Highlights of Britain by rail

This rail itinerary features many of the country's highlights and is a relaxing way to see a great deal of Britain.

Start by going to King's Cross station in the centre of Lon­don, and from here, a fast British Rail train will speed you north to York {journey time lhr 47miri). York is one of Britain's most historic places — a walled city with many fine buildings.

Continue north to Edinburgh (journey time 2hr 29min), cap­ital of Scotland, with a large number of hotels and excellent shopping. The city is overlooked by its castle, which stands on a great rock.

Leaving Edinburgh for Perth, your train crosses the river Forth on one of the longest rail bridges in Britain. Perth is reached in lhr 18min, and from here you can get a taxi to near­by Scone Palace, the ancient coronation site of Scottish kings.

Back at Perth, board another train to take you through rug­ged Highland scenery to Inverness (reached in 2hr J2min), at the head of the famous Loch Ness. See the castle and St Andrew's Cathedral.

Travel now through some of Europe's most breathtaking countryside, with views of lochs, mountains and forests, to the small ferry port of Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast (journey time from Inverness 2hr 30min). Board a Caledonian MacBryne ferry which will take you cruising southwards down the scenic Sound of Sleat to Mallaig. Note the ferry operates on Fridays only, from May to mid-October. The harbour-town of Mallaig is the terminus of another scenic railway service to the peaceful lakeside resort of Fort William (journey time from Mallaig lhr 21min) situated at the foot of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis.

Head south, past romantic Loch Lomond (cruises available from Balloch Pier), to Glasgow (journey time from Fort William 3hr43min). Glasgow, the commercial heart of Scotland, has a wide selection of hotels, excellent shopping and exciting night­life.

Though you will have arrive at Glasgow's Queen Street rail terminus, departure is from nearby Central Station. Journey south back into England, and via Oxenholme, to Windermere (total journey time from Glasgow 2hr 40min). This friendly resort

in the heart of the Lake District is surrounded by wood and hills and there are pleasure cruises on England's largest lake.

Return to Oxenholme and travel south to Peston, transfer­ring here for a train to Blackpool (Journey time Ihr 15min) Brit­ain's largest and liveliest seaside resort.

Catch a train to Manchester (journey time from Blackpool lhr 33min) where you can visit the fascinating Granada Studios Tour. Then on to the "walled city" of Chester (Journey time Ihr), famous for its Tudor-style black and white buildings and two-tier shops, known as "The Rows".

Next stop on the itinerary is Cheltenham, reached by chang­ing trains at Birmingham New Street (total journey time from I Chester 2hr 25miri). At this elegant spa town, you can stroll along the avenues of fashionable precinct known as The Promenade.

Your next train journey takes you to Cardiff (journey time Ihr 25min). The Welsh capital city offers excellent shopping and has an impressive castle.

From Cardiff, take the train to the lively city port of Bristol (Temple Meads Station) (journey time lhr46min). Here you will find the SS Great Britain, the world's first iron propeller-driv­en ship and a spectacular suspension bridge across the Avon I Gorge.

Return the 172 km to London in just IhMOmin, journeying through rolling green hills and lush farmland, with fine views of the river Thames. Arrival in London is at the Paddington termi­nus, which is linked by Underground to the rest of the capital.

Note: On most routes there are served train services to choose from every day, through north of Perth and Glasgow trains are gen- I erally less frequent. If your time is limited, you can cut short tie I itinerary by travelling between Glasgow (Queen Street) and Ed­inburgh direct (journey time SOmin). The journey times shown are approximate and for guidance only. Some include waiting times for connections.

Discuss the following points:

1. Why do people usually avoid changing trains?

2. What kinds of trains do you know?

3. What do people usually inquire about at a railway station inquiry office?

4. Do you prefer a lower or an upper berth? Give your rea- I sons.

 

PROJECT WORK

Finishing your work at this Unit you should prepare one of the parts of your project work:

— choose a country,

— make up an itinerary for rail travelling over the chosen country,

— advertise on one of the country's railway companies for foreign tourists and give all the information on prices, dis­counts and places of destination for tourists.

Time for Fun

Three New Zealanders and three Aussies are travelling by train to a cricket match at the World Cup in England. At the station, the three Aussies each buy a ticket and watch as the three New Zealanders buy just one ticket between them. "How are the three of you going to travel on only one ticket?" asks one of the Aussies. "Watch and learn," answers one of the New Zealanders. They all board the train. The Aussies take their respective seats but all three New Zealanders cram into a toilet and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the toilet door and says, "Ticket please." The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on. The Aussies see this and agree it was quite a clever idea. So after the game, they decide to copy the New Zealanders on the return trip and save some money (being clever with money, and all that). When they get to the station, they buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the New Zealanders don't buy a ticket at all!! "How are you going to travel without a ticket?" says one perplexed Aussie. "Watch and learn," answers a New Zealander. When they board the train the three Aussies cram into a toilet and soon after the three New Zealanders cram into another nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterwards, one of the New Zealanders leaves the toilet and walks over to the toilet where the Aussies are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, "Ticket please."

