Travelling. Texts (для разных уровней)

В рамках изучения темы «Travelling» (Путешествия) прочитайте короткие тексты на английском языке. Тексты предназначены для разных уровней (beginner — advanced) и способствуют закреплению пройденной лексики по теме «Travels. Путешествия».

Travelling. Texts (beginner — advanced)

Содержание:

1. Text №1 «Travelling on holidays» (an opinion for beginner)
2. Text №2 «Travelling by car» (an opinion for intermediate)
3. Text №3 «Travelling to a small town» (intermediate)
4. Text №4 «Reasons for travelling» (intermediate)
5. Text №5 «The worst holiday in my life» (intermediate)
6. Text №6 «My opinion about travelling» (intermediate)
7. Dialogue №7 «At the station» (intermediate)
8. Text №8 «Treasure Hunting» (advanced)

Text №1 «An Opinion on Travelling on Holidays» (beginner)

1. change — смена деятельности (что-то новое)
2. do nothing but  —  ничего не делать, только
3. have to do — приходится делать

I believe that holidays should be a change.

Most people like a change. If they live in the country they like to go to a big town and spend their time looking at the shop windows and visiting cinemas, theatres and museums.

If they live in the city, they like to go the some quiet place in the hills or by the sea, do nothing but walking, swimming or lying in the sun.

So, on holidays most people don’t like doing things they have to do all year round.

What is your opinion on travelling on holidays?

Text №2 «An Opinion on Travelling by Car» (intermediate)

1. tiring — утомительный
2. tensed — в напряжении
3. exhausted — измученный

My friends spend most of their free time driving around the country and sightseeing. As for me, I find travelling by car very tiring. It makes no difference if I drive a car or just sit as a passenger. I will try to explain. When I drive, it usually takes too much of me — too much nerves. When I am a passenger, I always feel tensed as my legs and arms hurt. It is because I hate too much sitting. So, after driving I’m usually exhausted.

What is your opinion on travelling by car?

Text №3 «Travelling to a Small Town» (intermediate)

1. on the way — по пути
2. it makes no difference — не имеет значения
3. whichever — какой бы
4. the other —  другой

A Londoner was going to the west of England for a holiday. He arrived at a small town by train. When he knew that there were two hotels there, he took a taxi. On the way out of the station he asked the driver: «How long have you been living here?» «Since childhood,» — was the answer. «Then which hotel could you recommend?» asked the tourist. «You see, it makes no difference — whichever hotel you’ll choose you’ll be sorry you didn’t choose the other,» answered the driver.

What is the gist of the joke?

Text №4 «Reasons for Travelling» (intermediate)

1. curiosity — любопытство
2. encourage — побуждать
3. undertake a trip — совершить поездку
4. get a glimpse — ознакомиться
5. escape the problems — сбежать от проблем

People enjoy traveling, but what are their reasons they leave their homes? There are several of them. First comes curiosity. Films about far-off places, books and friends’ stories encourage us to undertake our own trips.

Education comes next. Learning through traveling is very popular. It does not mean only visiting museums and admiring architectural ensembles. It also means to get a glimpse of another life style. You can never get that sort of knowledge from books.

And besides, there are people who just change places. Probably they have problems at home and that is their way  — rather to escape than to solve. Others look for adventures. We are all different and  and have different motives for traveling.

What are the main reasons for traveling?

Text №5 «The Worst Holiday in my Life» (intermediate)

Прочитайте отрывки из текста и расставьте абзацы в правильном порядке так, чтобы получилась история.

A. And this was the beginning of my problems. I woke up too late. I got to the airport and I saw that I hadn’t taken my passport. I took a taxi home and then back to the airport. I was very upset. I got on the plane. When I came to France, people at the airport told me that my luggage was in China. I didn’t have my clothes. I didn’t have my books. I didn’t have anything.

B. That was too much for me. I decided to leave Paris and go back to England. I phoned my friends in London, asked them to send me some money and I bought a plane ticket for the next flight. Finally, I was back home. When I arrived the travel agent informed me that my luggage was in Paris.

