Vocabulary booster: things you take on holiday
passport beach towel cosmetics T-shirts sandals
diary credit cards phrase book walking boots sunglasses driving license novels jeans swimming trunks
suit and tie shorts jumper mosquito repellent traveller’s cheques raincoat guidebook suncream
Plan your dream holiday.
1. A) Look at the advertisements for three dream holidays. Which places do you visit on each holiday?
b) Which holiday do the words and phrases below relate?
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a safari lodge the dry season an ostrich a cruise a canal
a theme park a motel self-catering accommodation
dolphins and killer whales sailing an excursion
Discuss the questions below with the class.
How will people spend their time on each of these holidays?
What will they see?
What will be the best things about each holiday?
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African Wildlife Safari: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana A truly grand tour of Southern Africa: for many, the holiday experience of a lifetime. |
European City Tour: London-Paris-Amsterdam What could be better than to combine three of Europe’s greatest cities into one fabulous holiday? |
The Florida Experience
Discover fantastic Florida, fun capital of the USA! |
African Wildlife safari: Fact File
Main places to visit: The tour begins in Cape Town, South Africa’s oldest and most elegant city. We then fly to Zimbabwe, where we see one of the natural Wonders of the World – the Victoria Falls. From there we cross the border into Botswana, where we hope to find lions, rhinos and elephants in the world-famous Chobe National Park.
How many days? 14
Accommodation: In Cape Town and the Victoria Falls you will stay in comfortable four-star hotels. On our visit to Chobe you can camp out under the African stars, or stay in one of our simple but comfortable safari lodges.
Where to go? The dry season is the best time to see the animals (June to October – temperatures 25-40°C). The temperatures are highest in October (36-40 °C).
Optional excursions: You can choose three of the following optional excursions.
A visit to an ostrich farm. You can ride on an ostrich!
A visit to the vineyard region of Stellenbosch.
A relaxing cruise along the River Zambezi.
A chance to bungee-jump at Victoria Falls.
A visit to a Zulu village to see traditional Zulu dancing.
European City Tour: Fact File
Main places to visit: Your holiday begins in London, famous for its history and tradition. You can visit Buckingham Palace, and the Houses of Parliament, and of course many excellent theatres and shops. From there, we travel by high-speed Eurostar train to Paris. Take a romantic walk by the river Seine and visit Notre Dame, the Louvre and many other famous places. Finally we move on to the canals, museums and cafes of Amsterdam.
How many days? 10. Either 3 days in each city or 6 days in one city (you choose) and 2 days in others.
Accommodation: In all three cities, accommodation is in the three-star or four-star hotels in the city centre.
When to go? July and August are the warmest months (average 18-20°C), but there are fewer tourists in May-June (average 14-16°C) and in September (average 16-18°C).
Optional excursions: You can choose three of the following optional excursions.
London
Visit the Millenium Dome in Greenwich.
Take a day trip to the historic city of Cambridge.
Paris
Enjoy a family day out at Disneyland, Paris.
Day trip to the beautiful seventeenth-century palace of Versailles.
Amsterdam
Visit the Keukenhof Gardens, the world’s greatest flower show.
Take a canal trip to the historic town of Arnhem.
The Florida Experience: Fact File
Main places to visit: Your holiday begins in the city of Orlando – the world’s theme park capital. From Orlando, it’s a short trip to Disney World, where you can choose between a number of theme parks, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Water Park or Disney’s Wide World of Sport. Finally, you will spend a week relaxing in the sunshine at Clearwater Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
How many days? 14
Accommodation: You can choose between accommodation in self-catering homes (most have their own swimming pool) and comfortable motels just outside Orlando.
When to go? Temperatures in Florida are high all year round, from 20-25°C in winter to 35°C or more in summer (June – August).
Optional excursions: You can choose three or the following optional excursions.
A visit to the Kennedy Space Centre.
A visit to SeaWorld Adventure Park to feed the dolphins and see the whales.
A visit to Fort Lauderdale – the ‘Venice of America’. Perfect for cruising.
A visit to Miami, with its exciting mixture of American, Caribbean and Hispanic cultures.
A visit to Universal Studios to see the magic of the movies come to life.
Text A. The least successful traveller
The least successful traveler on record is an Italian, Mr. Nicolas Scotti. In 1977, Mr. Scotti set off from San Francisco to fly to Italy. On the way, his plane stopped at Kennedy Airport for an hour to refuel. Mr. Scotti thought he was in Italy and got out. He then spent two days in New York, believing he was in Rome.
Scotti expected his friends to meet him at the airport, and when they didn’t arrive, he tried to find his own way to their address. As he travelled round the city, he was surprised to see that many of Rome’s historic monuments has disappeared, but decided it was due to modernization. He also noticed that many people spoke English with an American accent. It didn’t worry him, because he assumed that Americans got everywhere. That also explained why there were so many English street signs.
Scotti had to ask a policeman the way to the bus depot, and of course, he asked in Italian. By chance, the policeman was a native of Naples, and he replied, of course, in fluent Italian.
He travelled around on a bus for twelve hours until the driver delivered him to a second policeman, and that was when the argument started. Mr. Scotti was amazed that the Rome police force could employ someone who didn’t speak a word of Italian. Even when everyone told him he was in New York, he refused to believe it. To get him back to San Francisco, the police drove him to the airport at top speed, with sirens screaming. “You see” ,said Scotti to his interpreter, “I know I’m in Italy. That’s how they drive here”,
Souvenirs. Presents.
Text B
Where the tourists dare
To find some really offbeat souvenirs, be ready to search through some places beyond traditional souvenirs shops
Have you ever heard what Russian guides and souvenir sellers think of us tourists? ‘We know what y’all really need: food, WC and souvenirs’, one of the Golden Ring bus tour guides pointed out. Still there is some point in postponing souvenir shopping until you get some time off. I believe that some real artifacts in snowy Russia will definitely be a better catch.
Valenki (felt boots) are daily used by those who need to spend hours outdoors in winter. In addition to a pair of valenki, don’t forget to buy a pair of galoshi (rubber overshoes) to protect your footwear from slush.
Knitted hosiery will do great at warming your feet during and after long trips in cold and nasty weather. Hand-knitted socks of 100 % wool are on sale near most Moscow metro stations.
There’s nothing better than salted cucumbers among Russian lunch snacks; don’t mistake them then for widely popular pickled cucumbers, for the taste is quite different. Salted cucumbers are sold at any local Russian market.
Since time the immemorial samovars were providing Russian tea-lovers with infinite boiling water supply, as a typical samovar contains over 5 liters of water. Do not forget to ask for a samovar pipe. Authentic accessories to your samovar will be a set of glasses and cup-holders (available on sale in antique shops and flea markets).
Dialogue 1 Asking for travel information.