Episode 250

EPISODE 250
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

READING COMPREHENSION

 

HOW TO SAVE MONEY DURING HOLIDAY

This year I can’t afford (= I don’t have enough money, it is too expensive) to pay for a package holiday, so I’m going to try hitch-hiking (= traveling by private cars without paying for it) for the first time. It is really cheap and not as dangerous as people say. I’m sure I will be able to buy some cut-price (= that cost less than usual) plane or train tickets and I will definitely not stay at any popular holiday resorts (= a place popular with tourists). I will not take my holiday during the busy peak (= most popular with tourists) season, I think I will go during quiet, off-peak (= the least popular with tourists) season. I will stay at campsites and in cheap youth hostels. This way my holiday will be dirt cheap (= really cheap)!

 

More contexts for the new words:

• This restaurant serves cheap and cheerful food.
(= This restaurant serves cheap, but very good food.)
• This CD player was cheap and nasty .
(= It was cheap, but it was very bad quality)

 

EXERCISE 1

Match the expression halves.

1. dirt                         a) afford
2. a youth                  b) cheap
3. off-                         c) hiking
4. peak                       d) hostel
5. a holiday               e) peak
6. hitch-                     f) price
7. cut-                        g) resort
8. can’t                      h) season

 

EXERCISE 2

Complete the questions with the missing vowels (a, e, i, o, u). Example: BNN = banana. Then answer the questions.

1. Which do you prefer: CMPSTS or YTH HSTLS? Why?
2. Do you think it is safe to go HTCH-HKNG in Poland? Why?/Why not?
3. Which HLDY RSRTS are your favourites? Why?

 

ENGLISH IN USE

 

Let’s talk about the future again! Today we will look at this sentence:

I will definitely not stay at any popular holiday resorts.

If we use „definitely” in such a sentence, it means we are 100% sure something will not happen.

We can say:

It will definitely not happen or It definitely won’t happen.

Do you see the difference between these two sentences?

„Definitely” changes its position in the sentence. Remember this rule.

Now look at some more examples:

I will definitely not study here.
I definitely won’t study here.
He will definitely not accept the job.
He definitely won’t accept the job.

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

A/ Are you staying at a hotel?
B/ No, I’ travelling ON A SHOESTRING, so I’m staying at youth hostels.

If you do something on a shoestring, you do it with very little money.

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

1. If you put up with something, you accept something unpleasant in a patient way.

If you stay at a campsite, you have to put up with some inconveniences, like lack of hot water.
I will not put up with your bad behaviour any longer!

2. If you do without something, you succeed in living or working without someone or something.

In a youth hostel, you have to do without luxuries.
You’ll be gone for six days? I think we can do without you for that long.

 

 

EXERCISE 3

Complete each gap with one word.

1. Our schools are still running ………………… a shoestring.
2. There’s no more milk, so I guess we’ll just have to do …………………………. .
3. I can’t put ………………. with the noisy parties of our neighbours.

 

NEWS

THE WORLD’S BEST YOUTH HOSTEL

The YMCA Youth Hostel in Boston has just been announced The World’s Best Youth Hostel by the Globetrotter Magazine. What is it that makes it so unique? Primarily, the really low prices, which amount to merely a fraction of Boston’s usual rates. Secondly, the hostel has a really friendly atmosphere, with most of its staff under 25, and all of them cheerful and optimistic. Last but not least, it has free doughnuts and coffee every morning. You can eat and drink as much as you want. So, next time you’re in Boston, be sure to stay at the YMCA!

 

GLOSSARY
– unique – special
– a fraction – ½, ¾, etc.
– doughnuts – round cakes, deep-fried, in Poland with jam inside, and in the US – with a hole inside

 

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