City Transport in Britain

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 489.

Ex. 1. Read the text and say in what way the transport system in Britain differs from that in our country.

READING AND SPEAKING

Part A

Lesson 1

PROBLEM SOLVING

UNIT 5

Topic for Communication: Getting somewhere, Banking services, Minor services

Grammar Focus: The Past Participle Construction

Language Use:Asking about problems. Saying you are worried

Due to some cultural differences you may face problems during your short stay abroad. Can you guess which? Here is some information which can help you avoid them and some dialogues that present typical interaction in such cases. Do the tasks that follow and practice asking about problems.

a) You need to get somewhere

Britain has a well developed transport service. If includes buses, coaches, trains, planes, etc. Most buses in Britain are operate by the local Council. Others are owned by companies which often receive financial help from the Government.

On many routes you will see both single-decker and double-decker buses. There is often only one man in change of the bus and you pay him the fare when you get on. Some buses have a conductor as well as a driver.

If you want to catch a bus, you wait at a bus stop. Here there's a board with the routes, numbers and times of buses. But be careful. Sometimes there's a sign “Reguest stop” which means that buses only stop if you put out (hold out) your hand.

If there are other people waiting at the bus stop you must queue behind them and allow them to get on the bus first. (Some people believe that the British habit of queuing first began with the introduction of public transport).

Taxis in London are usually big black vehicles. Sometimes they may be ordinary cars with a “Taxi” sign on top. You can find taxis at taxi ranks (places where taxis wait), at airports, station, and in the center of town. You can also telephone for a taxi or stop one in the street.

A taxi can be cheaper than the bus fares for two or more people. However, long journeys by taxi are expensive - be careful at ports and airports. You can ask the driver to give you an idea of the cost before you leave. Drivers must charge the metered fare for all journeys within London (including Heathrow) regardless of duration and distance. Taxi drivers expect to be tipped for all journeys.

Ex. 2. Act out the dialogues and answer the questions that follow as fully as possible.