Read the text and do the tasks.

Holidays and Habits

The British people have just discovered a new country. It’s called the UK! More and more people are
choosing to take their holidays in their own country rather than travel abroad.

1. One of the most traditional British holidays is the “seaside holiday”. Stereotypically, families get on
a train or into a car and travel to British seaside towns like Brighton and Blackpool. They sunbathe on
the beach, buy ice-creams, eat fish and chips, build sandcastles with a bucket and spade, and go for
donkey rides.

2. In the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the average family in the UK, and more and more
British people started travelling abroad for their summer holidays (July-August). After all, the British
weather isn’t very good, even in summer, so a lot of Britons leave the UK for a vacation. Particularly
popular with families on a budget is the “package holiday”, where the cost of flights and
accommodation are offered as one discounted price by travel agents.

3. In the 1980s and 1990s, young people in the UK became more wealthy on average, or at least had
more disposable income. As a result, the “club 18-30 holiday” became popular. Young people started to
go abroad in groups, to places like Spain and Greece. Once at their destination, they socialized with
other groups of young people and had one long party.

4. British holidaying habits have begun to change, however. Climate change means that the UK now
has a hotter climate than before, so people do not need to go overseas to find good weather. Also, the
credit crunch has affected the international value of the British pound, so going abroad is more
expensive than it used to be. As a result, more and more Britons are choosing to spend their summer
holidays in the UK.

5. This year, British hotels in areas like the English Lake District have seen a 40% increase in bookings
compared to last year. That rise is mainly due to the British staying in their own country for their
holidays. In addition, however, foreign tourists are currently finding the UK cheaper to visit than
previously.

6. In the UK, the domestic tourism industry – when people go on holiday in their own country – is
healthier than it has been in decades. UK newspapers have even invented a new word: a “staycation”. It
is a slang term to describe the sort of vacation when people stay in their own homes and go on a few
day-trips rather than spending money on hotels.

7. In some ways, therefore, the UK has come full circle. There is now an increased appreciation
among Britons for the diversity of the UK. It is not just the geography that is diverse, ranging from the
flat fens of East Anglia, to the rolling green hills of England, to the valleys of Wales, to the mountains
of Scotland. It is not just the diversity of climate-based activities on offer, ranging from surfing in the
warm south-west of England, to hill-walking and skiing in the north. It is also the diversity of cultures
in the UK that is beginning to be of interest to domestic tourists. People forget sometimes that there are
different accents, languages, traditions, cuisines and peoples across all the regions of the UK. It’s not
just England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland that are different from each other. Each country has its own
regions, and each of those regions is very different from all the others.

The UK has always been famous for its international explorers. It is only just starting to discover itself,
however. (Written by A J Dalton)
1. There are seven paragraphs numbered 1-7. Match the subtitles below with the correct
paragraph. (Izvēlies piemērotu virsrakstu katrai rindkopai, uzrakstot pretī rindkopas numuru)

a. The role of climate

b. Increase in British Tourism

c. Air travel opens the world

d. New type of holidays

e. Holidays for the young

f. Sun, sea and sand 1.

g. Appreciating local culture

2. Synonyms. For each paragraph, find the word that means the same as those below. (Attiecīgā
rindkopā sameklē vārdu vai izteicienu ar līdzīgu nozīmi)

1) generalizing – introducing
2) not too expensive - affordable
3) money available to spend - more wealthy
4) global recession – global economy reduce
5) before - previously
6) excursions - trip
7) customs- tradicion

3. Translate into Latvian (iztulko).

travel abroad – ceļot apkārt

became affordable – kļuva viegli nopērkams/ pieejams

discounted price – nokaulēta cena

became more wealthy – kļūt turīgam

destination - galapunkts

holidaying habits – brīvdienu ieradumi

foreign tourists – svešs tūŗists

domestic tourism industry – tūrisma industrija

an increased appreciation – palielināts novērtējums

diversity - dažādība

4. Writing . Imagine that you are going on a 3-day trip around Latvia. Describe –

-How? (the way of travelling). Who with? (friends, family, alone). Where? (the places). What to
do and see? Where to stay at night? What and where to eat?

Write about 150 – 180 words.

 MY TRIP

Last year I was on trip trought Latvia with my best friend. We traveled to Irlava with bikes. We
drived 102 miles