tourism online exercises

TRAVEL ENGLISH/ENGLISH FOR TOURISTS

Learn/practice common english phrases used by travelers.

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Travel & Hotel English Vocabulary Exercises

Below you will find listed all the different exercises that you can do to learn or improve your use of vocabulary for travel and holidays (e.g. staying in hotels, directions, travelling on planes etc...) in English on Blair English.

For each exercise there is a description of what it is about and what level of English you need to do it (from 'lower-intermediate' to 'advanced').

To do or look at an exercise, simply click on the box or the title of the exercise.

To learn vocabulary for places and the natural world (e.g. the countryside), look at our Geographical English vocabulary exercises .

• English Vocabulary for Recommending Places to Visit & See Level: Intermediate This online exercise looks at English phrases used when both asking about things to do when visiting a different city or country and also giving recommendations and advice to people visiting your city/country.
• Hotel Essentials Vocabulary Part 1 Level: Lower-Intermediate This first of two exercises introduces the essential vocabulary for both staying and working in hotels and the different eating options.
• Hotel Essentials Vocabulary Part 2 Level: Lower-Intermediate This second of two exercises continues with more essential vocabulary for both staying and working in hotels. It also talks about the different rooms and services in hotels.
• English Vocabulary for Arriving/Checking In at a Hotel Level: Intermediate This online exercise looks at English phrases used when arriving/checking in at a hotel and asking for information.
• English Vocabulary for Leaving/Checking Out of a Hotel & Asking Questions Level: Intermediate This online exercise looks at English phrases used when leaving/checking out of a hotel and asking for information about the city and places to go and see.
• English Vocabulary for Travelling by Plane Part 1 Level: Intermediate This first of two online exercises focuses on the English vocabulary and phrases that are used when talking about travelling by plane and the problems of air travel.
• English Vocabulary for Travelling by Plane Part 2 Level: Intermediate This second of two online exercises continues to look at the English vocabulary and phrases that are used when talking about travelling by plane and vocabulary used for journeys and trips in general.
• 10 English Travel Phrasal Verbs Level: Intermediate Learn and remember 10 commonly used English phrasal verbs that are used when travelling.
• Street Directions in English Vocabulary Level: Lower-Intermediate The essential vocabulary for giving street directions, so you can find where you want to go.

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Holidays & Travel - Quizzes, Games & Worksheets

Home | Vocabulary | Travel and Holidays |

Activities and Worksheets for Beginners and Elementary Learners

• At The Beach - Picture Vocabulary Word Bank
• At The Beach - Online Picture Matching Quiz
• At The Beach - Interactive Crossword Puzzle
• At The Beach - Medium Difficulty Word Search
• Travel and Holidays - Picture Vocabulary Word Bank
• Travel and Holidays - Online Picture Quiz
• Planning a Trip - Picture Vocabulary Word Bank
• Planning a Trip - Online Picture Quiz
• At The Airport - Easy Online Word Search Puzzle
• Online Summertime Word Search - Weather, Sports, and Holiday Activities

Elementary and Pre-Intermediate Exercises

• Planning a Holiday - Reading Activity
• Travel and Holidays Gap Fill Exercise
• Travel and Holidays Vocabulary Quiz
• Travelling by Plane - Online Crossword Puzzle
• Travelling by Plane - Medium Difficulty Online Word Search
• Making Travel Plans - Asking Questions
• Planning a Holiday - An Integrated Skills Lesson
• Paris City Beaches - Multiple Choice Listening and Vocabulary Quiz

Intermediate & Advanced Level Reading & Listening Lessons

• Tourism in The UK (IELTS 5+)
• UK City Breaks: Bath - Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: Bristol - Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: Cambridge - Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: Cardiff - Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: Glasgow - Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: Liverpool Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: Manchester Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: London Tourist Attractions
• UK City Breaks: Newcastle Tourist Attractions
• City Breaks in the North of England - Reading for Information

Airport - Hotel

Buying tickets

Videos: airport, hotel ..

Travelling - tourism

Exercises - vocabulary 2.

TRANSPORTATION: TRAINS / CARS...

