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VOCABULARY 8
ENGLISH 2º BTO.
TRAVEL, TOURISM and HOLIDAYS
What do you think this sentence means?
Sam never stays in one place for long; he’s got itchy feet.
1. Match the idioms in the box with the definitions below.
* to take things easy * on a shoestring/on the cheap* live out of a suitcase * off the
beaten track * to catch the red eye * to get away from it all * to live it up *as brown as a
berry * to let your hair down * to hit the road * to break the journey * run-of-the-mill
To relax. ……………………
To enjoy yourself and have some fun. ……………………
To escape from your daily problems. ……………………
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To start a journey or to leave. It can also be used in normal daily life when you decide it’s time
for you to go home. ……………………
To spend a lot of money to enjoy yourself because it is a special time. ……………………
To be far away from where many people live, or in a remote location. ……………………
To take a late night flight that arrives early in the morning. ……………………
To live or stay somewhere on a temporary basis and with only a limited selection of one’s
belongings. ……………………
To decide to stop somewhere for a while during a long journey. ……………………
Very suntanned. ……………………
Ordinary and unexciting place. ……………………
To do something without spending a lot of money. ……………………
Definitions
● all-in package/package holiday: a holiday where you purchase the travel and
accommodation together
● breathtaking view: an extremely beautiful view
● charter-flight: a cheaper form of flying than a scheduled flight
● check-in desk: the place at the airport where you register for your flight and deposit your
luggage
● departure lounge: where you wait for your flight to be called
● far-off destination: somewhere a long way away
● to get away from it all: to take a holiday to escape a busy or stressful lifestyle
● guided tour: an organised group shown around a place of interest by an expert
● holiday brochure: a glossy publication with details of holiday packages
● holiday destination: where you go for a holiday
● holiday of a lifetime: a special holiday that you are unlikely to repeat
● holiday resort: a place where lots of people go for a holiday
● hordes of tourists: crowds of tourists
● local crafts: objects produced locally
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● long weekend: an extended weekend holiday including Friday or Monday
● out of season: outside of the main holiday period
● picturesque village: very pretty village
● passport control: the place where your passport is checked
● places of interest: sites of interest to tourists
● wildlife safari: a holiday, often in Africa, to observe wild animals
● self-catering: a holiday where you supply your own food
● short break: a short holiday
● to go sightseeing: to look around the tourist sites
● stunning landscape: extremely beautiful countryside
● travel agent: a shop that specialises in booking holidays
● tourist trap: somewhere where too many tourists go
● youth hostel: a cheap form of accommodation
2. Choose the right answer.
1. Can you pick me up at tomorrow morning? My flight ………. at 7:30.
a. arrives b. departs c. comes d. all answers are correct
2. Could I ask what your final ……………… is?
a. goal b. country c. destination d. thought
3. You should change ……………….. to pass that car.
a. clothes b. your mindset c. lanes d. quickly
4. I'd love to take a fancy………………. and travel through the Bahamas.
a. ship b. boat c. voyage d. cruise
5. The ………………. was very bumpy. I was afraid.
a. flight b. journey c. car d. all answers are correct
6. It's best not to take too much …………….. with you on your trip. The airline might lose it!
a. candy b. luggage c. medicine d. water
7. Many …………….. missed the flight to New York.
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a. travellers b. passengers c. people d. all answers are correct
8. Let's rent a ………………… for the day and row around the lake.
a. ship b. raft c. boat d. surfboard
9. Let's just stay at a cheap ………….. along the highway.
a. hotel b. motel c. lodge d. all answers are correct
10. I hope your ……………. was pleasant.
a. travel b. journey d. trip d. all answers are correct
Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the ROOT word:
1. Have you ever taken a long __________? FLY
2. Do you get annoyed with __________ tourists when you stay in a hotel? NOISE
3. Do you ever go on trips that are not __________? AFFORD
4. Are people in your country __________ to tourists? HELP
5. Do you have __________ getting by in other languages when you are abroad? DIFFICULT
6. Do you enjoy the __________ to choose where you go on holiday? FREE
7. Have you ever __________ English while you were abroad? SPEAK
8. Do you ever suffer from __________ when you are on holiday? BORE
9. Do you follow __________ from your friends when making travel arrangements? ADVISE
10. Where are you __________ on traveling abroad next year? PLAN
11. How does travelling impact on the __________ environment? NATURE
12. Are there any __________ regions of Europe that you would not travel to? DANGER
13. Does __________ worry you while you are travelling? SAFE
14. Do you ask for __________ at the hotel when you get to a travel destination? INFORM
15. How does your __________ affect the way you travel? PERSON
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Should we stop flying on holiday?
