Tourism: a blessing or a curse?

Where did you spend your last holidays? Did you sunbathe on a foreign beach or go sightseeing in some historic city? It seems we have all become tourists, rushing off on weekend excursions and package holidays. The tourist industry is booming, but should we be pleased or worried about its effects?

Let’s begin with the positive side. First of all, surely nobody would disagree with the statement that tourism benefits both the holiday maker and the host country. Travel broadens the mind, encouraging tolerance and understanding between peoples. Second, tourism provides employment and can contribute significantly to the economy of a country. This is of particular importance in poor developing countries. The income generated by tourism helps to pay for education, hospitals, roads and airports. Finally, tourism can benefit wildlife. When local people realize that tourists will pay to see animals in their natural habitats, they are more inclined to protect these creatures rather than hunt and kill them.

If there are so many benefits to tourism, what’s the problem? Well, it is certainly true that the effects of tourism can be unpredictable. To begin with, tourism can ruin an area of beauty, especially when over-development is allowed. We have all heard of resorts that are overrun with rowdy, unpleasant holiday makers.. In some cases, the yearly invasion can be so bad that local people have had to move away. Another concern is the effect of tourism on wildlife. We are disrupting the lives of animals in many ways, whether by noise, disturbance or pollution. Think, for example, of the beaches used by turtles over thousands of years that have now been ruined by developers.

So is tourism a blessing or a curse? The answer must be that it is both. Part of the problem is that the results of tourist activity are sometimes unpredictable. The fact that developers do not mean to wipe out an endangered species from the face of the earth does not make the event any less tragic. Perhaps we need to become more responsible as tourists and subscribe to the spread of eco-tourism. If we give more consideration to the impact of our activities on the places we visit, we can go some way to lessening the worst effects of tourism.

(New Proficiency Writing. St’s book. p.54)

8. Rewrite the following sentences into headlines.

1. Banks are planning to introduce security cameras at cashpoint machines.

2. Nutritionists have condemned new slimming drugs as vегу harmful.

3. The London School of Economics has won аn award for being the best business school.

4. Contaminated bаbу food of various brands has caused а scare in the city of Redding.

5. The director of the саг соmраnу will bе charged with fraud.

6. The wreck of a 14th century pirate ship has been discovered off Ross Sound.

7. Teachers from Belfast have been angered by education cuts.

8. The council is going to impose night­time noise restrictions.

9. Big Ben has been voted the city's favourite landmark.

10. The British Broadcasting Corporation are firmly against television advertising.

(Successful Writing. Upper-Intermediate. St’s book. p.100)

(Successful Writing Proficiency. St’s book. p.138)

9. Look аt the following headlines and expand them into рrореr sentences.

1 Queen's lost jewels found

2 Collision kills five

3 Manchester wins cup

4 Explosion destroys factory

5 Prince to wed

6 Dustmen's strike оvеr

7 Election called bу РМ

8 7.5 quake kills 5000

9 Scandal threatens government

10 Hospital to bе closed

11 War declared

12 Storm destroys corn crop

13 Terrorist drama ends peacefully

14 Clinton, Роре to meet

15 UN Warning: starvation in Africa

(Successful Writing. Upper-Intermediate. St’s book. p.100)

10. Read the following instructions and the model below, then put the paragraphs in the correct order.

You have been asked to write a short article for a brochure on two major tourist attractions in your country. Describe the two places you consider most interesting and explain why tourists should visit them.

____ Also worth visiting is Tower Bridge. Constructed in Victorian times, it is recognised worldwide as a symbol of London and now has its own museum, with an exhibition depicting its fasci­nating history up to the present day. You can also see superb views of the city from the high-level walkways on the bridge.

_1_ England is a beautiful country with many sights of interest to tourists. These range from magnificent historic buildings to oddly-placed rocks in the middle of the countryside, each hold­ing its own particular charm. Two of the most important tourist sights, however, are situated in the capital city, London.

___ Among the many other attractions which London has to offer, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge are two of the most outstanding. No visit to London is complete until you have explored these two memorable landmarks.

___ Most visitors to London go to see Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge during their stay for the reason that these two par­ticular attractions symbolise London and England in general; they are probably the most photographed sites in the British Isles. Furthermore, the chance to see the inside of a building still inhabited by royalty is too good to miss, giving tourists a glimpse of the luxury we would all like to have.

___ Possibly the most significant place to visit is Buckingham Palace, the London home of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. One can tour the interior of the palace and also observe the Changing of the Guard outside.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.143)

11. Match the beginnings and endings, then say what the topic of the arti­cle is, whether it is formal or informal in style, and where it might be published.

Beginnings…

1 Nowadays, you often hear older peo­ple say, "These kids today – they've got everything." Of course, they are referring to material goods such as clothes, electronic equipment and so on. Is it true that today's young peo­ple are spoilt by having too much given to them?

2 Antigua is a place blessed with glori­ous views, warm sunshine all year round and perfect beaches. In fact, the only thing that might disturb your peace on this lovely island paradise, is an overly-attentive waiter!

3 When people discuss pollution, they do not normally include noise in their list of problems. In fact, noise is one of the most prevalent and most dam­aging forms of pollution that city-dwellers have to deal with today. The question is, what can be done about this growing problem?

4 The popular seaside resort of Sandy Bay was completely devastated yesterday by a freak tidal wave, the cause of which has not yet been determined. There have been several fatalities, and some residents suffering from minor injuries have been admitted to a nearby hospital.

5 There are several problems which you will have to face when teaching classes of young children. Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with such problems, which in the long run should improve both the effectiveness of your lessons and your own rapport with your students.