• Tickets (train/bus tickets)
• Tickets 2(train/bus tickets)
• Tickets (plane, train ..) 1
• Tickets (plane, train.. ) 2
• Tickets (plane, train.. ) 3
• Buying tickets (ferry/boat)
• Train / car / plane - exercises
• Trains: What's wrong?
• Driving 1: At the gas station
• Driving: What's wrong?

More exercises: Restaurant - Shopping - Sightseeing - Meeting people

Dialogues - small talks

• Taking the bus - small talks
• At a hotel - small talks
• At a restaurant - small talks
• Hotel dialogues - English vocabulary
• Travel - small talks
• At the bank - small talks

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• A2 listening

Tour of London

Take a tour of London by listening to this tour guide and do the exercises to improve your listening skills.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise before you listen. Then do the other exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

Do this exercise before you listen.

Tour guide:  Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this fantastic tour of London by bus. My name’s Greg and I’m your guide this afternoon on our tour of London. As you can see, we’re on an open-top bus, so you can see all the attractions from your seat and you don’t need to walk anywhere. And please don’t worry about the rain, I’m sure it’ll stop soon. A-a-and please ask any questions at any time. Tourist 1:  I have a question. Tour guide:  Yes? Tourist 1:  Do you have extra umbrellas? I mean, if it rains a lot. Tour guide:  Err, no, we don’t have any extra umbrellas, but don’t worry, I’m sure the rain will stop soon. Right, OK, so where are we going on our wonderful tour? Well, the tour takes two hours and we are going to visit all the famous sites. First we’ll see Madame Tussauds, the museum with wax models of famous people and celebrities, then we’ll drive along the most famous shopping street in the world, Oxford Street. After that we’ll see the famous clock Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament. As we drive along the river you’ll see the popular attraction, the London Eye, from which you can see the whole city on a sunny day. Then we’ll see Tower Bridge and the famous Tower of London before arriving at Buckingham Palace, just in time for a cup of tea with the Queen. Tourist 2:  Is that included in the tour? A cup of tea with the Queen? Tour guide:  Err, well, no, not exactly, but there’s a lovely café near the palace where you can get a cup of tea.  (Sound of a storm right overhead, loud thunder and very heavy downpour) Tourist 1:  I have another question. Tour guide:  Yes? Tourist 1:  Can we have our money back? We’re getting off the bus. Tour guide:  Err, well, you see ... Quick! Run! Everyone off the bus! ... 

Check your understanding: reordering

Check your understanding: multiple choice, worksheets and downloads.

Have you been to any of these places? Which city would you like to take a tour in? Why?

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Home     |     help this site, 5-speed listening (tourism - level 6).

Dutch towns tell tourists how to behave

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It's great being a tourist and leisurely wandering around old towns and villages seeing the sites, but is it such a thrill for the local residents? Villagers living in the area known as 'Old Holland' outside of Amsterdam have had enough of visitors traipsing around and of tour guides with megaphones disturbing their peace. They have got together with local tour companies to create rules of conduct for tourists. The rules include not photographing residents without permission, not strolling into their gardens and not dropping litter. The new code of conduct is an attempt to deal with the growing popularity of the region. Tourism is booming and the number of tourists is expected to rise by 50 per cent in the next decade.

Old Holland is an idyllic area that matches people's image of Dutch life from a slower, bygone age. There are windmills everywhere and locals live in beautifully preserved, traditional wooden houses. Local resident Peter-Jan van Steenbergen told Holland's Het Parool newspaper that the village of Zaanse Schans is like an open-air museum. He said: "I talked to one resident who opened his curtains in the morning and looked into the camera lenses of nine amateur photographers." He added: "The visitors seem happy to knock on the wooden houses to see if it is real wood. If you are the resident of that house, that is not pleasant, of course." He said the busloads of tourists were the biggest nuisance.

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Easier Levels

Try easier levels. The listening is a little shorter, with less vocabulary.

Tourism - Level 4   |   Tourism - Level 5

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This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores the world of travel and tourism. Specifically, each week covers travel-related topics that students can use to practice speaking, reading, and listening.

