families in Spain. They wanted to spend part of their honeymoon travelling to New York on the Titanic. They got on board the ship when it stopped in France. But Victor s mother didn t want them to travel on the Titanic because she had had a dream that it was going to sink. So Victor left one of his servants in Paris with a lot of postcards, already written. He told the servant to send one postcard every day to his mother in Madrid, so that she would think that they were in Paris on holiday. When the Titanic hit the iceberg, Josefa was in bed and her husband was getting ready for bed. Victor went up to see what had happened. When he came back, he told Josefa to get dressed. They both went up on deck, and Josefa got into a lifeboat. Victor stayed on the ship. When the Titanic sank, Josefa and the other people in the lifeboat heard the terrible cries of the people in the water. Josefa shouted the name of her husband Victor again and again. Josefa arrived safely in New York on the Carpathia. At first Victor s mother refused to believe that her son was dead. «But he s in Paris!» she said. «I ve just had a postcard from him today.» Josefa married again six years later and had three children. She died in 1972, aged 83. Student 2 The French children A french man called Louis Hoffman was travelling on the Titanic with his two young sons, Michel and Edmond, aged four and two. He told the other passengers that his wife was dead. But this wasn t true. The true story was that his name was Michel Navratil. He had just separated from his wife Marcelle. He had decided to run away with his children. He was going 34

36 to take them to New York to start a new life there. When the Titanic was sinking, Michel dressed the two little boys and put them into the last lifeboat. He stayed on the ship when it sank and he drowned. The two boys were rescued by the Carpathia. When the two little boys arrived in New York on the Carpathia, they were the only children who didn t have a mother or father. Newspapers all around the world put their photograph on the front page. Their mother, Marcelle, in France saw the newspaper and recognized her children. She immediately travelled to New York to get them. Her older child, Michel, had a message for her from her ex- husband. On the deck of the sinking ship he had told his son, «when you see your mother, tell her that I loved her and that I still love her.» Exercise 6 Tell your partner what you remember of your story from memory. Begin I m going to tell you about the Spanish couple... or I m going to tell you about the French children... Exercise 7 Listen to your partner s story, and ask your partner to clarify or rephrase if there s anything you don t understand. 35

37 Tests Test 1 Here is a quiz with related travel vocabulary for four means of travelling: by rail, by bus or coach, by air, and by sea. Use the following words to fill in the gaps in the travel chart. Each word or phrase is used only once: bus terminal aircraft catch / get on / board disembark quay / dock liner trip depart / leave land bridge driver s seat pilot corridor / aisle Means of Travel By rail By bus / coach By air By sea station airport port train bus ship catch / get on get on / board embark get off get off get off / disembark platform departure gate departure gate passenger train coach / bus passenger jet / airplane journey flight voyage depart / leave take off sail arrive arrive dock engine cockpit engine driver bus driver captain aisle aisle gangway Test 2 1. She's away on a business. a) journey b) travel c) trip 36

38 2. My to work takes an hour. a) journey b) travel c) trip 3. I've got to pick up the tickets from the agent. a) journey b) travel c) trip 4. I'm going to by plane. a) journey b) travel c) trip 5. We went on a day to see Stonehenge. a) journey b) travel c) trip 6. The by road is very slow. a) journey b) travel c) trip 7. Which is the American spelling? a) traveled b) travelled 8. Which is the British spelling? a) traveled b) travelled 9. I'm going to take a year out to round the world. a) journey b) travel c) trip 10. The high speed train will cut the time by an hour. a) journey b) travel 11. Have you read 'The of Marco Polo'? a) travel b) travels Test 3 1. Where do you find taxis waiting in a queue in London? (if you are lucky!) a) taxi rank b) taxi stand c) taxi stop d) taxi station 2. What is the underground train system called in New York City? a) The Metro b) The Underground c) The Subway d) The Tube 3. The 11:19 Express to London Victoria is now standing at 4. a) quay b) stand c) track d) platform 4. A pilot flies a plane, a captain sails a ship, but what does a cabby drive? a) a train b) a bus c) a taxi d) you crazy! 37