Modern holidays

Both of the traditional types of holiday have become less popular in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The increase in car owner­ship has encouraged many people to take caravan holidays. But the greatest cause of the decline of the traditional holiday is foreign tourism. Before the 19605, only the rich took holidays abroad. By 1971, the British were taking 7 million foreign holidays and by 1987, 70 million. These days, millions of British people take their cars across the channel every year and nearly half of all the nights spent on holidays away from home are spent abroad.

Most foreign holidays are package holidays, in which transport and accommodation are booked and paid for through a travel agent. These holidays are often booked a long time in advance. In the middle of winter the television companies run programmes which give information about the packages being offered. People need cheering up at this time of the year! In many British homes it has become traditional to get the holiday brochures out and start talking about where to go in the summer on Boxing Day. Spain is by far the most popular package-holiday destination.

Half of all the holidays taken within Britain are now for three days or less. Every bank-holiday weekend there are long traffic jams along the routes to the most popular holiday areas. The traditional seaside resorts have survived by adjusting themselves to this trend. (Only the rich have second houses or cottages in the countryside to which they can escape at weekends.) But there are also many other types of holiday. Hiking in the country and sleeping at youth hostels has long been popular (see chapter 5) and so among an enthusiastic minority, has pot-holing (the exploration of underground caves). There are also a wide range of activity holidays available, giving full expres­sion to British individualism. You can, for example, take part in a 'murder weekend', and find yourself living out the plot of detective story.

An increasing number of people now go on 'working' holidays, during which they might help to repair an ancient stone wall or take part in an archaeological dig. This is an echo of another traditional type of holiday - fruit picking. It used to be the habit of poor people from the east end of London, for example, to go to Kent at the end of the summer to help with the hop harvest (hops are used for making beer).

19. Read the newspaper article. Sum it up in 5-7 sentences. Say if you take all the necessary precautions.

One in three do not protect their skin from the sun

The Daily Mail

13th July 2007

More people than ever are worried about skin cancer yet one in three do not use sunscreen to protect their skin, a survey has revealed.

More than 75,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, and recent research predicts that the incidence of melanoma skin cancer will treble in the next 30 years.

Yet The Institute of Cancer Research, who polled 2,000 people, found half of those surveyed did not know any signs of the disease.

The Institute's SAFE campaign found 60 per cent of those questioned were more worried about skin cancer now than they were ten years ago. But a third of people do not use sunscreen when sunbathing, one of the key ways to protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) light and avoid skin cancer.

However, the message about the dangers of sunbeds (another source of harmful UV light) is getting through, with 82 per cent saying they do not use them.

Professor Richard Marais from The Institute of Cancer Research said: "These results reflect the fact that people are deeply concerned about skin cancer, but that many people still do not know how to look after their skin.

"The number of people getting skin cancer is rising dramatically, so it is vitally important that everyone is aware of how to protect themselves from the harmful rays of the sun.

"Most cases of skin cancer can be avoided, and if caught early enough the disease can be treated. That is why everyone should know the signs and symptoms of the disease and visit their doctor immediately if in any doubt."

About 2,000 people die from skin cancer every year in the UK. There are two types of the disease: melanoma and non melanoma. Non melanoma is the most common, affecting 67,000 people a year in the UK, and is usually treatable with surgery. Melanoma is the more serious form, affecting 8,000 people in the UK every year. If not caught and treated early the cancer can spread to other parts of the body and be fatal.

Professor Peter Rigby, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research commented: "The Institute of Cancer Research is conducting cutting edge research to help find better treatments for skin cancer. Many important breakthroughs have been made but there is still much more to do. That is why we urge people to support the SAFE campaign so that we can keep up the good work."

To find out more about the SAFE Campaign log on to www.safe-campaign.org

What to look out for: If you notice any of the following changes you should visit your GP immediately: • New sores and lumps that do not heal after a month • Spots, sores or moles that bleed, itch, develop a crust or hurt • Unexplained skin ulcers • New or existing moles which appear to be growing or changing shape • New or existing moles which are a range of shades of brown and black • New or existing moles which are larger than 6mm in diameter • New or existing moles which have jagged edges

20. Read the text The only way to travel is on foot. Make a list of arguments for and against this statement given by the author. Think of your own arguments.