Unit 5. Air Travel

ACTIVE VOCABOLARY

aircraft — самолет

air-hostess — стюардесса

airline ticket — авиабилет

aisle — проход между рядами

baggage allowance — предельный вес багажа, провозимый без доплаты к стоимости билета

to board the aircraft — взойти на борт самолета; сесть на самолет

boarding pass — посадочный талон

carrier — авиакомпания; грузовой или почтовый самолет

certificate of vaccination — справка о прививке

check-in desk — регистрация

consumption — потребление, расход топлива

Crew — экипаж

customs — таможня

to delay an aircraft — задерживать самолет

domestic flight — внутренний рейс

Е.Т.А. — Expected Time of Arrival

E.T.D. — Expected Time of Departure

to embark — принимать на борт; сесть на самолет; грузить (ся)

EU — European Union

excess luggage — излишек багажа

excess baggage charge — плата за излишек багажа

formalities — формальности, процедура

to get a visa — получить визу

to go first class/second class — лететь первым/вторым клас­сом

hand luggage — ручная кладь

in transit — в пути, по пути, при перевозке

incoming — прибывающий

international flight — международный рейс

to issue tickets — выписывать билеты

to land — приземлиться I landing — приземление

leg — отдельная часть путешествия

luggage tag — ярлык, бирка на багаж

navigation — самолетовождение, кораблевождение

open round-the-world ticket — международный билет с от­крытой датой

outgoing — отбывающий

port (side) — левый борт

porthole — иллюминатор

rear — задняя, хвостовая часть самолета

seat-belt — ремень безопасности

shuttle flight — авиарейс между двумя пунктами

starboard — правый борт

to take off — взлетать, отрываться от земли

terminal (two meanings) — конечный пункт, пункт выгруз­ки; здание аэропорта

waiting room — зал ожидания

 

TEXT 1

MAKING THE BEST OF JOURNEYS

I've been shocked, but not altogether surprised, when 1 think of the efforts the human race (adult variety) has made, and makes to keep itself from being bored on journeys. Look what happens when it crosses the sea in a great ship. Everything is organized to prevent boredom — games and concerts and swim­ming baths and cinema shows — all sorts of things go on, day in day out. Airports have huge bookstalls and everybody busily buys magazines and papers to read. In the air there's a contin­ual succession of meals and drinks and sweets brought by help­ful airhostesses. No station except the smallest is complete with­out its railway bookstall, and if you make a journey along any main line for any length of time and look at your grown-up companions you'll find them always hiding behind their papers and magazines.

Nowadays even those who go by motor-car can't do with­out the radio — at least a lot of adults can't. It's all part of the general idea that journeys are deadly and that they have got to

drug themselves with something to get through, \fery few peo­ple over the age of thirty look out of the window.

Not long ago I was traveling by air from London Airport to Prestwick in Scotland. It takes ages to get into the air, these days — three-quarters of an hour to get through the London traffic in the bus, perhaps another half-hour at the airport until the flight is ready. On some air journeys you spend as much time on the ground as you do in the air between terminals! Waiting for the flight to be announced on the loudspeaker, I looked at the passengers who were going to travel in our aircraft. They were all slumped about in chairs, idly turning over the leaves of magazines, muttering to each other, obviously bored stiff.

All, that is, except the passengers who were in their teens or younger. These were buzzing round the waiting-room with a great deal of zeal — indeed, impatience — looking closely at all the maps of air-routes, working through the time-tables of the

different services.

When the flight was at last announced, a boy of about fif­teen slipped, quite politely, to the head of the queue, and was one of the first to board the aircraft when we were out on the tarmac. I knew he'd travelled by air before when I saw he'd bagged a seat in the rear of the aircraft, by a window that I knew was one of the best for a view of the world below. I sat down behind him. Just after we'd taken-off, and everybody had loos­ened their seat-belts, we both fished travelling atlases of Britain

out of our bags.

"Mine's the same as yours," 1 said, over his shoulder. "I like following the flight; and it's a good day for seeing the ground,"

he said.

It was a good day; we flew all the way to Scotland between six and eight thousand feet, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Now and then we got up to look out of the port window, to pick up an expected town, or wood, or lake.

We were not far from Birmingham when the captain of the aircraft came through on one of his periodic visits to the pas­sengers. George was looking out of the window and mumbling away on his running commentary. The captain tapped him on the shoulder. "Navigator, eh?" he said. "You seem to know where we are — would you like to meet our navigator and look at his plot?"

 

"Would I?" said George. You couldn't see his tail for smoke as he scuttled forward through the crew door.