For many English learners, traveling the world is one of the many reasons they study English. No matter where you travel, it is easy to find a speaker of English to help you on your journey. However, as every good traveler knows, it is best to be prepared. This month’s Teacher’s Corner is devoted to giving students the chance to practice and prepare their English for the world of travel.

The activities this month are designed to give students the opportunity to creatively practice their English while thinking about travel both at home and abroad:

• Week 1 – Around the World
• Week 2 – What to See in Town
• Week 3 – Planning a Trip
• Week 4 – Over-tourism

Week 1 begins the month with a Pecha Kucha style presentation. In these fast-paced presentations, students must describe an around-the-world trip in three minutes using only six presentation slides. In Week 2, students practice common phrasal verbs used in travel and tourism. In Week 3, students describe the tourist attractions in their home countries by preparing a six-day trip for a new visitor. Finally, this month’s Teacher’s Corner concludes with a debate activity focused on the increasing concern of over-tourism.

Table of Contents

In this week’s Teacher’s Corner, students are tasked with creating a Pecha Kucha presentation on an around-the-world trip. Pecha Kucha is a presentation style where each presenter is allowed twenty slides which are shown for twenty seconds each. The goal is to encourage the speaker to be concise – to not talk too long. For this activity, students will get six slides shown for thirty seconds each, with each slide showcasing a place they would like to visit on a trip around the world.

Intermediate to Advanced

LANGUAGE FOCUS

Speaking, reading (primary focus) Listening (secondary focus)

Students will practice speaking, reading, and listening through

• Researching locations they would like to visit on a trip around the world
• Delivering a three-minute presentation about their around-the-world trip
• Teacher: computer, projector, stopwatch or other timing device, a map
• Students: notebook, pencil, paper, computers (for research to be done as homework, or books and encyclopedias)

PREPARATION

• Read through all the materials carefully.
• For this activity, students will be giving presentations to the class. To save time, be sure that students submit their presentations as a homework assignment before the day they will present them. The teacher should then have all the presentations loaded onto the class computer, ready to go at the start of the class. Having the presentations already loaded will save time, compared to each student separately loading his or her presentation on the computer. Having the presentations ready to go at the start of class will save time, compared to each student separately loading his or her presentation on the computer. If a computer is not available, this can be done on sheets of large paper as well.
• During this activity, students will be giving presentations that have a set time limit of three minutes. To keep students on time, the teacher controls when the slides of the presentation change. Optionally, a student can be selected as the official timekeeper. This student can sit at the presentation computer to advance the slides instead of the teacher.

PART ONE: PREPARING TO DEPART

• Begin the class by showing a map of the world. To warm students up for the activity, ask students to come to the board and point to countries that you name.
• If none of the students know the meaning of the word, give them a clue. For example, point to the United States and tell the students, “The United States is a country.” Next, point to Mexico and tell the students, “Mexico is a country, too.” Finally, point to Canada and say, “Canada is also a country.” Then tell the students, “The United States, Mexico, and Canada are all on the same continent.” While speaking, use your finger to draw a large circle around the North American continent. (Don’t forget to include Central America too!)
• To check the students’ comprehension of the word continent ask the class, “How many continents are there in the world?” Students should respond with “seven”; if they answer “six,” they may have forgotten about Antarctica!
• Ask the students which continent they most want to visit and why. Tell the students to think about their answers.
• Next, have the students form pairs and share their answers with their partners.
• Finally, have students share their answers with the entire class.
• Inform the class that for homework they are going to plan an around-the-world trip.
• Explain to the students that they will prepare a presentation to show the class about their around-the-world trip.
• Instruct the students that their one location per continent must be a city, national park, or sightseeing location. An entire country is too large to select as one location!
• Students must travel in one direction around the world (either east or west).
• Each slide should have some basic information about the location and at least one picture of the location.
• Finally, inform the students that they will only have three minutes to give their presentation to the class, and each slide will only be shown for thirty seconds. So, students should practice their presentations before class!

