Learning objectives

1、talk about your own traveling experiences

2、understand the problem-solution pattern

3、ask for and give directions

4、make a plan for a dream journey

Sharing

Part 1

F: I’ve spent a lot of time living in different countries so there isn’t one place I think of as home. I’ve lived in Scotland and Poland and China. I love going to new places and learning about new cultures. Today, I’m asking people about travel.

Part 2

W1: I love travel. It’s one of my passions.

M1: Well, I enjoy it a lot. I have traveled to India several times. I lived there, and I’ve lived here, and I’ve been to Istanbul once and I enjoyed that very much.

W2: I’ve done quite a bit of traveling on holidays and stuff. I think it’s good, good experience.

W3: You get to meet different people coming from different backgrounds, and that’s really important to get an understanding.

M2: It’s always just nice to get out and experience a different culture and different lifestyle. W4: I get very excited about the thought of going to most countries, any country.

W5: I love to travel to different countries.

M3: Absolutely love traveling. I’ve been traveling for about two and a half years solid now. W6: I’ve been to Turkey. I’ve been to Egypt. I’ve been to Malta.

M4: I work as an expedition leader and so I actually operate in different countries around the world, many places outside the United Kingdom.

Part 3

F:What do you like about traveling?

M3: I think you mature a lot when you travel. You, er, you learn … oh, just completely different experiences to what you’re used to at home.

W6: I like the airport experience. I love that. M5: I like the arrival more than the traveling.

W5: To see art especially. We love to see theater in other countries.

M4: You see some, some of the most beautiful scenery around the world which you wouldn’t experience in other countries.

M2: I just really like getting out there and experiencing a different culture, getting far away from, you know, what we’re used to in Australia, and meeting new people.

W4: The anticipation of being in a new place, of seeing very different things, er, of hearing a different language, (and) of eating different food. Everything that travel has to offer.

Part 4

F:What don’t you like? 

W6: I don’t like long flights.

W3: I suppose plane journeys aren’t always the most exciting of things.

W1: Flying. I don’t particularly like flying, but it’s a necessity when you live in Ireland, you know.

M2: I suppose the biggest problem I have with traveling is living out of a suitcase.

W4: In all honesty, I actually see the whole travel as an adventure in itself. So, er, when, when I was backpacking, and we all … we ran out of money, or we were in dangerous situations, I actually quite enjoyed that.

M4:You spend a lot of time outside the United Kingdom, and the disadvantage of that is, that you, you tend to miss families and friends. I miss out on normal things in life, so … I’ve been outside the United Kingdom for two thirds of the year. I’d say that’s the main disadvantage.

W5: The hardest thing for me is that I am handicapped. And so sometimes getting around, especially very old cities, is very difficult.

M5: My wife’s usually late for … getting to the airport. It wasn’t until I, I got married I actually started missing flights.

Listening Skills

Listening Practice

One place that I think everyone should have the chance to see is Venice. But the problem is that this beautiful and charming city is slowly sinking. Ever since the 14th century engineers have tried to work out a way to stop the floods in Venice, but so far nobody has managed. Sometimes there are as many as 40 floods per year between March and September, and Venice is actually sinking at a rate of two and a half inches every decade. It’s very possible that your grandchildren, and their grandchildren will never have the chance to see this fragile city. Everyone should have the chance to enjoy the city, to walk across its famous bridges, through its ancient squares. There are no cars in Venice, and many people think it helps this to be one of the most romantic cities in the world. So, can it be saved?

Well, they are trying. Barriers are being put in to try and stop the water getting too high. This is viewed as a temporary measure, although they should last 100 years, so the problem is finding a permanent solution. If you want my advice, go there while you still can, and then together we can put pressure on the government to spend the money it needs to find a permanent way to keep this beautiful and historic city for future generations. We have an opportunity now to save this city,  and we must, before it’s too late.