Otázka: Travelling
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Bechty
Introduction
People all around the world travel for various reasons: One of them is tourism – especially during holidays. People want to see the most beautiful sights of world’s famous metropolis: Rome, Venice, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague etc. Some people travel for business, for political and cultural reasons. Others travel for scientific purposes. Even smuggling is not unusual. Many people like travelling because it is very exciting. They can see new places, meet new people and friends, eat something unusual and see the way of life in different countries.
But travelling isn’t just about going abroad, but also about visiting interesting places. For example in our country. Travelling is also our commuting to work or to school.
On the other hand there are some disadvantages:
1) It can be dangerous: we can get lost, be murdered or our money can be stolen.
2) Travelling is often very expensive. (By plane can be cheap, hitchhiking)
3) When going to some parts of the world we need to have special visas or vaccination.
Typical means of transport
There are many kinds of transport. Everyone can find the way of travelling, that suits him the best. For example young people like hitchhiking or just hiking. Some people prefer going by car, because it is more comfortable for them. Another ones are going by bus, because it is cheaper and they won t need to look for a parking place. Of course, there are lots of other kinds of ways of travelling. We can use a bike, get abroad by a plane, visit our friends, while going there with a train or ship or just get on a horse and go through the nature.
In London we can travel by a really specific mean of transport, by a double-decker, black cab and underground. It is a doubled bus with or without a cover and with lots of seats. But of course there are some people, who love more romantic kinds of transport, for example going on a yacht or hot-air ballooning. Or people who loves adrenalin. These people are mostly looking for windsurfing, sky-diving, skateboarding or roller-skating.
By bus – quite fast, cheap, crowded, dirty, careless drivers, dangerous in some places, uncomfortable – lack of place, usually no toilet in a bus, no privacy, can get everywhere.
By train – fast, cheap, more comfortable – more space, more privacy, sleeping and dining cars, toilettes, can’t get everywhere, for long distances, less dangerous than a bus.
By plane – for a long way, comfortable, expensive, food including, less dangerous, very fast, if you go with a travel agency you have to be at the airport two hours before.
By bike – cheap, healthy, good for environment, you can get everywhere, stop where you want, slow, very dangerous, problems with luggage.
On foot – the cheapest kind of travelling, healthy, keeps you fit, improves your condition, slow, for short distances, dangerous when you are alone.
On boat – slow, only at the places where the water is, could be cheap or expensive, noisy, not so dangerous.
Romantic – going on yacht, hot-air ballooning.
For young – roller-skating, skateboarding.
Advantages x Disadvantages
Choose two means of transport and point out.
Going abroad
When we want to go abroad, we need to have some necessary documents. First of all is a valid passport and a visa (when going to some countries, we still need to have a visa, which we can get at a local embassy in Prague).
Another important thing is, to have money in a currency of the country/state we are travelling to. We can exchange our money in a bank or at an exchange-office or we can pay abroad by a credit card. But there can be a problem when there won t be a shop, where you can pay by the credit card or any ATM´s. But remember that you will always have to pay some more charges when paying with a credit card abroad.
When going abroad by a train or by an aeroplane, we always have to have/buy tickets (single or return, first of second class) and we need to remember to be there on a time. For example, when going abroad by an aeroplane, we have to check out our flight number and departure time and be on the airport about 2hours (depends on a flight) before.
We should know minimally one unfamiliar language or have someone who is able to speak with it and who understands it. Mostly, when going abroad, we are using English, because in almost every country the people will understands you. Of course we can speak or we can use German language or French language, but I think the English is most expanded.
Possibilities when going abroad
You have got two possibilities – you can go with a travel agency or you can go alone – you can arrange your own holiday.
With travel agency – package holiday – you need only to take the money in the currency of the country, because the travel agency will do everything else for you – accommodation, booking, tickets for plane and the way from airport to your hotel is already prepared. But there can be a really big problem, when the travel agency bankrupts. Because you can be left in the foreign country without any help. In this case you will have to find out our embassy and ask for help or wait for the bankrupted agency to help you.
But on the other hand you can pay for lots of special programmes, you can do a lots of trips with a tour guide and so on.
Own holiday – in this type of holiday is everything on you. You have to care about everything on your own, for example you will have to book the place for accommodation, buy tickets and so on. But you can do everything what you want, independently on the other people.
At the airport, railway station
Railway station
main hall (hlavní hala); ticket office(single, return, season ticket) (výdej jízdenek, pokladna); inquires office (informace); booking off (seat reservations) (rezervace); waiting room (čekárna); left luggage off (úschovna zavazadel); luggage locker (skříňka na zavazadla); restaurant; book stall; phone box; men’s; ladie’s; rest room (odpočívárna); time table (jízdní řád); arrivals and departues board (delay) (příjezd a odjezd (zpoždění)); entrance (vstup); exit-platform (nástupiště); passenger train (osobák); goods train (náklaďák); fast (rychlík); stopping; expres (rychlík); get on (nastoupit); get off (vystoupit); coach (vagón); compartment (kupé); window corner, vacant (prázdné) seat; rack (polička); dining car; sleeper; non-smoker; ticket collector = conductor (průvodčí), corridor (chodba); road transport (silniční doprava); passenger transport (osobní doprava); public transport (hromadná doprava); goods transport (nákladní); airship (vzducholoď); station lobby (nádražní hala); change at (přesedat v); delay (zpoždění); direct (přímo); check (odbavit)
Phrases:
How often do train run from … to? Can you tell me the last (early morning) train to…? What’s the fare to…? How much is a single to…? Would you mind if I pull down (up) he window? I turn on (off) the heat, you kept the seat for me, you kept an eye on my bag for a minute; Excuse me, is there a seat left? Is this seat taken? Where are we now? Do you happen to know how many stops for…?
Airport
Air company (letecká společnost); air terminal (terminál); check in (odbavení); the exit gate (východ); to weigh one’s luggage (zvážit nečí zavazadla); pilot; hosteless; fasten the seat belts (zapnout si pásy); be requested to stop smoking; hijack a plane (unést letadlo); take off (vzlétnout)
Questions:
1) What are the basic reasons, why people want to travel?
2) Tell us some advantages of travelling by car instead of bus(es).
3) Try to tell us some disadvantages, when travelling by a car.
4) Explain the basic difference between words hitchhiking and hiking?
5) Try to tell us some typical kinds of transport used by you or used in your city.
6) What is the typical kind of travel in London?
7) Can you explain to us, what comes up to your mind, when speaking about romantic kinds of transport?
8) Explain what you need to have, when travelling by car, by bus or on foot and try to tell us, what would be the best option for you.
9) What do you need, when travelling abroad? What is the most important document and where you can get it?
10) Try to tell us (in general) possibilities of travelling abroad and try to compare it.