С. When I came to the hotel, they didn’t have a room for me because I hadn’t arrived on time. I went to another hotel where I could spend the night. The night was really hot and the air conditioning was broken. I couldn’t open the window because there was a very busy street outside and the noise was awful.

D. Next day I decided to go to see Paris. When I left the hotel I went straight to see the Eiffel Tower. Before I got there a man came to me and pulled out a gun. He took all the money I had on me.

E. It all started in the morning two months ago. I always wanted to see Paris, the cafes, the Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees. So I bought a plane ticket to Paris and waited for the day of departure.

Text №6 «My opinion about Traveling» (intermediate)

I like traveling because it broadens my outlook and helps me to understand other cultures. I think that I’m already an experienced traveler. I know that if you decide to travel, you should plan everything carefully.  This year I decided to go to Britain. At first I went to a travel agency that helped us to arrange our journey. They arranged for us an accommodation in a hotel and booked us a return ticket. Then we packed our luggage and arrived at the airport. We stayed in a small hotel near London. It offered us a wide range of different activities: boating and canoeing, hiking and rafting and others.  I prefer cycling because I like going to remote places and I am fond of scenic routes.

Перескажите текст, используя новые слова.

Dialogue №7 «At the Station» (intermediate)

Новые слова:

1. facing the engine — лицом по направлению движения
2. back to the engine — спиной по направлению движения
3. see to —  позаботиться о чем-то
4. whichever seat – любое место

Fred.: Well, here we are at last! When I get into the train, I feel that holidays have already begun. Have you got the tickets, Jan?

Jan.: Yes, here they are. I booked seats for you and me; trains are usually crowded at this time. We have numbers A 26 and A 30; two corner-seats in a non-smoker, one seat facing the engine, one back to the engine. Is that all right?

Fred.: That’s very good, Jan. I don’t like going a long jour­ney in a smoker. May I sit facing the engine?

Jan.: Of course! You can take whichever seat you like. As a matter of fact, I really prefer sitting with my back to the en­gine. Here’s our carriage and here’s our compartment. You can get into the train now.

Fred.: Lucy, won’t you come into the carriage with me? You will be warmer inside.

Lucy: Thanks, I will.

Jan:  I’ll go and gee that our luggage has been put into the guard’s van, and I’ll book two seats in the restaurant car for lunch. I’ll get some newspapers at the bookstall and some chocolate on my way back. (He goes away.)

Lucy.: Jan is a good fellow for getting things done, isn’t he?

Fred.: He is. I don’t know anyone better. I’m very glad he is coming with me. I know that I will have a very comfortable journey. Jan will see to everything — find the seats on the train, see that my luggage is all right, and get it through the customs. I won’t have to do anything at all except sit back and enjoy the journey.

From «Essential English for Foreign Students» by С. Е. Eckersley

Text №8 «Treasure Hunting» (advanced)

Can you name the objects in the picture? What is treasure, in your opinion?

If you dream of adventures, you probably picture to yourself desert islands, wrecks of sunken ships and old chests filled with jewellery and coins. For some people these dreams have come true. It is because they really know where to look for treasure.

One of the best places for treasure hunting is the Atlantic Ocean near the eastern coast of Florida. This place is called “Treasure Coast”. Between the 16^th and 18^th century many Spanish ships sank near the coast and their wrecks were buried in the sand among the coral reefs. These ships sailed from Mexico to Spain and carried gold, silver and precious stones. They also transported Spanish soldiers and governors who were coming back home from the colonies with their own gold.

Most ships sank not very far from the coast. There was only one narrow channel, which ran between the massive and dangerous coral reefs. Besides, tropical storms or hurricanes were very common in late summer or early autumn and the ships often broke into pieces.

The exploration of the sea near the coast has begun in the twentieth century when records of shipwrecks were found in the Spanish archives. First, there came scuba divers with metal detectors. Then, with the discovery of the first Spanish ship in the early 1970s, many people started treasure hunting. They were looking for anchors, captains’ diaries and obviously for gold, silver and coins.

Today, the treasure hunting is an expensive game, which requires professional equipment and expert divers. It is exhausting and quite dangerous.  It takes divers long hours to search for a ship under water but if they are lucky, they feel excited.

(adapted from The World of English)