The Roadmap Report

B1 Unit 2: Life on a narrowboat 2C Culture shock

BEFORE YOU WATCH A B

1 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

1 Can you name any rivers or canals in your country?
Which of them can boats travel on?
2 Have you ever sailed/driven a boat? If so, did you like it?
If not, would you like to try?
3 Do people in your country ever live on boats?

2 Label photos A–D with the words in the box.

lock narrowboat towpath tunnel

3 a Read the text. Which of the things in photos A–D

C D
does it mention?

Wonderful waterways!
Venice, in Italy, is famous all over the world for its canals.
But did you know that Birmingham in the UK actually has
more canals than Venice?! It has more than 100 miles of
canals, including two long tunnels and seven aqueducts.
People have used canals to travel for thousands of
years but the oldest canal that is still used today, is the
Grand Canal in China. Some parts of it were built in the
5th century BCE. The Grand Canal is also the longest
canal in the world, as it’s 1,104 miles long. Other
famous canals include the Suez Canal in Egypt, which 4 a You’re going to watch a video about some people
connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, and who live on a canal boat. Work in pairs to discuss
the Panama Canal in Central America, which connects the questions.
the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. 1 What do you think are the advantages of living
Most British canals were built during the Industrial on a boat?
Revolution in the 18th century, to transport heavy goods 2 What could the disadvantages be?
around the country at a time when there were few proper
roads. The system was very successful. Horses walking b Watch the video. Does it mention any of
on the towpath next to the narrowboats pulled them your ideas?
along, and one horse could pull 50 tonnes which made
transporting cargo much less expensive than before.
WHILE YOU WATCH
Narrowboats were eventually replaced by trains and
lorries but there are still over two thousand miles of
5 Read the reporter’s introduction. Watch the video
canals in the UK. Nowadays, people mostly use canals
from the start to 1:02 and underline the correct
for leisure activities like fishing, kayaking, walking or
alternatives.
cycling along the towpaths, and some people even live
on narrowboats on canals. Hi, it’s Will Best, your Roadmap reporter here. Today I am
visiting one of London’s canals because I want to find out
what it’s like to 1work/live on the water, on a canal boat or
b Read the text again and answer the questions.
narrowboat as they’re called. During the 18th and early
1 Which European city has the most canals?        19th centuries many 2people/families lived and worked
2 Where is the oldest canal in the world? on canals like this one in London. Canals were built to
3 What is the longest canal in the world? help 3carry/transport heavy goods around the country,
but the development of roads and 4trains/railways in
4 Which canal joins two oceans? the early twentieth century meant that jobs and people
began to move away, and a 5unique/unusual way of life
5 When were most of the canals in the UK built? disappeared. But today, more and more people are
choosing to 6work/live on the canal again. Like Sophie
6 How many miles of canals are there in the UK? and Finley, who I’m about to meet.

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 Roadmap
The Roadmap
Video
Report
B1 Unit 2:
1: The
Life Personal
on a narrowboat  
Trainer   1C  A new lifestyle 2C  Culture shock

6 a Work in pairs. Decide if the sentences below are b Work in pairs. Read the sentences and choose the
true (T) or false (F). correct alternatives.
1 Sophie and Finley only have about twenty square 1 You use the throttle/tiller to move the boat forwards.
metres of living space.        2 The boat turns the opposite/same direction from the
2 They have a stove to keep them warm.        way you steer.
3 There isn’t a kitchen on the boat.        3 A lock is a section of canal with a gate/tunnel at
4 The bedroom is large.        each end.
5 They have a solar panel on the roof of the boat.        4 Locks allow boats to go up or downhill/turn around.
6 The boat is difficult to steer.        5 First Sophie and Will need to lower/raise the level of
7 The boat is called Amanda.        the water.
6 After Finley has driven into the lock they need to
b Watch the video from 1:02–2:43 and check release/increase the water.
your answers.
c Watch the video from 2:43–5:09 again and check
7 a Work in pairs. Watch the video from 1:02–2:43 again. your answers.
Answer the questions.
1 Why did Sophie and Will decide to live on a narrowboat? 9 a Complete the extracts from the video with the words
Write two reasons. in the box.
1                    
beautiful great love lovely wow
2                     
2 How is living on a narrowboat different from living in a 1 A: … would you like to come on board and have a look
flat or house? Write three differences. inside?
1                     B: Yes, please I’d that. Oh !
2                       Look at this! It’s .
3  2 Very cosy, I love it! Guys the boat is .
3 A: Do you fancy having a go?
8 a Match the descriptions to the photos A–F.
B: Yes, please! That would be !
pushing the lock gate open   turning the engine on
sitting on the bridge undoing the ropes b Watch the video from 1:02–2:43 and check your
turning the lock handle sailing through the lock answers.

A B
AFTER YOU WATCH

10 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

1 What unusual homes have you heard of?
2 Have you ever stayed in any of them, for example
on holiday?
3 Which type of unusual home (e.g. a cave, an igloo)
would you most like to live in? Why?
C D
11 Work in pairs. Take it in turns to tell your partner
about an unusual or interesting experience
you’ve had. Ask and answer questions about the
experiences. Use the phrases from Exercise 9a and
any other phrases you know for showing interest in
a conversation.
A: I had such an extraordinary experience yesterday!
B: Really? What happened?
E F A: I jumped out of a plane! I was so nervous before but
I loved it!
B: Wow! That’s so cool!

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