Idioms and expressions

1. to go (run) on the rocks

2. to push the boat out

3. to row in the same boat with

4. to be at sea

5. to see the rocks ahead

6. to be in the cart

7. to change horses at midstream

8. to hit the road

9. to pave the road to hell with good intentions

Proverbs and sayings

1. Fear the Greeks bearing gifts.

2. The more haste the less speed.

3. A great ship asks deep waters.

4. Distance lends enchantment to the view.

5. Better to ask the way than go astray.

6. Too much curiosity lost Paradise.

7. If two men ride on a horse, one must ride behind.

8. A day of travelling will bring a basket full of learning.

Vocabulary work

Exercise 1.

Study the above given words and phrases, with the help of modern dictionaries define their meaning in English and Russian. Add here any other phrases that you meet on your travels. Make sure that you know the pronunciation of new words.

Exercise 2.

Write down the English equivalents for the following Russian words and word-combinations.

Отправиться в поездку, быть в пути, по пути куда-либо, пешеход, совершать регулярные поездки из пригорода в город на работу, путешествовать налегке, ухабистая дорога, штрафовать за превышение скорости, оставить машину с работающим мотором, заправить бензобак горючим, проехать на машине двести миль, скорый поезд, поезд дальнего следования, пригородный поезд, поезд прямого сообщения, вагон-ресторан, спальный вагон, пожелать кому-либо быстро доехать, послать воздушный поцелуй, предъявить билет, производить посадку на самолет, производить таможенный досмотр, ручной багаж, платить за багаж сверх нормы, благополучно приземлиться, спасательный пояс, сойти на берег в городе N, отдыхающие, обслуживание номеров в отеле.

Exercise 3.

Find words or expressions in the Topical Vocabulary which mean the same as:

• a trip of considerable length, wholly or mainly by land;

• a long journey including the visiting of a number of places in sequence;

• a long journey especially in distant or foreign places;

• a short business or pleasure journey;

• a travel by water or air usually for a long distance;

• a journey in a boat/ship from one side of a lake, river, or sea to the other;

• a journey in a car;

• a journey in a plane;

• a very popular place to travel;

• to travel by asking for free rides in other people's cars;

• a long, hard walk, especially in the mountains.

Exercise 4.

Replace the blanks with travel, travels or travelling.

NOTE: Travel is nearly always uncountable. No article can ever be used with the singular form travel. It is never used for a particular journey or voyage. In the plural (but not modified by numerals, or by many) the noun is used to indicate a series of journeys and voyages made by specific persons. It must therefore be used with a possessive, e. g.:

Travel was slow and dangerous in olden days. Have you done much travelling? "Gulliver's Travels first came out in 1726.

The verb to travel may take the prepositions about, across, through, e. g.:

They have been travelling about the country for a month.

Have you ever travelled through the Caucasus?

1. Is he back from his ... yet? 2. ... broadens the mind. 3. ... at night can be very tiring. 4. He is writing a book about his .... 5. I am a poor flier, so I hate ... by air. 6. Air ... is becoming increasingly popular. 7. Are you fond of...? 8. Have you read "The ... of Marco Polo"?

Exercise 5.

Choose the most suitable word of the two underlined in each sentence.

1. We managed to complete our journey ahead of/in front of schedule.

2. On our way to York, we divided/broke our journey in Peterborough.

3. As I wasn't coming back by train. I asked for a single/simple ticket.

4. The two coaches collided, but luckily no one was injured/wounded.

5. We drove to the town centre and stopped at the library in the way/on the way.

6. My car skidded off the road and crashed/hit a tree.

7. The train was packed, and there was standing place/room only.

8. The police accused Donald of breaking the speed limit/restriction.

Exercise 6.

Choose the best variant to fit the sentence.

1. It was not until she arrived at the station ... realized she had forgotten the ticket.

A) and she B) when she C) she D) that she

2. His uncle ... in London by tonight's plane.

A) arrived B) is arriving C) arriving D) arrives

2. I'd rather ... than take the bus.

A) to walk В) walk C) walked D) walking

2. Peter together with his three friends ... for Spain next Friday.

A) are leaving B) is leaving C) leave D) will leave

5. Heathrow airport... in 1946.

A) opens B) has opened C) was opened D) had been opened

6. If she ... the 8 o'clock plane, she'll arrive in time.

A) catches B) catch C) will catch D) has caught

7. Unfortunately the train ... by the time we reached the railway station.

A) has left B) left C) had been left D) had left

8. It's ... if you take a bus.

A) quick B) quicker C) the quickest D) the quicker

9. Don't drive too fast, …?

A) don't you B)do you C) won't you D) will you

10. Tom is one of the students who ... abroad.

A) go В) goes C) is going D) are going

11. To catch the last train, ... we can leave home at 11.

A) the least B) least C) latest D) the latest

12. ... on the train have no tickets.

