TRAINS – THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL.

For many people, going (1)…… train is the most exciting way to travel. You don’t have to wait (2)…… hours at the airport with thousands (3)…… other passengers. You just go (4)……the railway station a few minutes before the train (5)……, buy a ticket, get on the train, and the journey begins!

You can look at things (6)…… the windows, have a sleep, read a book or go for a walk up and down the train. There is usually someone interesting to talk (7)…… and when you get hungry, you can eat your picnic! If you didn’t bring (8)…… picnic with you, there’s often a restaurant or small café on the train where you can buy (9)……food and a drink.

 

1 A on             B to            C by

2 A for            B in            C at

3  A and            B from       C of

4 A at              B to            C in

5 A will leave B left          C leaves

6 A by             B through   C inside

7 A for            B at             C to

8 A a               B some       C the

9 A a               B any          C some 

Activity 7. Read and translate these notes about travelling by train.                                              

Advantages	Disadvantages
- fast	- expensive
- comfortable	- sometimes crowded
- not stressful	- sometimes delayed
	- not door to door

                                                                                                      

You can:	You must:
- relax (read and look out of the window)	- travel at certain times
- work	- use other transport to get to the station
- eat

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Activity 8. Now read the following text and put the linking words on the right in the correct place in each paragraph.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Travelling by Train.

Travelling by train has many advantages.          Also,                           

There are no stressful traffic jams, and trains

are fast and comfortable. You can use the         for example,                         

time in different ways. Youcan just sit and                                 

read, or watch the world go by. You can work, First of all,                     

or you can have a meal or a snack in the buffet

car.

Travelling by train also has some disadvantages. For one thing,                     

It is expensive and the trains are sometimes       However,                          

crowded and delayed. You have to travel at                                 

certain times and trains cannot take you from      What is more,  

door to door. You need a bus or a taxi to take                              

you to the railway station.

                                                                              for example,          

I prefer travelling by train to travelling by car.    because…                  

 I feel more relaxed when I reach my destination. Despite the disadvantages,

Activity 9. Complete the sentences using the correct form of the given verbs.

delay              cancel    travel      catch      miss

1. I have to leave now. I want to …….. the train that leaves at 4.15.

2. If I’m not on it, I could …….. my flight .

3. I’ve heard that a lot of trains are ……. in the winter.

4. And if they’re not, they’re usually ……. by at least 30 minutes.

5. So, now you know why I get nervous about ……. in the UK.

 

Activity 10. Read and translate the text.

Travelling by train.

 

Modern life is impossible without travelling. Of course the fastest way of travelling is by plane. But many people make their choice on travelling by train as with a train you have speed, comfort and pleasure combined. Travelling by train is of course slower than by air but it also has its advantages.

If you are going to travel by train you’d better book seats beforehand because many people are fond of travelling by train. There are some reasons why people choose railroad. Train is the cheap means of travelling. If it is summer outside it will be better to think of your trip before the vocation starts. To understand how true this is, you only have to go to a railway station. There you will see hundreds of people hurrying to catch a train. You’ll waste a lot of time standing near the booking-office trying to buy a ticket.

Modern trains have very comfortable seats in all passenger cars, and there are sleeping-cars and dining-cars which make even the longest journey enjoyable. You can buy first-class, second-class and third-class sleepers in a separate compartment. If you are early before the train starts you can leave your suit-cases in the compartment and walk up and down the platform. Some people forget when and from which platform and track their train will be off. They can always ask for the track, platform and train numbers at the railroad station information bureau and also get information about next trains and their schedules. There are express, slow and long-distance trains. If you want to go somewhere and get there as quickly as possible you’d better know that express trains only stop at the largest stations while slow trains stop at all stations. You can get to far countries only by a long-distance train.

Once you are in your compartment you have to ask the guide to bring in the bedding. There are usually two lower and two upper berths in a third-class sleeper compartment. Some people like to occupy upper berths because it is more convenient and exciting to travel. During your way on the train you can read newspapers, books, look out of the window, drink the tea, communicate with your neighbors or sleep. I prefer to look out of the window, because you can see the country you are passing through, and not only the clouds as when you are flying. You can have something to eat at the stations when the train makes stops.

Though we all seem to agree that the future belongs to air transport, the railroads today still carry a lot of passengers and goods.

Activity 11.  Quiz on ‘Travelling by train’.

1. I’d like to buy a …….. ticket to London please. I’m leaving today and coming back next Monday.

a) go-and-come-back

b) there-and-back

c) return

d) two-way

2. I’m here to meet my friends on the 12:15 from Edinburgh. Can you tell me if the train left Edinburgh ……..?

a) on time

b) at time

c)in time

d) of time

3. Rose was hungry on the train journey from Leeds to Manchester so she went to              the ….. to get something to eat.

a) café

b) restaurant

c) dining room

d) buffet car

4. Our train is leaving from…….. 14 at 10 o’clock.

a) track

b) stand

c) place

d) platform

5. There were so many people on the train that the seats were full and there was …..

          a) standing place

          b) standing spot

          c) standing room

          d) standing space

Activity 12. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1. Местные поезда подходят к платформе каждые 20 минут.

2. Если вы не заказали билет заранее, вы можете купить его в билетной кассе на вокзале.

3. Билетные кассы находятся справа от зала ожидания, а камера хранения – слева.

4. Скорые поезда останавливаются только на больших и узловых станциях.

5. В электричках нет вагона-ресторана.

6. Я бы хотел купить билет туда и обратно.

7. Поезд из Киева прибывает в 12 часов к пятой платформе.

8. Проводник сказал, что поезд будет стоять на этой станции четверть часа.

9. Скажите, пожалуйста, когда мы прибываем в конечный пункт?

TRAVELLING BY AIR