PART TWO: CLASS PRESENTATIONS

• On the day students give their class presentations, remind them they only have thirty seconds for each slide. If time permits, give the students a few minutes to check their notes and prepare for their presentations.
• Have the first student presenting come to the front of the class.
• Open the student’s presentation and start the timer. After thirty seconds move to the next slide; after another thirty seconds move to the third slide; and so on.
• Optional: After all the students have presented their around-the-world trip, have the class vote on the most interesting trip!

This week’s Teacher’s Corner provides students with the opportunity to practice using phrasal verbs in an activity about New York City.

Reading, speaking (primary focus) Listening (secondary focus)

During this activity, students will

• Practice speaking skills through a matching activity
• Practice reading skills and using travel-related phrasal verbs in a worksheet activity
• Teacher: whiteboard or chalkboard, markers or chalk
• Students: pencils or pens, notebooks or writing paper
• Print out copies of the phrasal verb cards in Appendix 1. a. Students will use the phrasal verb cards in a pair-work activity. Print enough copies of the phrasal verb cards for each pair of students to have a set.
• Cut out the phrasal verb cards and for each set, mix the cards so that the phrasal verbs and definitions are mixed well.
• Print out copies of the phrasal verbs fill-in-the-blank worksheet in Appendix 2. Students will use the worksheet in a pair-work activity. Print enough copies of the worksheet for each pair of students to have one. The answer key is in Appendix 3.

ACTIVITY PART ONE: PHRASAL VERB WARM-UP

• Begin the class by having the students form pairs. 
• Give each pair a set of phrasal verb cards (already mixed up) from Appendix 1.
• Have the students work together to match each phrasal verb to its correct definition.
• After the students have completed the matching activity, review the answers as a class.
• Next, ask the students, “What do the phrasal verbs have in common?” a. Answer: Each of the phrasal verbs is related to travel.
• Next, ask the students, “What is the one city in the world you would like to visit?” a. Optional: Ask the students this question as part of a Think, Pair, Share activity.     i. First, have the students think about their answer individually.     ii. Next, have the students share their answer with their partner.     iii. Finally, encourage the students to share their answer or, even better, to share their partners’ answers with the class.

ACTIVITY PART TWO: PHRASAL VERB WORKSHEET

• Begin this part of the activity by asking the students if they would like to visit New York City.
• Next, ask why they would like to visit the city, or ask what they would like to do if they visited the city.
• As students answer the questions, pass out the phrasal verb fill-in-the-blank worksheet to the pairs of students. Instruct them to read through the worksheet and circle any vocabulary they don’t know. a. If students have questions about vocabulary, take a few moments to answer their questions before moving on to Step 4.
• Next, have the pairs of students fill in the blanks on the worksheet with the phrasal verbs on the cards they used in Part 1 of this activity. As students work, walk around the room to check on their progress.
• Once the pairs have finished filling in the blanks, check their answers as a class.

APPENDIX 1: PHRASAL VERBS MATCHING CARDS

week2_chart.png

APPENDIX 2: PHRASAL VERBS FILL-IN-THE-BLANK WORKSHEET

appenx2_3.jpg

New York has been called “The City That Never Sleeps!” With so many things to do at any time of day, New York is a great place to visit on vacation. Thanks to New York’s many transportation options, you don’t need anyone to __________ you __________ at the airport. Instead, you can take a bus or the subway into the city, or even have one of the city’s famous yellow taxis __________ you _________ at your hotel. After you ___________________ to your hotel, you can ____________________ on your NYC adventure!

If it is your first visit to New York, be sure to take some time to ____________________ the city by taking a walk. It can be a great way to get to know the city and experience the New York way of life. Some of the best things about New York can be found by ___________________ the many diverse neighborhoods full of great food, interesting events, and historical landmarks. Even though New York is famous for its busy streets, you can ___________________ from the crowds by visiting Central Park. There you can walk through the trees, sit by the lake, and even get a famous New York City hot dog.

Of course, no trip to New York would be complete without visiting the Statue of Liberty. To visit, you need to ____________________ a ferry at Battery Park. While crossing the water, you can ____________________ a wonderful view of the city. Once on Liberty Island, you can walk around the statue, visit the museum, or climb the 377 steps to the top of the Statue of Liberty. It is an incredible experience, but tickets sell out quickly!

