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ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

PLANES,
TRAINS, AND
AUTOMOBILES
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1 Warm up
Match the type of transport to the correct image below.

bike/bicycle bus car coach

ferry plane train underground/subway

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Answer the following questions.

1. Have you travelled on these kinds of transport?

2. When did you last travel on each type of transport? What was the purpose of your journey?
3. Which type of transport would you choose to: go on holiday / go to school / visit relatives?

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match each word or phrase to its correct definition.

Group 1

1. freedom (n) a. do something that corrects a bad situation

2. convenience (n) b. used to introduce a suggestion that is a second choice or

possibility
3. alternatively (adv.) c. the power or right to say or do what you want without
anyone stopping you
4. make up for (phr. v) d. a new plan for dealing with a specific problem or for
achieving a specific purpose
5. initiative (n) e. the quality of being useful, easy or suitable for somebody

Group 2

1. rail (n) a. describing when something will be remembered for a very

long time
2. overnight (adv.) b. during or for the night

3. unforgettable (adj.) c. railways as a means of transport

4. fortune (n) d. giving pleasure because it provides something you need or

want
5. satisfying (adj.) e. a large amount of money

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Part B: Write the correct word or phrase from Part A in each sentence. Do you find any of the
sentences surprising?

1. It feels really to relax on holiday after studying all term.

2. I stayed in London because I wanted more than a day trip.

3. My three-week trip to Bali in Indonesia was ! I’ll remember it for ever!

4. You need a to travel first class. It’s so expensive.

5. The main reason we stayed in a hotel next to the airport was .

6. Not booking hotels in advance gives you a lot more when you travel. You can go
where you want.

7. We could camp in the mountain or, , we could stay in a little cabin.

8. Our parents took us on holiday to Disney World to not going on holiday for three
summers because of COVID.

9. A holiday by might be slower than travelling by air but you get to see a lot more.

10. Giving teenagers free travel on public transport would be a great and would
encourage them to travel more.

Discuss these questions with a classmate and use the word in bold in your answers.

1. What’s the most unforgettable experience you’ve ever had?

2. Do you ever stay overnight at friends’ houses?
3. Is freedom or convenience more important to you?

3 Reading: general comprehension

You are going to read about four different types of transport. Look at the images of different types
of transport again.

Which type of transport do you think is ...

• The best to use for a holiday?

• The most environmentally friendly?
• The best to get around a city?
• The least environmentally friendly?

Read the texts below, check your predictions and match the type of transport with A-D.

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A:

You have the freedom to go where you want in this vehicle. If your family own one, you
probably have it parked outside or in a garage. Alternatively, you can take a taxi, book an
Uber or rent one while you’re on vacation. The convenience this kind of transport offers is an
advantage, but does this make up for the disadvantages?
The biggest downside of these vehicles is their environmental impact or the size of their
carbon footprint. This is especially the case with those that run on petrol or diesel. Other
problems caused by this mode of transport include health problems due to air pollution and
traffic jams. There are estimated to be one and a half billion on our roads. That is far too many
and is not sustainable.
One answer to this problem would be not to use this type of transport at all but there are
smaller steps we can take, too. These include:
• Travelling with at least three or four passengers.

• Using an electric vehicle.

• Only using this vehicle when public transport is not available

• Only using this vehicle when walking or cycling is not possible.

B:

Exploring new cities and countries by rail is a great experience and one that more young
people are choosing for their holidays, especially in Europe. Interrail is an EU initiative that
gives young people the opportunity to travel Europe cheaply. Travelling from one European
capital to another with a group of friends, sometimes overnight, is something that you will
never forget.
Not only, is this type of transport enjoyable but as a flight-free type of transport it’s also
better for our planet. A flight can be more than six times more polluting than the same trip on
our railways although this can vary depending on whether the vehicle is electric or diesel and
where the electricity comes from. Electricity from coal is much more polluting than electricity
from nuclear power, for example.

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C:

The idea of travelling to another part of the world is a dream that many of us have and the
obvious choice of transport would be to fly. Being above the clouds for the first time is an
unforgettable experience, as is discovering new languages, cultures, and food in your chosen
destination.
The good news is that flying to a faraway destination is not as polluting as a short flight
because taking off uses more fuel than when in the air. However, flying is still by far the worst
type of transport for our planet. We should probably think about whether we need to fly at
all. Are there not hundreds of beautiful places to visit near us or alternative types of transport
we can use?

D:

Getting round our towns and cities on two wheels is becoming more popular and is the kindest
to our planet in terms of its carbon footprint. But this is not the only benefit. Cars and other
vehicles are often banned from city centres, or you must pay a fortune to park them. This
is not an issue if you cycle. Cycling is also good for you, it can save you money, and there is
nothing more satisfying than going past a traffic jam that hasn’t moved for ages!

Sources: The Independent, BBC

Glossary:
Uber (n) - an online service that allows users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a
taxi.
diesel (n) - a type of heavy oil used as a fuel instead of petrol

Read the texts again and choose the correct type of transport (A-D) for each statement.

1. This type of vehicle can help your bank balance.

2. The amount of pollution from this vehicle can vary a lot.

3. Choosing this kind of vehicle gives you a good chance of new experiences.

4. The main advantage of this vehicle is that it makes things easy for people.

5. This is the healthiest form of transport for the planet and for people.

6. Using this type of transport is popular with young people.

7. There are too many of these vehicles in the world.

8. This type of vehicle pollutes more than any other.

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4 Speaking: holiday and travel

Look at the two lists below. Think of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

1. Discuss your opinions with a classmate. "I think staying local for a holiday is better than flying
abroad because ..."
2. Think of two more discussion points and give them to another pair to discuss.

5 Listening: Eurail
You are going to watch a short video about the Eurail pass (00:00 - 01:07), which is a type of ticket
that permits train travel through 33 European countries. Which countries would you like to visit?
Which cities? Watch the video and answer.

Look at the transcript below with a partner. Do you know any of the missing words?

a. Don’t count travel time. Make the time that you’re count.

b. Follow the many that lead you to new people, new places.

c. And, if you , it doesn’t really matter because you’ll probably somewhere

even better.

d. It’s not about getting there as fast as ; it’s about getting there.

e. It’s the excitement, , and friendship.

f. The long nights and early .

g. Chase the .

h. Take that and let it surprise you.

i. Because in the end it’s you who decides which to take.

Watch the video again and check your answers. Do you agree with what the speaker says?

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What do you think the following words mean?

lose track end up horizon detour

6 Project: plan a Eurail journey

Imagine you have decided to go on a Eurail holiday for one month. You need to plan and schedule
your trip. Work in groups.

You need to decide:

• Your starting point.

• Your destinations.
• Length of time in each destination.
• What you want to see and do in each place.
• The dates and times of each train.

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