Episode 26

EPISODE 26
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

 

  

READING COMPREHENSION

 

 

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: DISADVANTAGES       

If, by any chance, you don’t have a car, you can use other means of transport (= buses, trains, trams, underground, planes etc.). To use them, you must buy a ticket. It can be: daily (= you can use it for one day), weekly (= you can use it for one week) or monthly (= you can use it for one month). Public transport is rather unreliable (= you cannot trust it) and travellers have to face many problems. They say there are few advantages (= good points) of using public transport. First of all, they have to be punctual. If they are late, they will miss the bus, train or tram (= arrive too late to get on a bus, train or plane). Then, there is rush hour (= the busy part of the day when everybody goes to work or comes back home) when you get held up in traffic jams (= there are too many cars which drive very slowly and people spend a lot of time in a car). Your bus or train, for example, can be delayed (= come later) or cancelled (= they don’t come at all).

 

 

More contexts for the new words:

• We have to hurry, our train leaves in 5 minutes.
  (= our train goes away in 5 minutes)
• Can you tell me where I can catch the number 171 bus?
  (= from where I can travel by the 171 bus?)

 

 

EXERCISE 1

Complete the story with words from the text.

 

Mark’s favourite (1)………………………. of transport is his car, but one day it broke down. So, he decided to use public transport for one day. He bought a (2)………………………. ticket, because he did not need a weekly or a monthly one, and went to the bus stop. However, he was late, so he (3)………………………. his bus. He did not worry and (4)……………………….  the next one. He was very happy to be on it, but soon he learned that you cannot trust public transport – it is very (5)………………………. . The bus broke down. Still, he did not worry and waited for another one. When it came, it was already 5 pm – the (6)………………………. hour started. Mark got held (7)………………………. in a traffic jam for the next two hours. After that, he decided never to use public transport again.

 

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Match the question halves. Then answer the questions.

 

1. When did you last get held up                          a) daily, weekly, monthly or none?
2. What tickets do you buy:                                   b) in a traffic jam?
3. What is your favourite                                        c) means of transport? Why?

 

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

The text says:

There are few advantages of public transport

When we say „a few„, we think about a number between 2 and 5, but if we say „few” we think about „not many, not enough”. In our sentence, we think that there are not enough advantages, we think that there should be more of them.

I have few friends. ( = I would like to have more, I don’t have enough friends)

I have got few books. ( = I would like to have more, I don’t have enough books)

 

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

 

A/ Peter HAS A FACE LIKE THE BACK END OF A BUS.

B/ Unfortunately that’s true, but he’s a really nice man.

 

If someone has a face like the back end of a bus, they have a really ugly face.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

 

1. If you LOOK OUT, you watch what is happening and are careful.

Look out! There’s a car coming!

 

2. When you SET OUT, you start a journey.

We set out in the morning and caught a train to London.

 

 

 

EXERCISE 3

Rewrite the sentences keeping the same meaning and using the word in capitals. Use the idiom and phrasal verbs you have learned in this lesson.

 

1. Patricia is really ugly.

BUS …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

2. Be careful!

OUT …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

3. You have to start your trip very early.

OUT …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

 

 

NEWS

 

NEW TRAMS FOR WARSAW

Warsaw is proud to have a few dozens of new Pesa trams. Their fans say that they are pretty, modern and silent. They all have low floors, which makes them ideal for the disabled and mothers with small children. They also make much less noise than the traditional trams. However, their opponents claim that there is too little space inside, and too few seats. Also, they are not very durable, and they are too wide for the tram rails in Warsaw. Many of the trams have already lost parts of metal which made them quiet, and now make lots of noise. And many people say that they are simply ugly! And you, do you love them or do you hate them?

 

GLOSSARY

– a dozen – 12

– the disabled – people who can’t see, can’t hear, don’t have a leg etc.

– to claim – to say

– durable – lasting a long time

 

download lesson (pdf)