Text 3. travelling

Read the text and do the exercises that follow it.

Study the following vocabulary before reading the texts:

to take off – взлетать

to land – приземлиться

a halt – платформа

a junction – узловая станция

pretty often – довольно часто

a port of call – порт захода

A trip by air

Modern life is impossible without travelling. Railways, ports and airports are full of people hurrying to catch a train, a ship or a plain.

Man has always wanted to use the fastest way of travelling. It’s aviation.

Passengers arrive at the airport in cars, taxes, trolley-buses and buses. Some people wait for their planes in comfortable chairs in the waiting-rooms. Some passengers prefer spending time in a cafe, where tea, coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches and cakes are sold.

Before they get aboard the plane they have their luggage registered. They don’t take their luggage with them, only a small bag.

The stewardess greets the passengers and shows them to their seats. She asked the passengers to fasten their seat-belts and not to smoke while the plane is on the ground, while it is taking off, and when it is landing. She gives information about the flight and offers the passengers some mineral water, lemonade and sweets.

A trip by railway

Travelling by train is slower than that by plane, but it has its advantages, too. Modern trains have comfortable seats in all passenger carriages, and there are sleeping-cars and dining-cars which make even the longest journey enjoyable.

And what an interesting place a big railway station is! There are a lot of notices: Entrance and Exit, or perhaps Way In and Way Out, Arrivals and Departures, Refreshment Room and Waiting Room. There are shouts of the porters as they pull luggage along the platform to the waiting trains, the crowds at the booking-office getting tickets. At bookstalls the passengers choose books, magazines or newspapers for the journey.

When the train is in, the loud speaker announces the passengers to take their seat. The travellers find their berths and arrange their suitcases under the seat or on the racks. Soon the train starts.

If it is an express train, it doesn’t stop at little wayside stations or halts. It stops at big stations and junctions where some passengers change trains.

On arriving in a town of his destination, the traveller may leave his heavy luggage in the Left Luggage Office until he finds a hotel or other place to stay in.

If people need any information about a train, they address the Inquiry Office.

A sea voyage

Some people prefer to travel by ship when possible. There are large liners, holiday ships and river boats on board which you can visit different countries or parts of their country. Ships are not so fast as trains or planes, but a sea voyage or river trip is a very pleasant way of spending a holiday. Stewards and stewardesses keep the cabins clean and tidy. A cabin has beds, chairs, wardrobes, dressing tables, etc. Large rooms in a ship are called saloons, so when you see Dining Saloon you know where to go to when it is time for lunch. The passengers do not pay for their meals on board a ship.

The passengers have every opportunity to enjoy themselves. They play tennis or badminton on the deck. They sit on the deck, watching the sea or river and enjoying the sun. There are film shows and concerts pretty often, and dancing almost every evening. At every port of call they can go ashore and enjoy sightseeing excursions and bathing in the sea

Exercises

1. Say what we call the place where:

– we buy tickets for a train;

– passengers wait for their trains, planes, etc.;

– we get all necessary information at the railway station;

– we leave our luggage;

– we live when travelling by ship;

– passengers stay in a strange place.

2. Discuss with your group-mates the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by:

– air;

– sea;

– rail way.

Chapter 5. Future profession

Text. Oleg’s future profession

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Дата добавления: 2015-11-16