As you leave New York and your plane ____________________, be sure to enjoy the view out the window to get one last look at the city that never sleeps!

APPENDIX 3: PHRASAL VERBS FILL-IN-THE-BLANK ANSWER KEY

New York has been called “The City That Never Sleeps”! With so many things to do at any time of day, New York is a great place to visit on vacation. Thanks to New York’s many transportation options, you don’t need anyone to ____pick you up_____ at the airport. Instead, you can take a bus or subway into the city, or even have one of the city’s famous yellow taxis ______drop you off________ at your hotel. After you _____check in________ to your hotel, you can ____set out_________ on your NYC adventure!

If it is your first visit to New York, be sure to take some time to __look around____ the city by taking a walk. It can be a great way to get to know the city and experience the New York way of life. Some of the best things about New York can be found by __checking out___ the many diverse neighborhoods full of great food, interesting events, and historical landmarks. Even though New York is famous for its busy streets, you can ___get away_________ from the crowds by visiting Central Park. There you can walk through the trees, sit by the lake, and even get a famous New York City hot dog.

Of course, no trip to New York would be complete without visiting the Statue of Liberty. To visit, you need to ____get on__________ a ferry at Battery Park. While crossing the water, you can _____take in________ a wonderful view of the city. Once on Liberty Island, you can walk around the statue, visit the museum, or climb the 377 steps to the top of the Statue of Liberty. It is an incredible experience, but tickets sell out quickly!

As you leave New York and your plane ___takes off________, be sure to enjoy the view out the window to get one last look at the city that never sleeps!

This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores travel and tourism. This week’s activity asks students to think about their own cities or countries by designing a six-day trip for a visiting tourist.

LEVEL Intermediate to Advanced

FOCUS Reading, writing (primary focus) Speaking, listening (secondary focus)

GOALS During this activity students will

• Practice speaking skills while creating a travel plan for their country or city
• Practice presentations skills while delivering their travel plans to the class
• Teacher: whiteboard or chalkboard, markers or chalk, poster paper (optional)

In this activity, students will prepare a travel plan for someone visiting their country or city for the first time. This activity can take place during one class period or across two classes depending on how much time your students need to prepare their travel plans.

• Print out copies of Appendix 1 Travel Plans. Print enough copies so that each group of two to three students has one to complete.

ACTIVITY PART ONE: HOMEWORK – TRAVEL PLANNING

• Begin this activity by having the students form groups of two to three students.
• Give each group a copy of the Travel Plan from Appendix
• Have the students work together to brainstorm a six-day travel plan to their country. a. If your students are from a large city, they could plan the entire six-day trip just in their city. If your students are from a smaller city or more rural area, they can plan a regional or nation-wide trip.
• As the groups work, walk around the room asking groups for details about their trip. Encourage them to be as specific as possible. For example: if they write “stay in a hotel,” instruct them to be more specific: What hotel? Where in the city? What makes that hotel or area of the city interesting?
• Optional: Depending on time and student levels, this activity can also be a homework assignment. After the groups have finished their travel plans, the homework can challenge the students to use the travel plans to create a poster, a flyer, or even a video where students can show off their six-day travel plans.

ACTIVITY PART TWO: TRAVEL SHOWCASE

• After the groups have finished their travel plans, give them time to prepare a speaking presentation to the class. a. Instruct the students that for the presentation each student in the group must speak. For example, in a group of three students, each student can present on two days of the trip. b.  Note: Depending on students’ level and ability, this presentation part of the activity can be done on a separate day to give the students more time to prepare.
• Next, have each group come to the front of the class and describe the travel plan they made to the rest of the class. a. For additional speaking practice, encourage the rest of the class to ask questions about the trip.
• After each group has presented their travel plan, have the class vote on the presentations. Which travel plan was the best? Which was the most adventurous? Which was the most historic?

