Unit VIII travelling

Vocabulary

to travel by train / plane / coach / bus / car / ship / ferry / bicycle / by land / air / sea

to go on foot; to hitch-hike

to travel for short / long distance

express / day / overnight / high-speed / commuter / direct / train / car / carriage; sleeping car; buffet car

steward/guard

compartment

berth (lower/upper)

travel

journey, trip, voyage, cruise

deck (lower/upper)

to get seasick/airsick

book a ticket (in advance)

booking office

to buy (bought) a ticket through a ticket machine

ticker inspector/spot checker

time-table

arrival/departure board

to arrive at/in

to depart

to delay

to cancel

to change trains/lines

to board a train/plane/ship/ferry

to get on/off (transport)

boarding is announced; a boarding pass/card

single/return ticket (Br.); one way/round trip (am)

to catch/miss a train/plane/bus …

information office

waiting room

departure lounge

gate (number)

flight (number)

to check-in, check-in desk

luggage/baggage; baggage claim

suitcase

duty-free shop, customs, customs declaration/officer

to go through the customs, fill in (out) a customs declaration;

Do you have/ Have you got anything to declare?

air shuttle

calm/stormy sea

Ex.1 Match the words with the categories a-c

a. by land b. by air c. by sea

boat, car, helicopter, train, balloon, ferry, bicycle (bike), bus, motorbike, plane, coach, ship, commuter.

Ex.2 Group the words in Exercise 1 in the categories below.

1. private: car public: ….

1. private and public transport

2. vehicles that you use for short distances and long distances

3. vehicles that you drive, ride, sail or fly

4. vehicles that a pilot, driver, and rider controls

Ex.3 Say which kind of transport you usually use for work, University or free-time activities.

Model: During the week, I usually travel around town by bus. At weekends I often drive to friends’ houses or into the country. When I go on holiday, I travel by train.

Ex.4 Read the text about different ways of travelling and underline the phrases that describe their advantages and disadvantages.

Before planning a long distance trip you often have to decide which way of travelling you would prefer: by air, by land or by sea

Travelling by air is considered to be the most speedy and comfortable. But a lot of people hate flying. They think it’s too expensive and dangerous. Besides you have to spend a lot of time in a long queue waiting for your ticket and luggage to be checked in or your flight may be delayed and sometimes even cancelled. Very often it takes hours for the plane to take off. Then after the plane lands it takes hours to get out of the airport and into the city because airports are usually very far from the city centre and you have to use an air-shuttle or a taxi to get there.

If you travel by train it’s much cheaper, safer and sometimes even more comfortable. On a train you may be sitting and watching landscapes passing by or just resting and reading. RY stations are more convenient than airports, as you can get on and off the train in the centre of the city. If you miss a train, you can catch another one later. Of course, trains are slower than planes and long journeys may be boring and tiresome or it may be stuffy in a compartment.

And of course, you can’t get to Sakhalin or to New-York by train.

If you are not in a hurry and want to have a romantic holiday, why not to take a journey by ship, or ferry? A trip by sea offers a great variety of pleasures. You can relax on a deck sunbathing, swim in the pool or enjoy restaurants and bars meeting new people, if the sea is calm. If not, you can get seasick and it spoils your journey.

Travelling by car or by bike is getting more and more popular. First of all you don’t need to buy tickets. You put your entire luggage in the trunk and go where you want. But you have to plan your journey and think over all the details beforehand to avoid unpleasant situations. And of course, the most important is to have a driver’s license and be a good driver.

Travelling on foot or rambling as it is called in England may be the healthiest way of travelling. You take your rucksack and you needn’t buy any tickets, you needn’t hurry. But how far can you travel on foot?

Ex.5 Say which of these adjectives describe travelling by train? By plane? By sea? By car (bike)?

Dangerous; fast; romantic; safe; slow; comfortable; expensive; speedy; boring; convenient; tiresome; pleasant; interesting; popular; healthy.

Ex.6 Match the verbs from the text and their definitions.

1. to land 2. to catch 3. to miss 4. to take off 5. to check in 6. to cancel 7. to be delayed 8. to ramble

a). to leave the ground and go up in the air b). to arrive at an airport in a plane c). to arrive too late for a plane, train etc. d). to get on or into public transport e). to walk about for pleasure f). to be postponed g). to call off h). to register; to verify

Ex.7 Complete the table below and be ready to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the kinds of transport.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
by train	safe	……………………
by plane	……………………	……………………
by ferry	……………………	……………………
by car	……………………	……………………
by bike	……………………	……………………
on foot	……………………	……………………

Ex.8 Compare different kinds of transport. Use different forms of adjectives.