Unit 4

Activities
1. Match these words and expressions to their definitions:

1. Charter flight a) a plane leaving at the same time each day

or each week
2. Environmentally friendly b) a plane journey organized by a company
that buys all the seats
3. Fuel c) a special train ticket you can buy to travel
around a specific area for a specific period
of time
4. Landing d) bags and suitcases that you take on a journey
5. Luggage e) something that doesn’t damage the natural
world
6. Peak season f) the activities to protect a country, building or person
against attack or danger
7. Rail pass g) the time of year when a lot of people go on holiday
8. Scheduled flight h) what we put in a car to make it go, e.g. petrol or
diesel
9. Security checks i) when an airplane leaves the ground and starts flying
10. Take-off j) when the plane returns to the ground at the end of
a journey

2. Read the text and complete the table:

You’re at your holiday destination, and now you need to continue your journey. Taxis are
quick and efficient for short journeys, but they can be expensive. Many charge per passenger,
piece of luggage, as well as surcharges for airport and night time journeys. If you want to be
free to travel when and where you like, car hire can offer good value. You pay a daily or
weekly rate for hiring a car, plus fuel costs and you choose the kind of car you want, but
most are bad for the environment. Adventurous tourists can rent a motorbike, moped or
bicycle. These are cheaper and also more environmentally-friendly, but watch out for traffic
or people stealing your bike! For people on a budget, public transport is a good and green
option. Cities usually have a choice of underground, buses, trains and sometimes trams and
cable cars too. In small towns, the options are more limited. Cost and convenience vary a lot
in different places, so look out for special offers like combination tickets, weekend or all-day
travel passes. Of course if you want to save your money and the planet, you could always
walk!
 Mode of transport Positive things about it Negative things about it
Taxi
Bad for the environment
Motorbike Adventurous
Public transport Good for people on a budget Cost and convenience vary a
lot

3. Complete the following text using these multi-word verbs: drop off / check in /
check out/ pick up / set out / take off / get in / get away / get on / speed up / look
around / hurry up / go back / see off / look forward

Summer break in the USA

The day I left for the USA my family (1)___ me___. We had breakfast on the airport but
we had to (2)___ so that I wouldn't miss my flight. It was a teary goodbye, but I
was (3)___ to new experiences in the USA. After I (4)___ the plane I made myself
comfortable and sent a few last minute goodbye text messages. I thought of how much I
wanted this holiday and that I just needed to (5)___ from it all. A short while later the pilot
announced that all electronics were to be switched off, for we were preparing to (6)___.
As the plane was (7)___ on the runway I sat back and took pleasure in brute force and
strength of the momentum the plane was creating to lift itself up from the ground.

When our plane (8)___ at JFK Airport in New York there was already a taxi waiting
to (9)___ me ___. The taxi (10)___ me ___ at the Holiday Inn where I would meet up
with my friends. After I (11)___ to the hotel we all went to Time Square, where
we (12)___ for the rest of the day. The next day we got up in the early hours of the morning
and did some sightseeing. That night we were exhausted and went to bed early. The next
morning we (13) ___ after breakfast, rented a car and (14)___ on a cross-country road trip.
It would be another 3 months before I would (15)___ home.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

4. Complete the following sentences with an appropriate phrasal verb (go away, run
up, check in, take off, check out, come back, set off, look around, see off, touch down):

a) I had a really nice time on holiday. I didn’t want to __________.

b) My parents __________ to the Canary Islands every winter to escape the cold.
c) I’m hungry. Let’s have lunch before we __________ the town.
d) Thank you for booking a room at the Grand Hotel. You can __________ after 2 pm.
__________ is before 11 am.
e) We’ll __________ for Madrid at 9 o’clock and arrive at 10 o’clock.
f) ___________ and _________ are the most dangerous parts of a flight.
g) Whenever I go on a long journey, my parents come and __________ me _________ at
the airport.
h) They spent hours in the hotel bar and ___________ a huge bill.

5. Write a phrasal verb in the correct form to replace the words in italics. Add any
other words you need.
a) We can start our journey ______________ towards the mountains at dawn.
b) Dad fetched the luggage while Mum registered ______________ at the hotel.
c) I asked the taxi driver to let me get out ______________ outside the train station.
d) Oh, no! I’ve forgotten my passport! We’ll have to go back ______________ and get it.
e) The most exciting moment is when the plane leaves the ground ______________
f) Stop the car! I think we’ve hit ______________ a dog.
g) I don’t think a horse can ever stay at the same speed as ______________ a car.

6. Read the texts (A-C) and match the titles with the texts. There is one extra title.

1 Side to side
2 Safe and sound
3 In and out
4 There and back?

[A]
Imagine you were in the middle of a long-distance flight. How would you feel if you were
told that your plane had run out of fuel? That’s what happened to passengers on an Air
Canada flight in 1983. The plane was the first to use metric measurements. However, the
fuel gauge wasn’t working, so the captain calculated the fuel needed – but in pounds, not
kilograms. This resulted in the plane only carrying half the amount it needed. It ran out of
fuel above a place called Gimli. Fortunately, the pilot was able to land there safely with
minimal fuel, earning the plane the nickname the ‘Gimli Glider’.

[B]
Crossing the new Millennium Bridge for the first time in June 2000, the people of London
got a more thrilling journey to work than they expected. As they passed over the River
Thames, the footbridge started to swing. It was a beautiful, elegant bridge, designed especially
for the new century. Unfortunately, the designers hadn’t calculated the effect of thousands
of people walking on it at the same time. Although it wasn’t particularly dangerous, the bridge
was very wobbly, especially when it was windy. It had to be closed for nearly two years while
the design was modified, at great expense.

[C]
In 1912, explorer Robert Scott fatally miscalculated the amount of food his team would need
while trying to become the first to reach the South Pole. His team had rations of 4,500
calories per day. If Scott had known more about physical health at that time, he would have
taken nearly double that amount of food. So the team must have lost about 25 kg of weight
before they got to the Pole. The journey was doubly tragic for Scott. He was beaten to the
South Pole by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and, worse, he and his men died of
starvation on the return journey, just eleven miles from their next food supply.
7. Read the following texts. Complete the gaps (1-4) in the text with the missing
sentences (A-F). There are two extra sentences.

[1]
Staying in hotels and resorts has been a traditional part of travel since mass tourism began.
But nowadays, many tourists want a more intimate experience. 1……… This often means
staying in the kinds of places that local people inhabit. In big cities, try staying with the friend
of a friend. You may end up sleeping on the couch or the floor, but the advantages outweigh
the discomfort. The biggest plus is that you’ll be staying with a local and seeing the city from
a local perspective.

[2]
Another option is house-swapping. 2……… It’s usual to exchange emails about favourite
places in the city before the swap, meaning you can have a truly local experience. But of
course, you can only do this if you don’t mind having strangers staying in your house.

[3]
For the more adventurous, staying in a native structure in an African village or a hut on the
water in Vietnam or Thailand can be a real thrill. 3……… The experience of dealing with
oil lamps and carrying water really gives you a sense of how the people live.

[4]
No matter how unadventurous you feel, you might want to consider crossing hotels off your
list. 4……… And what better way is there to do this than staying where the local people
actually live?

A Unfortunately, these areas are becoming increasingly tourist-orientated.

B For this reason, they are choosing to ‘go native’.
C Several websites allow you to connect with people who want to trade living situations.
D Of course this type of accommodation is not for everyone.
E Getting to know the local way of life is the most valuable part of travel.
F These might not even include plumbing or electricity, and that is part of the charm.