APPENDIX 1: TRAVEL PLANS

Directions: Plan a six-day trip to your country for a person who has never visited before. Choose a city, region, or the entire country. Include everything, such as what to visit, where to stay, and what to eat!

This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores the world of travel and tourism. With travel becoming easier and cheaper all around the world, people who live in popular tourist locations have begun to ask if too much tourism can be a problem. In this week’s activity, students will debate the positives and negatives of tourism.

Speaking, listening (primary focus)

Reading, writing (secondary focus)

• Practice reading skills while reading an article about over-tourism
• Practice speaking and listening during a debate on tourism
• Teacher: whiteboard or chalkboard, markers or chalk, a timing device, Internet (optional)
• Before class, read the article " Too Much Tourism "and listen to the audio version of the story.
• Print out copies of Appendix 1: “Too Much Tourism” article. Print enough copies so that each student has one. Note: If a computer lab is an option for your class, have the students read the article by visiting this URL: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/too-much-tourism/4118421.html
• On the website, the article has an audio version that can be streamed over the Internet or downloaded and played on a computer in class.

ACTIVITY PART ONE: "TOO MUCH TOURISM" ARTICLE

• Direct students' attention to the board.
• On the board write the word tourism . Ask the students what the word tourism means.
• Next, as a check of their understanding, ask the class where in their country is popular for tourism?
• Then, write the word over in front of the word tourism to create the new word over-tourism.
• Again ask the students to provide a definition for this word. a.    Note: Over-tourism is a recent issue that has gained attention in the news and travel industry. It does not have an exact definition, but as long as students describe a problem of too many visitors to a place, their definition is acceptable.
• Once again, check the students’ understanding by asking if there are any locations in their country that they think face problems with over-tourism. a.    Note: Depending on the level of the students, this question can be asked as a Think, Pair, Share. First have the students think about the question, then have them share their answers with a partner, finally have the pairs of students share their answers with the class.
• Next, provide each student with a copy of the “Too Much Tourism” article in Appendix 1. Give students time to read the article. a.    Note: To provide students more listening practice, have them listen to the article by playing the audio version of the story from the webpage.
• To check their comprehension, ask the following questions: a.    How many trips are tourists expected to take by the year 2030? (Answer: 1.8 billion) b.    What is Croatia doing to help stop over-tourism? (Answer: Limiting the number of daily visitors to the city of Dubrovnik.)
• Finally, as a show of hands, ask the students who thinks limiting tourism is a good idea? Tell the class they will have the opportunity to share their opinions in a debate. 

ACTIVITY PART TWO: THE TOURISM DEBATE

• Note:  For this debate, students will argue for and against tourism. If you teach a large class, you may want to break students into groups and then have these groups form two teams that can debate. Another option for larger classes is for students to volunteer to participate in the debate, while the rest of the class can act as audience and decide which team won.
• Begin the debate by dividing the class (or a group of students) into two teams. Decide which team will be the For side, which will argue in favor of the topic, and which will be the Against side, which will argue against the theme of the topic.
• While the students are forming For and Against teams, go to the chalkboard and write the theme and topics for the debate: Debate Theme: Tourism  Topic #1: Whether tourism is always good for the local economy, and the economy is more important than too many tourists. Topic #2: Whether too much tourism can harm the local culture of a city. Topic #3: Whether people should travel less. a.     Note:  If time permits have the students debate all three topics. For large classes, students can take turns debating: one group of students debates one topic, then the next group of students debates the next topic, and so on.
• Direct the students’ attention to the three debate topics that you have written on the board and tell the students they should prepare their ideas on these topics for the debate. a.     Note: For more advanced lessons, assign the debate preparation as homework so students can research the topics and prepare with more details.
• Once the students are prepared, have the students who are going to debate first come to the front of the class. Have the two teams form lines on opposite ends of the board. Begin the debate by having the first student in line of the For team present his or her argument for one minute. Then the first student from the Against team has one minute to challenge the ideas presented by the For team’s student.
• After the first students from each team have spoken for a minute, have them move to the back of the line and have the second student in each line more forward. They will now debate against each other. This time the Against student goes first for one minute. The student for the For team then gets to present his or her argument on the topic. Continue until all students have had the opportunity to debate.

