Britain has almost the same population as France but less than half the space. With 238 people per square kilometre, it is a densely populated country. So it is not surprising that the transport system is fairly comprehensive. With the notable exception of the Highlands of Scotland, almost every square centimetre of the map of Britain is covered by a network of roads and railways.
As in most countries of the world, roads have taken over from rail as the major transport system. But trains in Britain are still a safe, fast and comfortable way of travelling. There is one big problem which deters many people from using them: the price. British trains are very expensive to travel on, at least if you do not know how to get the best deals. If you simply go into a station, buy a ticket and get on the train, you may end up paying a small fortune. To avoid a nasty shock, there are two secrets: one, get a full list of all the special types of tickets available; and two, book in advance. As an example, in 1999 the full price of a London to Manchester return ticket was £119; a Super Saver ticket, which cannot be used in the rush hour, was £48; and a Virgin Value ticket, which has to be booked a minimum of three days in advance, was only £19 — saving exactly £100. If you are travelling from London, there is one other useful piece of advice: make sure you go to the right station, as there are seven major and many smaller ones!
Much cheaper, and without all the restrictions about advanced booking and rush hours, are coach services. Of course, there are disadvantages: no restaurant, no room to walk around and no tables. The worst drawback is that the coach station is usually in the middle of town, so there is
Английский язык для турбизнеса и сервиса
a long struggle through traffic before your coach gets out onto the motorway.
Integrated transport?
The government has recently started talking about the ultimate solution to the problems — an integrated transport system. This means improving public services and making sure that they all work together as a system, rather than a series of disconnected parts. At present, if you need to take a train, a bus and a ferry for your journey, you will often find that the bus station is kilometres away from the train station, and the bus timetable does not match the ferry timetable. You end up taking taxis between stations, and spending hours sitting in waiting rooms. In many parts of the country, trains and buses compete with each other on one route, while another route has no service at all. An integrated transport system is urgently needed to address all these problems. But it will take a great deal of time, money and political will to achieve such a system.
TEXT WORK
1. Pronounce correctly and transcribe. Consult the dictionary if necessary.
Densely, surprising, exception, comprehensive, square, covered, fortune, Virgin Value ticket, piece, coach, struggle, government, route, urgently, achieve.
2. Compare and mind the difference:
BrE AmE
timetable schedule
deal bargain
metre meter
centimetre centimeter
kilometre kilometer
motorway highway
3. Answer the questions.
1. Why is the transport system in Britain fairly comprehensive?
2. What is the major transport system in many countries?
3. What is the major transport system in Britain?
4. What deters people from using trains?
5. What will happen if you just go to the station and buy a ticket?
Unit 4. Travelling By Train
6. Is it possible to get a good deal for tickets in Britain? Which way?
7. What is useful to know if you are travelling in London?
8. What are the advantages of coach service?
9. What are the disadvantages of coach service?
10. What solution to the problem does government have?
11. What is the situation with transportation and timetables nowadays?
Give Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations. Find and translate sentences with them in the
Text.
Less than half the space, per square kilometer, notable exception, roads have taken over from rail, get on the train, special types of tickets, to book in advance, useful piece of advice, seven major stations, coach lervice, rush hour, the worst drawback, a long struggle through traffic, Ultimate solution to the problem, a series of disconnected parts, compete with each other on one route, to address all these problems, political will.
5* Give English equivalents to the following words and word combinations.
ГУсто населенная страна; сеть автомобильных и железных дорог; основная система транспорта; безопасный, быстрый и комфортный способ передвижения; удерживать людей от...; по крайней мере; получить хорошую скидку; заплатить целое состояние; Избежать неприятного сюрприза; билет в оба конца; в час пик; купить как минимум за три дня заранее; сэкономить ровно сто фунтов; полезный совет; нужная станция; без ограничений; есть
Недостатки; интегрированная транспортная система; улучшить систему общественного транспорта; паром; автовокзал находится в километрах от железнодорожного вокзала; расписание автобусов не совпадает с расписанием паромов; в конце концов вы берете такси; Срочно необходимо; большое количество времени; достигать.
6* Make word combinations, translate them and find them in the
Text.
| densely fairly |
| way exception hour comprehensive ticket fortune |
| notable square network of comfortable |
Английский язык для турбизнеса и сервиса
| small | types |
| nasty | list |
| full | station |
| special | roads |
| return | shock |
| rush | populated |
| right | centimeter |
* sft *
advanced drawback
coach timetable
the worst struggle
long will
ultimate problems
disconnected needed
ferry booking
bus solution
waiting room
urgently station
to address service
political parts
7. Match the synonyms in the columns. Translate the pairs and find them in the text.
space coach
motorway by rail
deal schedule
small fortune nowadays
nasty shock room
by train round trip ticket
bus at minimum
at present way
return ticket bargain
middle a very unpleasant surprise
route center
timetable highway
at least a great deal of money
8. Match the antonyms in the columns. Translate the pairs and find them in the text.
rule merit
full price without
best off-peak hour
Unit 4. Travelling By Train
| drawback rush hour achieve with at least different right public |
| the same exception private lose maximum wrong reduced price worst |
9. Make antonyms to the following words using negative prefixes: ил-, /л-, im-, j 7-, dis-f or mis -. Consult the dictionary if necessary. Translate the pairs.
Advantage, connected, integrated, populated, pleasant, fair.
10. Make pronouns from these nouns using the suffix - less. Translate the pairs.
Use, help, top, bottom, price.
11. Make a summary of the text.
12. Compare British and Russian or American and Russian railway systems.
| I was waiting on the |
13. Choose the right word from the list below. Mind the forms of the verbs. Translate the story.
AT THE STATION
__ for the Bristol train when a
___ asked me if I knew the time of the next
_____________ to Oxford. I
inyself, so I knew. A few____
Whether the train for Bristol had hadn't so of course I
_____ have to go to Oxford
later a man wanted to know
______ left. I knew that it
him. The other man
why the train from Birmingham was late. I didn't
know but I told him it was pairs. I couldn't_______________
^____________ me questions. Then I
Standing next to a big sign that said: because of the line re-
why all these people were
that I was
Already, usually, often, platform, train, minute, lady, to inquire, to ask, to understand, to notice, to tell, information.
Английский язык для турбизнеса и сервиса