Unit 11. Holidays

11.1. Listening Development

Assignment 1. Listen to the recording about the dangerous holiday activities and answer the following questions.

Which 3 dangerous holidays did the speakers have? Why were they dangerous?

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Which of these 3 countries does the British government advise against going to?

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Which unusual holiday is described in detail?

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What details are given about the country and about its main tourist attraction?

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Assignment 2. Listen to the recording about family travel. John McCarthy takes a look at family travel with novelist Gill Lewis who took her daughters spotting wildlife both abroad and in Scotland and Cornwall; writer Ben Hatch who toured Britain with his young children and holiday lettings agent Wendy Shand who explains how self-catering holidays can be more child friendly. Which are the most interesting points they discuss?

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11.2. Vocabulary Enrichment

Assignment 1. Which of these expressions are used for the purposes specified in the table below? Complete the table with these expressions. Then add other expressions you know.

When you arrive at a hotel, you must check-in at the reception or front desk. The check-in process can take awhile since the receptionist has to find your reservation, request payment for the room, and then inform you about the hotel's policies and procedures. You are also given a key to your room at this time.

Hotels often distinguish themselves by the services they offer. Fancy hotels often have a concierge or porter to help you with a variety of tasks. They can help you get a taxi, make reservations at restaurants or plays for you, and give you advice about the city. Often, this person is also in charge of the bellboys, who carry your luggage or baggage up to the room for you.

In smaller and cheaper hotels, the job of concierge is done by the receptionist and a doorman, who opens the hotel doors and car doors for you.

These are nice services, especially after you've been traveling, but they're not free. It is common courtesy to tip the concierge and bellboys each time they help you.

Other features that are generally found in hotels are a lift or elevator to take you up to the floor your room is on; a lounge area or lobby where you can wait if you arrive before the check-in time; and a safe where you can store valuables.

In your room, there may be a single or double bed, depending on how many people are staying there. There may even be two single beds, or twin beds. Also in the room are a desk, a dresser to store your clothes in, a nightstand with a lamp beside the bed, a television with cable, heating and air conditioning.

If you're lucky, there may even be a mini-bar in your room. This is a small refrigerator that has tiny bottles of alcohol, as well as snacks. But beware: these are not free. In fact, they typically cost two to three times as much as they do in a grocery store. But many people pay the exuberant price for the convenience of not having to leave the hotel.

Another convenience that hotels offer is room service. To order room service, you call down to the reception and ask for a food item listed on the hotel's menu. The food is then brought to your room for you to enjoy. Remember, this is another service that deserves a tip.

Many hotels also have restaurants attached where breakfast is served in the morning. A hotel breakfast can range from a Continental buffet, which consists of you helping yourself to food that has been laid out for you and other hotel guests. The Continental breakfast is not very elaborate and is often included in the price of the room. However, you can also order prepared food from the restaurant's menu.

At the proper check-out time, which is often early, you must vacate the room so that the maids, or cleaning staff, can clean the rooms and make the beds. If you don't leave on time, charges may apply and you will have to pay extra money. Fortunately, you can ask for a wake-up call from the front desk so you won't sleep through check-out

To get to your next destination, you can take an airport shuttle, which will take you directly to the airport. If a hotel doesn't have its own shuttle, it can usually arrange for one to pick you up at the hotel.

Areas at the hotel
Service
People to help guests at the hotel
Services and favours expected to be given tips for
Things to do at arrival
Things to do before a visitor departs

Assignment 2. Complete each definition with the correct word from the box.

A package holiday; camping; backpacking; a touring holiday; sightseeing; skiing; hitchhiking; a cruise

A) A holiday organised by a travel agent which includes the cost of your hotel and transport.

B) A holiday spent in the mountains moving across the snow.

C) You do this when you want to see interesting buildings and places.

D) A holiday spent in a tent.

E) A holiday 'on the move' visiting different places.

F) A holiday spent on a ship.

G) A way of travelling by getting free lifts from motorists.

H) A holiday where you travel with your luggage on your back.

Assignment 3. Complete the gaps in the following sentences with the correct word from Assignment 2.

A) I hate the snow and I'm completely unfit so a ________ holiday really doesn't interest me.

B) We spent our holiday last year________ around Italy by coach.

C) Elderly people often go on ________ as they can take it easy on the ship.

D) I think________ is the best way to travel - like a tortoise with your home on your back!

E) We usually go on a________ holiday as we like it when the travel agent arranges everything for us.

F) I'd love to go________ but my wife doesn't like the idea of sleeping in a tent.

G) My sister wants to go________ but my dad doesn't think it's safe for a girl to get in a stranger's car.

H) We did lots of________ while we were on holiday in London and took photographs of all the famous buildings.

Assignment 4. Look through the following post and correct the 10 mistakes. The first one has been done for you as an example/

I am just starting a new topic to chat about. This time it's all about the holiday holidays. If you have been to a nice place, just write about it. It will help you to share your expressions, plus you may learn something about facinating places.

I don’t really have my most favouritest place, but I had an opportunity to swim to Gran Canaria, and although it was quite not cheap, I have to say I had a great time. It was in March last year, and the weather was perfect. I came back home such tanned ;-) The hotel was only 3 stars, but it was really OK. The food was magnificent. It was simply tasty. There were plenty of Englishmen and of course they were eating only chips :-@ Mine best was a duck. Really good.

The beach was black ^:-0 It wasn’t gold like, say, in Bulgaria, but then there were palms, so it was a nice variety.

I do recommend to go there – lovely place.

OK, it's your turn now to write something ;-)

Assignment 5. Translate the words and expressions in the brackets into English. Consult the Active Vocabulary Section.