On most longish flights captain once or twice passes a bit of paper down to the passengers which gives the aircraft's speed, height, position, and E.T.A.; or else he announces it over the loudspeaker; or he does both. After some time a voice came over the speaker:"Shortly," it said, "we will see Windermere to our right — 1 mean starboard. Below us now, on our port side, is Morecambe Bay." It sounded rather a young voice. Sure enough, along came Windermere, a silver ribbon in a landscape of great green hills, crowned with spring snow. And the voice told us when we were flying over Sea Fell, the highest mountain in England, and showed us Carlisle and the Solwayestuary, and the hills of the Lowlands, also powered with snow. Some of the grown-ups even put down their magazines for a moment and looked out of the window.

Just before the air-hostess warned us to fasten our safety-belts for landing, George came back with a beaming face. "Wizard show," he said, "the navigator's a good type; he showed me all his things and even let me give the position on the loudspeaker."

Comprehension questions:

1. Where was Mr. Fisher travelling to one day? Was he trav­elling by sea or by air?

2. What were the passengers doing while waiting for the flight to be announced on the loudspeaker?

3. Why were the young travellers buzzing round the waiting-room?

4. What did a fifteen-year-old boy do when the flight was announced?

5. Why did the boy choose a seat in the rear of the aircraft?

6. Where was Mr. Fisher's seat?

7. What did the boy do when the plane was high up in the air?

8. What was the weather like on the day of the flight?

9. Why did Mr. Fisher and his young fellow-traveller get up from time to time to look out of the window?

 

10. What did the pilot suggest George should do?

11. What did George announce over the loudspeaker?

12. What did Windermere look like from above?

 

13. Which is the highest mountain in England?

14. When did the air-hostess warn the passengers to fasten their safety-belts?

15. When did George return to his seat? Why was his face beaming?

TEXT WORK

1. Phonetic Drill. Transcribe and pronounce correctly:

queue, tarmac, rear, periodic, commentary, navigator, crew, to scuttle, height, crowned.

2. Give Russian equivalents of:

Adult variety; everybody busily buys magazines; a continual succession of meals and drinks; journeys are deadly; working through the time-tables of the different services; the head of the queue; we fished traveling atlases out of our bags; to pick up an expected town, or wood, or lake; came through on one of his periodic visits to the passengers; passes a bit of paper down to the passengers; powdered with snow; he's a good type.

3. Give English equivalents of:

Самолет (2); кресло (в самолете); место; пояс (на кресле в самолете); пилот; штурман; стюардесса; команда; аэ­ропорт; воздушная линия; расписание самолетов; взлетать (подниматься в воздух); садиться (приземляться); лететь самолетом; полет; воздушное путешествие; посадка; взлет; скорость; высота; предполагаемое время прибытия.

4. Give synonyms to the following words:

Aircraft, obvious, route, timetable, crew, mutter.

5. Agree or disagree with the following statements. Give
your reasons.

Use:

For disagreement For agreement

Nothing of the kind. I fully agree.

Not in the least. I think so.

Definitely not. That's quite right.

 

1. When the flight was at last announced, a boy of about 13 slipped, quite politely, to the head of the queue.

2. It was a good day; there was not a cloud in the sky.

3. We were not far from Edinburgh when the captain of the aircraft came through on one of his periodic visits to the passengers.

4. George was reading an interesting book.

5. The captain tapped him on the shoulder.

6. On most longish flights the captain once or twice passes a bit of paper down to the passengers.

7. The paper gives the aircraft's speed, height, position and E.T.A.

8. After some time a woman's voice came over the speaker.

9. Some of the grown-ups even put down their magazines for a moment and looked out of the window.

10. George came back with a tearful face.

6. Fill in the blanks with prepositions:

1. It takes ages to get... the air, these days-three-quarters... an hour to get... the London traffic... the bus, per­haps another half-hour... the airport until the flight is ready.

2.... some air journeys you spend as much time... the ground as you do... the air between terminals.

3. Waiting... the flight to be announced... the loudspeaker, I looked... the passengers who were going to travel... our aircraft.

4. These were buzzing round the waiting-room... a great deal... zeal-indeed, impatience-looking closely... all the maps... air-routes, working through the time-tables... the different service.

5. When the flight was... last announced, a boy. fifteen

slipped, quite politely,... the head... the queue, and was

one... the first to board the aircraft when we were...

the tarmac.

6. I sat... behind him.

7. Now and then we got... to look..... the port window, to

pick... an expected town, or wood, or lake.

8. George was looking...... the window and mumbling...

... his running commentary.

 

 

9. The captain tapped him... the shoulder. 10. Sure enough, along came Windermere, a silver ribbon... a landscape... great green hills, crowned... spring snow.

7. Give all the derivatives to the words:

Some, announce, air, snow, expect.

8. Give antonyms of the following words:

To take off; to loose one's seat-belt; starboard; rear of the aircraft; ETA.

9. Explain the meaning of the following words and phras­
es. Use them in questions of your own and ask your
classmates to answer these questions:

(1) aircrash (2) non-stop flight (3) to hit an air-pocket (4) forced landing (5) safety card (6) cabin crew (7) ground steward.

10. Retell "Making the Best of Journeys" on the part of George.

DIALOGUE 1