Remember:  An effective debate is not only about presenting an argument but also challenging the argument of one’s opponent. For more information on debates and ideas for using debates in class, check out The Great Mini-Debate on the American English webpage.

APPENDIX 1: TOO MUCH TOURISM?

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English Reading Exercises for A2 – Travel and Tourism

• English Reading Exercises for A2

YES MAN CHANGED MY LIFE

by Richard Collins

Yes Man is the best book I’ve ever read. It’s the true story of a year in the life of author, Danny Wallace. Before Danny Wallace became the ‘Yes Man’, his life was boring and he felt old. So he decided to make things more exciting. He started saying “yes” to every question people asked him. And he did it for a whole year. From the day he started, it completely changed his life and he had all kinds of adventures.

It’s a fantastic story. When I finished the book, I wanted to change my life like Danny Wallace. So I took some holiday from work, and became a ‘Yes Man’ for a week. This is what happened.

I started on Saturday morning. At 10 am, I got my first question. I saw a poster in the window of a travel agent’s. It said, “Tired?” (Yes – I slept badly the night before, so I was tired). Under this, it said, “Do you need a holiday?” (Yes, definitely.) So I went in.

The travel agent asked me where I wanted to go. But before I could answer, she said, “Somewhere hot?”

I don’t like hot weather, but I said, “Yes.”

“A beach holiday? Maybe in Greece?”

I don’t like the beach. I prefer cities. But I said, “Yes.”

“What kind of accommodation? A hotel? Or a …”

I hate hotels, but before she could continue, I said, “Yes.”

Five minutes later everything was ready. My flight was the next day.

I arrived at my hotel on the island of Zante at lunchtime. It was very, very hot. I just wanted to check in and unpack my suitcase, but the receptionist said, “We have a minibus to the beach in ten minutes. Do you want to go?”

You know the answer I gave her.

It was about 40°C at the beach. Luckily, I brought suntan lotion. A man came towards me: “Sunglasses? Do you want sunglasses?”

I had some in my bag, but I said, “Yes.”

Five minutes later, another man came: “Beautiful hat, sir?” I tried not to look at him.

Three hours later, I had two pairs of sunglasses, three hats, a watch and a woman’s necklace.

It was difficult to carry all my new things back to the minibus.

I decided: no trips tomorrow, just rest. When I got back, the receptionist asked, “Did you like the beach?”

I didn’t, but I said, “Yes.”

“Oh, there’s a water skiing course tomorrow. Do you want me to book a place for you?”

I can’t swim very well and I don’t like the sea. I wanted to cry …

A . Read Yes Man changed my life and answer the questions.

1   What is Danny Wallace’s book, Yes Man about?

2   What did Richard do after he read Yes Man ?

B . Read Day One and Day Two and then answer the questions.

1   Why did Richard go into the travel agent’s?

2   What holiday did he book?

3   Did he book the kind of holiday he usually likes?

4   When was his flight?

1   Why did Richard go to the beach?

2   How was the weather?

3   What did he buy at the beach?

4   What is he going to do on Day Three? How does he feel about it?

1   It’s about a man who decided to say yes to every question for a year.

2   He took a holiday from work and became a ‘yes man’ for a week.

1   He saw a poster in the window (of the travel agent’s).

2   a beach holiday in Greece

3   No, he usually prefers to go to cities.

4   the next day

1   The receptionist asked, ‘Do you want to go?’

2   It was very, very hot.

3   two pairs of sunglasses, three hats, a watch and a woman’s necklace

4   He’s going to go water skiing. He’s very unhappy about it.

Indonesian Adventure

TUESDAY 22ND APRIL

JAKARTA – EVENING

We’ve arrived and it’s really exciting! It was a long flight, but I slept most of the way, so I’m not tired. When I got off the plane, I noticed the heat first – 32 degrees! It’s really humid, because this is the rainy season.

Everything they say about the roads in Jakarta is true! When we left the airport, there was a huge traffic jam. It took a very long time to get to the centre of town.

