A fourteenth-century fair.

What a crowd upon the road! Pedrals with packages on their backs, horses with boxes slung across them, jugglers carrying their swards and balls and other implements, minstrels with their harps, druggists with drugs in boxes, morris dancers, a man leading a dancing bear and many others, all going in the same direction. They are bound for the city, where there is to be a great fair soon. All the villages on the roadside have men out watching their crops. Woe betide the luckless wretch that strays from the road to take a short cut across the villagers’ corn. Even if he be weary with his heavy load of gloves , or arrows, or leather for the fair, he must take no short cuts.

This fair has been long in existence. Long ago a bishop of the city bought permission from a king of England to hold a fair on lands outside the city wall. While the fair is going on, no citizen may sell in his shop.

Useful phrases: to take a short cut – сократить, срезать путь (a short cut – кратчайший путь), to be long in existence – долго существовать, to be bound for (the city) – направляться в (город).

II курс Travelling

1. Learn the words:

see you – увидимся by air – самолетом

a trip – путешествие by bicycle – на велосипеде

to travel – путешествовать by boat – по воде

journey – путешествие, поездка by bus – на автобусе

to take care – быть осторожным by car – на машине

by motorbike – на мотоцикле on foot – пешком

to leave – покидать, уезжать motel – мотель to go round the world – совершать кругосветное путешествие

to arrive (in) – прибывать (в большой город) by train – поездом

to arrive (at) – прибывать (в небольшой город, деревню, на станцию и т.д.)

2. Read the dialogues and learn them by heart.

Seeing somebody off

Tim: Bye, Mum. See you in September.

Mum: Goodbye, Tim. Have a good trip.

Tim: Thanks!

Mum: Phone me when you arrive.

Tim: Yes, of course.

Mum: Take care!

Tim: OK. See you, Mum.

Mum: I love you.

Tim: Yes, I love you, too.

Mum: Write to us, OK?

Tim: Yes, Mum.

Mum: And send us some photos.

Tim: OK.

Mum: Don’t forget.

Tim: No, Mum. See you soon. Bye.

Mum: Goodbye, Tim. … Take care!

Asking the way

A.: Excuse me, sir. Can you help me?

B.: Yes, sir, you are welcome. What’s the problem?

A.: I must have lost my way.

B.: Don’t worry. What are you looking for?

A.: For the Exhibition Center. My map says the Exhibition Center is near the Barrikadnaya underground station. Can you tell me the shortest way there?

B.: Take a number 5 bus.

A.: I really wanted to walk. Is the Exhibition center a long way from here?

B.: Well, it’s 15-minute walk, I suppose.

A.: Then, I’d rather walk, if you can give me the exact direction.

B.: Certainly, cross the street. There’s a crossing over there. Do you see it? Go straight along the street as far as the traffic lights. Turn right and walk straight along the left-hand side of the street. You can’t miss the Exhibition center as there’re crowds of people going there. Besides you can see large hoardings at the entrance. Are you clear about the way?

A.: Not quite, I’m afraid. I’m pressed for time, you know. I have an important appointment in half an hour. What did you say the bus was?

B.: You want a 5. The bus stop is on your right. Ask someone on the bus to tell you where to get off.

A.: Thank you very much. Sorry for having taken up so much of your time, sir.

B.: That’s all right. Getting about Moscow isn’t an easy thing for the Muscovites either. Look, your bus is coming. Hurry up!

A.: Thank you very much, indeed, sir.

3. Read the following remarks and answer / react to them immediately:

• What’s your problem?

• What are you looking for?

• Take a number 5 bus.

• It’s a 15-minute walk.

• Are you clear about the way?

• What did you say the bus was?

4. Read the article. Tick (+) the places that Ewan and Charley visited.

Alaska Australia Britain Canada Italy Kazakhstan Mongolia Russia Siberia Spain Ukraine the USA