One of the problems with comparing the _____________________ (CONTRIBUTE) of different
forms of transport is that they all take different routes. We looked at a hypothetical journey
from London to Naples in Italy and calculated the carbon __________________ (EMIT) released
into the atmosphere by making the journey by air, land and sea.
We also considered some more _____________________ (USUAL) options. Would travelling by
horse actually be carbon neutral, for example? A horse emits about 18 kg of methane a year.
This is equivalent to 378 carbon units because methane is 21 times more
_____________________ (POWER) a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
We can calculate the total contribution by _____________________ (WORK) out the number of
days it would take to make this journey and _____________________ (MULTIPLY) this by the
methane emitted each day.
Going on holiday by horse may appeal to cowboys, but our trip to Italy would take two months
each way. _____________________ (SURPRISE), the car is the next best _____________________
(CHOOSE), assuming there are three people _____________________ (SHARE) it. But for a single trip
the train would be the _____________________ (GREEN) option.
LISTENING PRACTICE.
1. Preparation: matching
Do this exercise before you listen. Match the two parts of the phrase to make common festival
activities. Write a–f next to the numbers 1–6.
1…. follow a. a firework display
2… cook and eat b. as a special character
3… watch c. your house or street
4… take part in a d. ancient traditions
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5… decorate e. competition
6… dress up f. special food
2. Check your understanding: true or false
Do this exercise while you listen. Highlight True or False for these sentences.
1. Many of these festivals are actually races or competitions. True False
2. The Burning of the Clavie brings good luck for the new year. True False
3. On Shrove Tuesday in Scarborough people dance with ropes. True False
4. Cheese rolling involves running away from a big, round cheese. True False
5. Snail racing started in the UK. True False
6. The competition to pull the ugliest face is an old tradition. True False
7. The Burning of the Clocks festival marks the summer solstice. True False
8. The Burning of the Clocks festival ends with people throwing True False
water.
3. Check your understanding: multiple choice
Do this exercise while you listen. Circle the best phrase to complete these sentences.
1. The Clavie is a whisky container / a wooden cross / a bonfire made of things people don’t need
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2. In the Up Helly Aa festival, they burn a wooden man / a Viking boat / a line in the grass
3. During a pancake race, you have to eat as many pancakes as possible / run as fast as
possible while tossing a pancake in a pan / run and jump over the ropes without dropping the
pancake
4. Nowadays, the people who win the cheese rolling competition are usually top athletes /
people from the village / visitors from all over the world
5. The fastest snail in the Snail Racing is cooked with garlic and butter / rescued from the
barbecue / given a prize of extra lettuce
6. Black pudding throwing is similar to pancake tossing / Olympic sports like javelin and
shotput / bowling
7. To win the best gurner competition, one man had all his tooth removed / grew a really long
beard / had a lot of facial piercings.
8. The Burning of the Clocks festival is 2 years old / 20 years old / 200 years old .
Speaking practice. Voluntourism
Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPIjV_oS9WM
Have you ever thought about going abroad to volunteer? Making a difference in a country less
fortunate than your own is seen by most as a really positive thing to do. However, not everyone
is in favour of this so-called ‘voluntourism’.
- Have you ever heard of any famous people who do a lot of charity? Who? What do they do?
- Is it easier to be generous if you are rich?
- Can you recall any people who were not rich, but still became famous for their generosity to
others?
- What else can people do to help others apart from giving money?
- Have you ever given unpaid help to any groups or organisations?
- When was the last time you volunteered to do something?
- What kind of volunteering projects do people usually get involved in?
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- Do you have experience or know anyone who has in this kind of activity?
- If not, would you be prepared to use your holiday time to help? Why / Why not?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of activity?
- What other ways can you think of to get close to local people on a holiday?
For further practice
- https://www.examenglish.com/B2/b2_vocabulary_holidays.htm
- ESL PRACTICE: English for travel - Traveling, planning a trip 1 (learnenglishfeelgood.com)
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Sources
.-Beare, K. (2020, 22 octubre). Travel Vocabulary for English-Language Learners. ThoughtCo.
https://www.thoughtco.com/travel-vocabulary-esl-4176622
- N. (2021, 15 febrero). Common English idioms for travelling. Aprender Inglés Learn Spanish in
Las Palmas | Profesores Nativos | Small Groups | Grupos Reducidos.
https://nikateacher.com/common-english-idioms-for-travelling/
- British Council. (s. f.-a). Flying visits | LearnEnglish Teens - British Council.
Https://Learnenglishteens.Britishcouncil.Org/Magazine/Life-around-World/Flying-Visits.
