UNIT 6

TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD

1. Read the following article about domestic travel in Australia.

Have you ever travelled to another part of your country and stayed for a few
days? Travel within one’s own country is popular throughout the world. And,
according to a survey carried out in Australia, travellers are tending to spend
more and more money on their holidays.
The Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey showed that domestic travellers –
those travelling within the country – invested $23 billion into the Australian
economy in 2015. As a result, domestic tourism became the mainstay of the
industry, accounting for 75 per cent of total tourism expenditure in Australia.
International tourism, on the other hand, added $7 billion to the economy.
Overall, in present dollar terms, Australians spent $7 billion more on domestic
tourism in 2015 than they did when the first survey of tourist spending was
completed in 2001.
Thus, tourism has become one of Australia’s largest industries. The combined
tourist industry now accounts for about 5% of the nation’s gross domestic
product, compared with agriculture at 4.3% and manufacturing at 8%. Tourism
is therefore an important earner for both companies and individuals in a wide
range of industries. For example, the transport industry benefits from the extra
money poured into it. Hotels spring up in resort areas to provide
accommodation, and the catering industry gains as tourists spend money in
restaurants. The retail sector benefits as well, as many tourists use their holidays
to shop for clothes, accessories and souvenirs.
In most countries, the land is divided into different political areas. Australia is
divided into six states and two territories. Since people travel for different
reasons, there are significant differences in the length of time people stay in
different locations and in the amount they spend while there.
In 2015, Australian residents spent $8.4 billion on day trips and almost twice
that amount on trips involving at least one night away from home. In that year, a
total of 45 million overnight trips were made in Australia. Of these, 14.9 million
were spent in New South Wales, 10.3 million were spent in Queensland, and 9.2
million were spent in Victoria. Fewer nights were spent in the other states, with
3.7 million in South Australia, 1.5 million in Tasmania and 5 million in Western
Australia. Despite the popularity of destinations such as Ayers Rock and Kakadu
National Park, only 0.4 million overnight stays were recorded in the Northern
Territory. New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria attracted the greatest
tourism revenue, with $5.2 billion, $5.1 billion and $3.3 billion spent there

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respectively. The average expenditure for trips was $395 per person, with
accommodation the biggest expenditure, followed by meals and fuel. The survey
also showed that costs were higher for inter-state travellers, who each spent an
average of $812 per trip compared with $255 for those who travelled within one
state. Trips to the Northern Territory were the most expensive, followed by
Queensland, with South Australia and Victoria the least.
Comparing the costs of trips for different purposes, the survey found that
business trips were the most expensive because they were more likely to involve
stays in commercial accommodation. Trips taken for educational reasons – to
visit universities, museums etc. – were also expensive, especially as they usually
required inter-state plane tickets. Family holidays lay in the medium range, with
transport and fares contributing to the cost, but adventure parks the major
expense. But while visits to friends and relatives were the least expensive – due
to lower accommodation, food and transport costs – these travellers spent most
on shopping.
The survey also estimates that Australians made 253 million day trips in 2015,
visiting parks, beaches and city attractions. The largest expenses were petrol
costs (averaging $10 per day trip), followed by meals, souvenirs and entry fees.
Day trips tended to cost the most in the Northern Territory, while South
Australia was the cheapest. Overall, the survey found that men travelling alone
spent more than any tourist group. In particular, men spent more on transport
and meals. Women travelling alone spent the most on clothes, while souvenirs
were bought more often by families than by other tourists.
The challenge for the tourism industry now is to encourage Australians to
continue spending money on travel and, if possible, to increase the amount they
spend.
(Source: http://www.ielts-exam.net/docs/reading/IELTS_Reading_General_13_Passage)

2. Complete the list below. Choose no more than three words from the text
for each answer.
Industries that benefit from tourism:
 transport
 ………………
 ………………
 ………………

3. Complete the sentences below. Choose words from the text for each
answer:

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 1. The state or territory in which the highest number of overnight trips was
made was .....................
2. The state or territory in which the lowest number of overnight trips was
made was .....................
3. People travelling from state to state spent more than those travelling
.....................
4. The two cheapest states or territories to travel to were .................... and
.....................
5. The category of people who spent the most on travel in Australia in 2015
were .....................
6. The category who spent the most on souvenirs were .....................

4. Complete the table below. Use no more than three words from the text
for each answer:

Purpose of trip Major expense

business accommodation

education 1) ……………………
family holiday 2) ……………………
visiting relatives 3) ……………………
day trips 4) ……………………

5. Read this extract from a leaflet about London Underground:

The London underground is the most convenient way to travel in London. The 275
stations are dispersed throughout the entire city, 63 of which are in the centre.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that the majority of Londoners and tourists use the
underground.
The size of the network - London currently has 12 tube lines which spread across
the whole city and into its outskirts and suburbs. In total there are 402 kilometres
of track. This means that you can get around quite easily using the underground.
The network itself is the second largest in the world.
Rush hour - Peak times are in the early morning and evening between 7-9 and 5-7.
Over a billion passengers per year makes the London underground the third busiest

