Read the text.

Nick's Trip to the South and Back

Last summer Nick spent his holidays in the Crimea. He went there by plane. He booked his ticket in advance. He rang up the air-travel booking office and reserved a seat for the fifteenth of July.

"Will you come for your ticket yourself or do you want it delivered?" asked the booking-office clerk.

"I'd like my ticket delivered, please," said Nick, because he did not want to waste his time going to the booking office and standing in a queue.

The plane to Yalta took off at 9 a.m., but he had to be at the airport an hour before to register his ticket. His plane was TU-134. It is a comfortable modern plane. Nick's seat was near the porthole and he could see how they took off in St. Petersburg and landed in Yalta. They were flying at a height of six thousand metres, so Nick could see only clouds through the porthole. The hostess offered the passengers some snacks and soft drinks. The flight was very pleasant. It took Nick only three hours to get to Yalta.

The way back wasn't so pleasant. Nick could not get a ticket for a plane. He had to stand in a long queue to get a ticket for a train. When at last his turn came, he said to the booking-office clerk:

"Please, I want a ticket to St. Petersburg for the fourth of August."

"I am sorry," said the booking-office clerk, "there are no tickets for a through train to St. Petersburg. I could give you an upper berth on a train to Moscow, and in Moscow you will have a changing."

Nick thought a little. "Oh well, that's all right," he said, "give me a ticket for the Moscow train. After all, there are a lot of trains going from Moscow to St. Petersburg every day, so I hope I will have no problems punching the ticket."

He was right. When he arrived in Moscow, he consulted the time-table and saw that there were ten trains to St. Petersburg. It did not take him long to punch his ticket. He just had time to drop into a bar and have a snack before his train started. The train was comfortable. Nick had a lower berth in a separate compartment. In the morning he was in St. Petersburg.

41. Answer the following questions:

1. Where did Nick spend his holidays?

2. How did he travel to the Crimea?

3. Did he buy a ticket on the day of departure or book in advance?

4. How did Nick book a ticket? Did he go to the air-travel booking office?

5. What date did he reserve a seat for?

6. How did he get his ticket?

7. Why did Nick have his ticket delivered?

8. At what time did Nick's plane take off?

9. Why did he have to be at the airport an hour before taking-off time?

10. Was Nick's plane comfortable?

11. Where was Nick's seat?

12. What could Nick see through the porthole?

13. What height was the plane flying at?

14. What did the hostess offer the passengers?

15. Was the flight pleasant?

16. How long did it take Nick to get to Yalta?

17. Was Nick's way back as pleasant? Why not?

18. What was necessary for Nick to do to get a tick­ et for a train?

19. Why did Nick have to make a changing in Mos­cow?

20. What accomodation did Nick get on the train to Moscow?

21. It was not difficult for Nick to punch his ticket in Moscow, was it? Why?

22. What accomodation did he get on the train to St. Petersburg?

42. Using the material of the text above, speak
about how you once travelled.

43. Practice reading the following words and word
combinations. Learn them by heart.

to have a drink выпить

had a very good time очень хорошо провели время

forgot about the time забыли о времени

a station master начальник станции

if you miss it если вы на него опоздаете

rushed along the platform помчались по платформе

to catch the train успеть на поезд

they managed ['masnidgd] им удалось

approached [s'proutjt] him приблизился к нему

he laughed till he cried он смеялся до слез

what's the matter with you? Что с вами? mixed up everything все перепутали to see me off проводить меня

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