6 Organizing a children's party can often be stressful for parents. If you feel this way, then why not allow us to do it for you? Our company will arrange everything from the decorations to the cake.

7 Living in a city can be very advantageous. However, more and more peo­ple are starting to agree that there are a multitude of benefits in moving to the countryside.

8 Greenside Drama Group is performing Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot next week at the Greenside Theatre. The play, set in an unspecified period and place, is a philosophical tale about the meaning of life. Chris Greene and Felix Harman star as the main characters, two tramps called Vladimir and Estragon.

…Endings

1. For a holiday you will never forget and will want to repeat again and again, Antigua is the place to go. There is no place that matches the beauty of this paradise.

2. On the whole, it does seem that today's young people expect a great deal and take what they have for granted. Perhaps they would learn to appreciate what they have more if they had to put a bit more effort into acquiring the goods in the first place.

3. If these suggestions were followed, the problem of noise pollution would certainly be reduced, if not solved, it is simply a matter of everyone work­ing together in order to make our cities healthier places in which to live.

4. Despite the fact that city life is better in terms of facilities and shops, country life is certainly better for your health and peace of mind. So, city dwellers, the next time you step out of the door to battle the urban elements, perhaps you too will agree that we could all use a bit of peace and quiet.

5. Our service offers everything you could possibly wish for any party, at a very reasonable price. If you are interested in letting us organize your child’s next party, simply contact us for more details.

6. All in all, this play is extremely well produced, although it is a little confusing at times. I would certainly recommend that you see it, as it is a fascinating piece of work. However, be prepared to leave the theatre asking yourself, “Why am I here?”

7. If you follow the guidelines given above, you should have little difficulty solving the problems which you will undoubtedly have to face. What is more, your students will remain interested in your lessons, because they will enjoy themselves as they learn.

h) Rescue workers are continuing to search through the rubble in the hope of finding survivors. Residents have been warned that experts have not ruled out the chance of a repeat occurrence.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.137, 141)

12. Read the article below. Which techniques has the writer used to hold readers’ attention?

Honeymoon under Capricorn

The perfect place for that once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) dreamtime? How about a thousand miles east of Africa, under Capricorn, on a sugar-and-spice island that dips its toes in the Indian Ocean? An island where casuarina pines sway across white talcum powder sand and a coral reef keeps the sharks at a safe distance. Where the people are charming, the service in the hotels irreproachable and the food is terrific. If this is your idea of honeymoon base, then go to Mauritius. After no less than five visits, it’s still one of my favourite islands.

From somewhere few people in the west had heard of 18 years ago, Mauritius has become a prize destination in the brochures. Tourism has been a tremendous boost to the island’s economy and the capital, Port Louis, has grown from a dusty old port into a sprawling commercial centre, but elsewhere the island’s beauty spots remain unspoilt.

Most of the hotels are in splendid isolation or little groups. You wake up in the morning not to the sound of traffic but to the musical notes of the little red cardinals or bull-bulls who later sneak beakfuls of sugar from the breakfast tables.

Choose the old-colonial graciousness of the St. Geran. Princess Caroline of Monaco sleeps here and so does Frederick Forsyth. One of his short stories is set in this hotel.

The beach is a step across the coarse, tropical grass of its well-watered lawns. And there’s enough going on by day (watersports, tennis, golf) and night (Sega dancing, well-honed cabarets and barbecues by the shore) to keep you amused should you never want to step outside the perimeters of the hotel. But what a waste to go all that way and not see something of such an enchanting island! Hire a moke and drive up to Black River Gorge among its strange pointed mountains or across the tea plantations of the Plaine Champagne. Visit Pamplemousses Gardens where Pierre Poivre discovered pepper, or play Hemingway for a day and go deep-sea fishing. This is one of the world’s best areas to catch the big marlin and yellow-fish tuna.

But save that Frederick Forsyth story until you’re back at home. You’ll see why when you read The Emperor in No Comebacks.

(Writing Skills CAE. p.35)

13. Read the article and fill in:

fascinating, magnificent, romantic, violent, steamy, greatest, stunning, terrifying, hot, famous, unforgettable, mighty

Underline the phrases that refer to the senses. What phrases does the writer use to give the location of the place?

Visitors to Southern Africa certainly shouldn't miss the opportunity to visit Victoria Falls, one of Southern Africa's 1) ……… attractions. Situated halfway along the Zambezi River at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls are twice as high and twice as wide as Niagara Falls in the USA.

A visit to Victoria Falls is an 2) ……… experience because there is so much to see and do there. You can go walking in 3) ……… and 4) ……… rainforests, take a 5) ……… river excursion along the Zambezi, or try a 6) ……… white water raft ride along the 7) ……… rapids further downstream.

If that doesn't tempt you, how about going on safari? The area surrounding the falls is full of 8) ……… wildlife. However, by far the best way to see this 9) ……… African landmark is by helicopter. This will give you 10) ……… views, not only of the falls, but of the beautiful national parks in which they are located.

The local people call Victoria Falls ‘The Smoke that Thunders’ because of the 11) ……… roar of the falling water and the great blankets of white mist, which rise 300m into the sky. You simply cannot fail to be impressed by such a 12) ……… sight. This is the real magic of Victoria Falls!

(Enterprise plus. Pre-Intermediate)

14. Read this magazine article about ways of looking good and choose the most suitable heading from the list A-G for each part 1-5 of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use.

A An English rose

B Beauty and the beach

C Black and white

D Facing the facts

E Which tattoo?

F Supporting evidence

G Think twice