We got a taxi to the hostel (where we’re staying). The taxi driver was very friendly, but he didn’t speak much English. I just showed him the address of the hostel on a piece of paper and he brought us here. I think we paid him too much, because he seemed very happy when he drove away! Sam’s telling me to get ready to go and eat, so I have to finish now – more tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY 23RD APRIL

JAKARTA – THE NEXT DAY!

Sam and I had a delicious meal last night in a small local restaurant – we were the only tourists there, so it seemed to be a place for local people. I decided to have nasi goreng because it’s the Indonesian national dish. It was really fresh and full of flavour. I felt tired when I got back to the hostel and fell asleep immediately.

Today we visited the Old Town. There are lots of old buildings in different styles. They’re very attractive and very different from anything you see in the UK. I took a lot of photos …

A . Read Tim’s travel blog about arriving in Jakarta, Indonesia. Tick (✓) the topic he does not write about.

•   his flight to Jakarta

•   animals

•   the weather

•   the traffic

•   the people

•   tourist places

B . Read the blog again and answer the questions.

1   What did Tom do on the flight?

2   Why was the journey to the city centre slow?

3   Why did Tim think the taxi driver was happy?

4   What did he think of the food at the restaurant?

5   What did he see in the Old Town?

1   He slept.

2   There was a huge traffic jam.

3   because they paid him too much

4   delicious; really fresh and full of flavour

5   lots of old buildings in different styles

In July, a group of students from Bristol University, in England, had a race. It started at the university at 9 am on 20 June. The winners were the pair who travelled the longest distance in seven days without spending any money.

CARL AND SAM

We decided to cycle. The sun was shining when we set off and it was fun. But on the third day, it started raining and we got lost. It was awful. We slept under a tree in a field. The next morning Carl phoned his dad and he came to get us and drove us home.

DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 110 MILES

ASHISH AND BRYONY

We hitchhiked. A lorry stopped and we got in. There were long delays and we didn’t go far for hours. That evening as we were driving north the lorry broke down and we had to get out. We didn’t know what to do. We were tired and hungry so we decided to walk to a village and stay in a hotel. But we had to pay. The next day we went home.

DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 130 MILES

YVETTE AND ROB

We decided to walk to the port in Bristol and try to board a ship. We went to the office and asked if any ships would take us for free. For five days no one would. On the sixth day we found a ship to take us to Spain. We boarded the ship and the next day we arrived in Bilbao as the sun was rising. It was amazing.

DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 640 MILES

A . Read the article. How did the couples travel? Tick (✓) the correct ways. Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.

1    Carl and Sam

      a    on foot

      b    on two wheels   ✓

      c    on four wheels   ✓

      d    by sea

2    Ashish and Bryony

      b    on two wheels

      c    on four wheels

3    Yvette and Rob

B . Read the article again and underline the correct words to complete the sentences.

1     Carl and Sam / Ashish and Bryony / Yvette and Rob stayed in Bristol for most of the week.

2     Carl and Sam / Ashish and Bryony / Yvette and Rob enjoyed the first day of the race.

3    Carl and Sam / Ashish and Bryony / Yvette and Rob stopped when they didn’t know where they were.

4    Carl and Sam / Ashish and Bryony / Yvette and Rob finished their journey on foot when something happened to the vehicle they were in.

5    Carl and Sam / Ashish and Bryony / Yvette and Rob stopped after the first day.

C . Complete the words to make sentences about the article. Write one word in each space.

1    During the race, the students c… ouldn’t … spend any money.

2   When they started the race, the weather was s…………… .

3   Carl and Sam got a l…………… home with Carl’s dad.

4   It c…………… money for Ashish and Bryony to stay in a hotel.

5    Yvette and Rob got to Spain early in the m…………… .

D . Write about a long journey you went on. Remember to include:

•   where you went

•   a description of how you travelled there

•   what you thought of the place.

2 a, c   3 a, d

2 Carl and Sam   3 Carl and Sam   4 Ashish and Bryony

5 Ashish and Bryony

2 sunny   3 lift   4 cost   5 morning

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Travel & Tourism Vocabulary

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