PLANNING A HOLIDAY

Many people take their main holiday in summer, and although some people choose a ________ (перерыв на отдых в последнюю минуту), others plan their holiday months in advance.

The beginning of the year is a good time for people to start looking at holiday ________ (брошюры). ________ (Тур-операторы) (i.e.companies that organise holidays) as well as ________ (тур агенты) (the people that sell holidays) give lots of information about holiday ________ (направления) and types of holiday. Apart from the traditional two-week ________ (отпуск на берегу), you can choose from a range of holidays: a ________ (круиз), i.e. holiday on a ship, an ________ (активный отдых) – a holiday that involves walking, cycling, climbing or other sports, a ________ (перерыв на отдых в другом городе), a weekend or a few days in a different city, and so on. A lot of people choose a ________ (отдых по путевке), where flights and accommodation are included in the price. But many people prefer an independent holiday, where they make their own ________ (организация путешествия).

If you travel independently, you will need to ________ (заказать) your flights or train tickets. Unless you have an ________ (дальнейший пункт следования), you will probably book a ________ (обратный путь). Then you will need to ________ (зарезервировать) at a hotel, or another place to stay, such as a campsite (if you are camping in a tent), or a caravan site (if you are staying in a caravan), or a ________ (полупансион), a bed and breakfast.

For all types of foreign holidays, it is essential that you check you have all your ________ (проездные документы). Make sure your ________ (паспорт) hasn’t expired, and that you have a ________ (виза) if necessary. If you are travelling to some countries, you also need to make sure that all your ________ (прививки) – protection against illness – are up to date. For some countries you might need a vaccination against hepatitis, or yellow fever, for example.

As your ________ (дата отъезда) gets nearer, you can start to plan the details of your journey. Perhaps it will be a good idea to buy a ________ (путеводитель), or a ________ (разговорник), if you don't speak much of the local language. Some people like to read up on (= get lots of background information on) where they are going, and find out about the ________ (места, представляющие интерес) and "must-see"________ (достопримечательности). It's also fun to make a ________ (список, что следует упаковать), so you don't forget any vital clothes or toiletries.

It's also a good idea to buy ________ (местная валюта) in advance, if your flight gets in (= arrives) in the middle of the night, when no banks are open. Most airlines also advise you to take out (=get) ________ (страховку) just in case your flight is delayed or cancelled, or if you get ill and need to be repatriated (which means to say to be sent back to your country).

Don't forget to make arrangements for your pets and your house while you're away. Put your dog into kennels (a dog hotel), and leave a key with your neighbour just in case! Hopefully your neighbour will ________ (присмотрят за) your house while you're on holiday! Finally, get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Nowadays it can take much longer to get through security and onto the plane. Have a nice trip and send your neighbour a ________ (открытку)!

Assignment 6. Look at the list of amenities, facilities, and services at the hotel and mark those which you think are extremely important for you. Explain your choices.

• Laundry service-

• Dry cleaning service-

• Ice machine-

• Lounge-

• Porter/bellman-

• Newsstand-

• Shoe shine-

• Safety deposit box-

• Wake-up call-

• Pets allowed/not allowed-

• Foreign currency exchange-

• Health/fitness/exercise center-

• Valet parking-

• Continental breakfast-

• Conference Facilities

• Fire Alarm with Light

• Gift Shop

• Hairdryer In Room

• Ice Machine

• International Direct Dial

• Ironing Board

• Jacuzzi

• Microwave

• Radio

• Television

• Safe Deposit Box

• 24 Hour Security

Assignment 7. Read the conversations and say how you understand the expressions in italics.

Part A.

V i c k y. I think it’s time for us to get away from it all, Matt.

M a t t. Get away from it all? Go away and leave all our work behind? Where are we going?

V i c k y. Well I thought we could get away from it all and go on holiday!

M a t t. I would really like to get away on holiday. I’m all excited now – I love holidays. Where are we going?

V i c k y. Well, Matt, we don’t have to plan a holiday that carefully. We could just take off somewhere.

M a t t. Take off somewhere – what? Just leave now without planning anything?

V i c k y. Sure. Why not? We could just go to the travel agent today and buy some tickets. We’ve been working hard presenting this programme – we deserve a holiday!

M a t t. Right! I’m going to pack my bags now.

Part B.

V i c k y. Matt, I’ve just been to the travel agent and I’ve got us tickets to go to the Maldives.

M a t t. This is just too exciting. So, when do we set off?

V i c k y. The plane leaves tomorrow afternoon so we need to set off for the airport at 11am.

M a t t. Just let me write that down so I don’t forget. So, we leave at 11 am. Do we stop off anywhere on the way or are the direct flights?

V i c k y. Well, there weren’t any direct flights, but we are very lucky. With these tickets we can stop off in Sri Lanka. So we can stop and spend two days there on our way to the Maldives.

M a t t. Vicki – you are brilliant. I’ve always wanted to go there. So we stop off in Sri Lanka. And, just one more thing…when do we get back?

V i c k y. We’ll return home in ten days time.

M a t t. Wow, so we set off tomorrow afternoon, we stop off in Sri Lanka for 2 days on our way to the Maldives, and we get back in ten days time.

Choose the right phrasal verb to complete the sentences.

1. I’ve been so busy at work, I really need a holiday – I really need ___________

to set off

to get back

to get away

to stop off

2. There’s no need to plan our trip – we can just ____________

stop off

get back

take off

3. Our flight's at 1 o'clock. It’ll take us about an hour to get to the airport – so we'll ____________ at 11 o'clock.

set off

stop off

take off

4. Our flight isn't direct, we have __________ in New York.

to get back

to get away

to stop off

5. He's been away for ages - when does he _______________ from holiday?

get back

get away

take off

set off