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system in Europe, while the daily ridership is averaged at 2.93 million in the week,
rising to 3.5 at weekends.
Service times - Most lines offer services every few minutes from the hours of 5:30
to 12:30. However, Sundays offer a slightly reduced service with trains only
running between 7:30 and 23:30. Public holidays also affect service times as too do
severe weather conditions such as floods and snow.
Ticket options - A valid ticket or travel card is necessary to travel on the network.
This must be purchased before starting your journey. The cheapest option is a
single ticket and the most expensive a yearly pass. There are also daily, weekly or
monthly passes but the majority of regular travellers choose to have an electronic
rechargeable pass called an ‘Oyster card’ or a ‘pay as you go’ card.
Ticket Pricing - The price of a ticket varies per zone and travel time. For example,
a single ticket for zone 1 at ‘off-peak’ is £4.00 while a day travel card is £6.60. A
single ticket for zones 1-9 in comparison is £5.90 and a day pay stands at £14.50.
Reductions - Cheaper fares are available for young people, university students,
unemployed and groups. Disabled and retired people can also apply in writing for a
‘freedom pass’ to gain free unlimited travel across the network at any time.
Fines - Travel without a valid ticket will result in a fine of £50 leading to £1,000
and the possibility of 3 months imprisonment for refusal to pay. For these reasons
it is highly recommended that you purchase a ticket and also validate it using the
machines at the entrance of the underground station.
(Source: http://www.ipassielts.com/ielts_training/free_practice/reading)

6. Answer the following questions:

1. How many tube lines reach the suburbs?
2. How many people travel on the London underground in one year?
3. What kind of service is offered on Sundays?
4. Which two environmental conditions affect the trains?
5. Which ticket has the lowest cost?
6. Who are cheaper fares available for?
7. How much do disabled people pay to use the underground?
8. What is the worst punishment for not buying a ticket?

7. Put the verbs in brackets in the present tense simple:

a. ….......….she…........…to Spain this summer? (to travel)
b. I…...........…… my car to work every day. (not/to drive)
c. ....…….. Susan……....… to England by plane? (to go)
d. These travellers ……........…. a medieval castle this week. (to visit)
e. Jenny and Peggy ………...… their brother. (not/to help)
f. The children ………......... at home this weekend. (not/to be)

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 g. Where from ……….you…….....… this wonderful skirt? (to buy)
h. My cousin ……..…....…… his van to the countryside. (not/to drive)
i. The boys ………................. their bicycles every Saturday. (to ride)

8. Complete the following dialogue with appropriate questions:

Travel agent: Good morning, sir. How may I help you?
Client: Good morning. Can I make an airline reservation, please?
Travel agent: ……………………………………
Client: From Athens to Istanbul.
Travel agent: ………………………………….
Client: I’d like to leave Athens on the 2nd of next month, returning on the 15th.
Travel agent: ....................................................
Client: I’d like to arrive in Istanbul by lunchtime, and be back in Athens by
dinnertime.
Travel agent: .......................................................
Client: There will be three of us – two adults and one child.
Travel agent: ......................................................
Client: She’s eight years old.
Travel agent: ........................................................
Client: Economy class – the cheapest fares you can get, if possible!
Travel agent: ........................................................
Client: No, I don’t mind which airline it is.
Travel agent: All right, I’ll just check the computer to find out about availability.

9. Make dialogues for the following situations:

a) Which of the countries would you like to visit if you could afford it, and
what would you do there? Make five sentences about five of the countries
you’d like to visit.
Model: If I had enough money, I would travel to America. I would visit New
York and go up to the Empire State Building.
b) Imagine you could go on a round-the-world trip visiting ten different cities.
Plan you route. You must fly westwards from the nearest airport.
Model: We would start at ..... and then fly on to ..... where we would stop for
..... days to visit .....

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10. Fill in the blanks using these words: catch, take, leave, embark, depart from,
arrive at, reach, get to.
1. If Mr Abraham ........ the Eurostar train at 7.30, he will ........ Waterloo at
9.45.
2. If these people intend to travel by sea next week, they will ........ on a cruise
ship at Liverpool for New York.
3. If you ........ Madrid at 12.30 by train, you ........ Barcelona at 7.25 pm.
4. If this passenger ........ Brussels at 8.30 on the Sabena flight, he ........
Heathrow in London at 10.40.
5. If you ........ the British Airways at 10.35, you ........ Gatwick at 11.45 British
time.
6. If you ........ the last flight from New Jersey, you ......... Los Angeles at 9 pm.
7. If you want to ........ London before 9 am, you .......... a plane.

11. Find the correct definitions for the following means of transport:
1. underground a. connected vehicles that move on railways
on a long distance
2. coach b. a vehicle that runs on rails and carries
people on a short distance
3. train c. a large boat used for travelling long
distances over the sea
4. bus/van d. a system of underground trains in a city
5. truck/lorry e. also known as a snow machine, it is a
vehicle designed for winter travel and
recreation on snow
7. taxi/cab f. a vehicle with wings and engine that
carries people in the air
8. motorcycle g. a very large, heavy vehicle used to
transport large objects
9. boat h. a large bus with comfortable seats used
for long trips/excursions
10. plane i. a vehicle with doors at the back and sides,
used for transporting people or objects
11. tram(way) j. a car that carries passengers in the city for
an amount of money that is based on the

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 distance travelled
12. ship k. a vehicle with two wheels that is powered
by a motor and that can carry one or two
persons
13. motorboat l. a small vehicle used for travelling on
water
14. snowmobile m. a boat which is powered by an engine

12. Debate on the following topics:

a. What are the most popular holiday destinations for people in your country?
b. What is the most convenient means of transport for a successful trip?
c. What do you advise people to do when they are on holiday and the weather is
terrible?
d. Think of some places that you have never visited before and that you would
really like to see. Ask questions about them.
e. Mention some unpleasant holiday experiences and the way you solved them.
f. Look at the following destinations, choose the most appropriate for you and
motivate your choice: a deserted beach, Tokyo, a mountain resort, a historical city,
Thailand, Venice.