Episode 247

EPISODE 247
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

READING COMPREHENSION

 

WHAT TO DO ON HOLIDAY

When we went on our last holiday, we visited Rome. We stayed in a hotel (= lived in a hotel for a short time). We went sightseeing (= we saw famous places) almost every day. We took a lot of photos (= we used a photo camera very often) and we spent a lot of money (= we left a lot of money in shops) because we had a quick look around the shops (= we visited shops). We went out (= went to pubs and clubs) every evening and once we got lost (= we didn’t know where we were). We had a lovely time (= we had a lot of fun)! Rome is definitely worth seeing (= it’s a good idea to see it)!

 

More contexts for the new words:
• I went camping last year.
(= We stayed at the campsite.)
• We hired a car everywhere and we visited some interesting places last month.
(= We paid to use it for a short time)

 

EXERCISE 1
Match the expression halves.

1. to stay
2. to go
3. to take
4. to spend
5. to have a quick look
6. to get
7. to have a lovely
8. to hire

a) a car
b) time
c) around the shops
d) in a hotel
e) lost
f) money
g) photos
h) sightseeing

 

EXERCISE 2

Complete the questions and then answer them.

1. When did you last ……………………… lost on holiday?
2. How much money did you ……………………… on your last holiday? What did you buy?
3. When did you last ……………………… a lovely time? What were you doing?

 

 

ENGLISH IN USE

Today we will have a quick revision of past simple tense. We use it when we know when something happened:

When we went on our last holiday, we visited Rome.

Remember that when we use it, we use the past form of the verb.

Have-had
Go-went
Visit-visited
Take-took

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

A/ Could you lend me a few dollars?
B/ GET LOST.

The spoken expression ‘get lost’ is used for telling someone rudely to go away.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

1. If you GET AWAY (from it all), you go somewhere different from where you live in order to have a rest or a holiday.

I just need to get away for a few days.
On days like today, I just want to get away from it all.

2. If you DROP someone or something OFF, you take them to a place in a car, usually without getting out of the car yourself.

I’m driving into town – can I drop you off somewhere?
We dropped our luggage off at the hotel and went sightseeing.

 

EXERCISE 3
Complete the text with words from the idiom/phrasal verbs you’re learned.

Last year, I went to Mexico for a holiday. I really needed to get ………………… from it all. I wanted to go to some nice places, but I did not want to hire a car, so I decided to ask someone do drop me ………………… at the city centre. I asked a man who seemed really nice, but he just told me to ………………… lost! After that, I decided to go back home, and never go to Mexico again.

NEWS

SIGHTSEEING IN POLAND

In our last week’s street survey, we asked a hundred foreigners about the places they would like to see in Poland. The results are somewhat surprising. The most popular destination turned out to be Wadowice – almost everyone wants to visit the birthplace of the late Pope, John Paul II. And, while over there, one has to try the famous cream cakes. The second place in our ranking of popularity was taken by Zakopane. Lots of tourists from abroad want to walk along the Krupówki, eat the famous goat cheese, and stroll in the mountain valleys. Number three is Kraków, with its historic Old Town and beautiful Wawel. Surprisingly, Warsaw did not appear anywhere in the top ten favourite destinations. Many tourists claim that it is too noisy and too dirty. Isn’t it time we did something to make our capital a better place?

 

 

GLOSSARY

– late – dead
– to stroll – to walk slowly
– noisy – loud

 

 

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