A) Most people B) Most of the people C) More people D) Much people

Exercise 7.

Match each person with one of the comments. Use each comment once only.

hitchhiker, conductor, passenger, driver, traffic warden, commuter, steward, seer-by, pedestrian, rambler.

a) I love wandering through the countryside along deserted footpaths.

b) I'll bring you your drink in just a minute, madam.

c) I’ll be waiting all morning at this roundabout for someone to stop.

d) I was just walking down the street opposite the bank when I saw it happen.

e) I've spent the last half an hour looking for a spot. It's hopeless.

f) I'll ring the bell for you, when it's time to get off.

g) The sign clearly says two hours only and you've been here all day.

h) It's just impossible getting across the road here. We need a subway.

i) Do you think you could go a little more slowly, I'm a bit nervous.

j) This train is late every morning. It has been for years.

Exercise 8.

Fill in the blanks with articles if necessary.

1. To go from San Francisco to New York City by ... train, you must ride more than three thousand miles. It takes three days and nights. By riding in ... "vista dome", ... stream­lined train with ... glass top, you can get ... bird's eye view of ... country. As your train proceeds farther east, you cross ... Salt Lake desert, formed by ... evaporation of ... Great Salt Lake. For miles you will see nothing but ... sand and ... salt. From ... state of Utah you enter Wyoming and cross ... Rocky Mountains through ... pass 8000 feet high. ... Rocky Mountain area of Wyoming, Colorado and ... parts of Idaho and Montana is ... paradise for ... tourists and vacationeers. Your train then crosses ... flat plains of Wyo­ming, which stretch out for miles and miles, covered with ... short grass and sage-brush. This is mainly ... sheep and cattle country, ... land of ... cowboys. 2. I had booked ... berth in ... compartment for four persons. At night ... seats con­verted into berths. I did enjoy ... four nights lying snugly in­stalled in my bed, looking out of... window at ... dark trees rushing by. 3. He had been promised ... cabin on ... promenade deck, but he was actually on ... Deck "C", with ... porthole instead of ... window. 4. I rather doubt if it's possible to book ... sleeper just before ... traintime. 5. One of... great attractions of... Mediterranean is that it is .., sea full of ... islands, some of them not yet discovered by holiday-makers. There is ... great deal of ... sunshine and on many of ... islands, there is ... total absence of ... motor traf­fic. Travelling by ... steamers and staying wherever fancy sug­gests is not cheap but some people cut down ... costs by using ... camps or ... cheapest boarding-houses, and I have known those who do it on ... sleeping-bags. 6. In ... aircraft I was seated in ... row ... 19 on ... right, ... window seat. ... flight hostess announced in German and Swedish that we were ap­proaching Vienna and would we kindly fasten our seat belts and extinguish our cigarettes. 7. "At what alti­tude did you fly?" "At ... altitude of 8,000 m." "Could you see ... earth from such ... height?" "Well, when ... visibility was good we could see ... earth all right." "And ... speed?" "We flew at ... speed of 800 km. per hour on ... average."

Exercise 9.

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. How do you feel about holidays in space?

Far from EARTH

Do you want a holiday that is really out of this world? Well how about booking tickets for two weeks in outer space. This (be) a dream of science-fiction writers for decades but some scientists are predicting that soon this dream (become) a real possibility. It seems that big businesses (also/realise) that there is plenty of money to be made from taking tourists into orbit.The race is on to build a cheap and reusable spacecraft to carry passengers and freight. Once they (be) in space, these tourists (need) somewhere to stay. A Japanese company (already/make) plans to build the first space hotel. They say that they (be) ready to accept the first guests in as little as five years. The guests (pay) more than £40,000 and many (suffer) from space sickness, but this isn't expected to put off people who (look for) the ultimate adventure holiday.

Exercise 10.

Fill in the where necessary, justifying the answers. Where might you find a text like this?

Holiday Destinations

1) … Venezuela is a beautiful country in 2) … South America which has something to offer to every visitor. There are tropical beaches where 3) … land meets 4) … Caribbean Sea and 5) … Atlantic Ocean. To 6) … east there are 7) … snow-capped peaks of 8) … Andes Mountains and in 9) … south there is 10) … Amazonian rainforest. Most tourists come into 11) … country by 12) … air, landing in 13) … capital city, 14) … Caracas. While you are there, 15) … Plaza Bolivar with its architecture from 16) … 17th century is well worth a visit as is 17) … busy 18) … Parque Central. Most people, however, come to see 19) … natural wonders on offer. Two of 20) … favourite destinations are 21) … Angel Falls, 22) … highest waterfall in 23) … he world, and 24) … Lake Maracaibo. More adventurous travellers can take a canoe trip up 25) … Orinoco River, climb 26) … Pico Bolivar, 27) … country's highest mountain or take a boat trip along 28) … Carrao River to 29) … Hacha Falls. It will be 30) … experience of a lifetime.