D) Advantages and Disadvantages of Traveling by Air

e) Great News!

Hi, I’m Alexander, Alex for short. I’m from Minsk, Belarus and I’m a first-year student at the Institute of Law. I’ve got great news! I’ve gotten a letter from my American friend Tom. It came last week. He has invited me to visit him in the States. That’s great! I’ve never been to America. I have been abroad before. I’ve traveled to Poland as a tourist. I’ve also been to Italy on vacation. But I’ve never been outside Europe.

The best time for my trip is in July, on my holiday. I am to visit New York and Washington. I know there going to be some problems. For example, I have to get an American visa and to buy an insurance policy. I’m going by plane, so the tickets are very expensive. And then there is the bank: you have to exchange rubles for dollars, which is actually not a problem any longer.

People traveling long distances often have to decide whether to go by land, sea or air. Man has always wanted to have the fastest way of traveling. On the one hand, aviation is the fastest. But it usually takes a few hours to get to the airport from downtown and then from the airport to the city. Sometimes they delay or cancel flights because of the weather. So you end up wasting a lot of time.

Besides planes have the reputation of being dangerous. They also have the grave disadvantage of being the most expensive form of transport. You can’t walk around and there’s nothing to do. You can’t open the windows and can’t get off. There’s no choice of food and there are never enough toilets. Yet nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Traveling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exciting experience. It is more comfortable and far quicker than any other method.

On the day of departure I took a taxi to the airport and arrived early in order to check-in. First I went to the check-in desk where they weighed my luggage. Usually you are permitted 20 kilos, but if your bags weigh more, you may pay excess baggage. A light bag is classed as hand luggage and you can take it with you on to the plane. The airline representative checked my ticket and gave me a boarding card for the plane with my seat number on it. Then I went through passport control and into the departure lounge to wait for the flight to be called. About half an hour before take-off our flight was called and we went to gate 4, where we waited before we boarded the plane. When I entered the plane I gave my boarding card to the air hostess (US flight attendant) and found my seat.

Some people hate flying. It’s a crazy thing to do, they say. Birds fly; people don’t. For me flying is fun. I like being in a big airliner with flight attendants looking after me. They walk up and down the aisle bringing meals and drinks. When the flight is going through some turbulence, the crew warns everybody that it might be a bit bumpy and asks to fasten the seat belts. On a long flight I like listening to music through the headphones available to all passengers, and sometimes I have a sleep. I enjoy it all so much that I never want the plane to land.

When the plane finally landed at JFK Airport in New York, I went to the immigration counter where the inspector checked my visa and then to the baggage reclaim where I collected my luggage. Then I passed through Customs. The customs officer didn’t ask me to open my bags. He just asked me a few questions. Did I have anything to declare? I said no. Any foodstuffs? I had some cans ( BR. tins). He said canned food was okay. Did I have any fresh or frozen food? No, I didn’t. Any gifts? No, just a few souvenirs. Did I have five thousand dollars or more in any currency? Certainly not! I had absolutely nothing to declare and the officer finally let me go.

Notes:

JFK stsnds for John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

3.1 C hoose a), b), or c) to complete the sentences.

1. Alex was going to New York …

a) on business

b) on vacation

c) by invitation

2. The great advantage of traveling by air is …

a) height

b) speed

c) cost

3. You have to arrive at the airport early in order to …

a) relax in the departure lounge

b) have a drink in the cafe

c) check in

4. Alex … flying.

a) hates

b) fears

c) enjoys

5. When passing through Customs Alex had … to declare.

a) money

b) nothing

c) goods

LEARNING THE WORDS.

4.1 Fill in the synonyms from the list.

convenient; baggage; airliner/aircraft; stewards and stewardesses; allowed; on holiday; center of the city; quickest; serious;

plane comfortable luggage

downtown fastest on vacation

grave flight attendants permitted

4.2 Match the following words and word combinations from the text to their definitions. Suggest the Russian.

1 visa 2 insurance policy 3 airline 4 to board the plane 5 to take off 6to land 7aisle 8 Customs 9 to declare 10 a can 11currency 12 crew

a) to get on the plane b) passage between any rows of seats c) metal container for food, drink, etc. d) to make a statement to customs officers of dutiable goods brought into a country e) written contract of insurance against sickness, accident or loss f) stamp put on a passport to show that it was approved by the officials of the foreign country which the owner intends to visit g) money that is actually in use in a country h) regular service of aircraft for public use i) to come on land j) all the persons working on a ship, aircraft, train, etc. k) to leave the ground and rise (of aircraft) l) department of Government that collects taxes (duties) on goods imported into a country

4.3 Match the following word-combinations from the text to their Russian equivalents.

1 traveling long distances 2 to make a choice 3 on the one hand 4 they delay or cancel flights 5you end up wasting a lot of time. 6 nothing can match them 7 exciting experience 8 check-in desk 9excess baggage 10 hand luggage 11 boarding card 12 departure lounge 13 up and down the aisle 14 a bit bumpy 15 immigration counter 16 baggage reclaim 17customs officer

a) стойка регистрации b) все заканчивается пустой тратой времени c) ручная кладь d) сделать выбор e) излишек багажа f) путешествующие на дальние расстояния g) зал ожидания h) иммиграционная стойка i) с одной стороны j) небольшая тряска k) таможенник l) возврат багажа m) они задерживают или откладывают рейсы n) вперед-назад по проходу o) волнующее (захватывающее) впечатление p) ничто не может сравниться с ними q) посадочная карта

4.4 What do you call:

1. The place where you go when you arrive at the airport with your luggage?

2. The card they give you with the seat number on it?

3. The money you have to pay if your luggage is very heavy?

4. The place where you can sit and have a drink when you are waiting for your flight to be called?

5. The bags you carry onto the plane with you?

6. The people who look after you on the plane?

7. The place where you collect your luggage after you land?

8. The place where the inspector checks your visa on arrival?

9. The place where your luggage is checked in order to avoid smuggling?

4.5 Match the parts to form the word-combinations from the text.

1 delay or cancel 2 check-in 3 excess 4 hand 5 boarding 6 passport 7 departure 8 flight 9 seat 10immigration 11 baggage

a) baggage b) card c) lounge d) counter e) attendant f) luggage g) belts h) flights i) reclaim j) control k) desk

4.6 Fill in the American equivalents.

British	American
to finish doing sth single ticket return ticket to rent (a car) petrol luggage queue to give sb a ride air hostess tin	................. ................. ................. ................. ................. .................. .................. .................. .................. ..................

5. READING FOR DETAIL. Read the text carefully.

5.1 Decide whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the False ones.

1. Alex has never been abroad before.

2. The great advantage of traveling by air is flying far above the clouds.

3. When you travel by air you have to arrive at the airport early in order to relax in the departure lounge.

4. If your luggage weighs more than 20 kilos, it can be expensive.

5. When Alex entered the plane he gave his boarding card to the steward.

6. When the plane finally landed at JFK Airport in New York, Alex went to the immigration counter to collect his luggage.

5.2 Answer the following questions.

1. What news has Alex got?

3. Why is July the best time for Alex’s trip?

4. What problems does a person have to face when going abroad?