1. B2-C1
Unit Two
Lesson 2B
Itineraries
and adventures

2. Overview
B2-C1
In this lesson you are going to read, talk and write about travel experiences.
You’ll also help two friends decide on an itinerary for their trip across Asia.
You’ll work on these areas of language.
Pronunciation-chunking speech using phrase structure to help you
Lexis-describing travel experiences
Constructions-sentence, clause and phrase
Sentence grammar-longer constructions
Discourse-ordering a text around a journey
Functions- offering advice
Speaking-talk about travel experiences
Listening-interpreting suggestions
Reading-extracting key phrases to summarise the main ideas in a text
Writing-review of a trip you’ve been on
You’ll focus on these skills today.
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:

3. Objectives
Decide which things would be essential on a trip to the wilderness and say why you’d need them.
Suggest courses of action based on information taken from short texts.
Summarize the main ideas in a text using key phrases and reconstruct this.
Give an informative description of a journey you’ve been on in speech and in writing.

4. Florence-cultural capital
Language Review
Compare the example to what a student wrote about Florence for a project entitled ‘Faraway Places’.
Work with a partner.
Describe a city or region you have been to and which impressed you a lot.
Use these ideas.
Florence-cultural capital
Population-380,000
Climate-sub-tropical
Main Industry-tourism
The place I have chosen to describe is the capital city of the beautiful Tuscany region of northern Italy. The city lies on the River Arno and is surrounded by low-lying hills. It is well-known as ‘the cradle of the Renaissance’ and is characterised by its splendid buildings, many of which date back to the 14th century. Local policies have meant that the architectural heritage of the city is well-preserved…
Its name and location
When you were there
Who you were with
Geographical features
Special feature of the place
Any attractions you visited
The people you met and saw
Whether or not you’d go back
Take notes on what your partner says.
Report to the class.
Work as a class.
Discuss these ideas.
Example
Florence…it’s the capital city of the Tuscany region ... That’s in northern Italy. Oh…and it’s on the River Arno. I loved it. We…my parents and my brother Sergio…we went there on holiday two years ago. The architecture was amazing…not many modern buildings in the centre of the city…everything has been pretty much preserved for centuries. …it was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Incredible!
The main grammatical units used to give the two texts their structure.
The type of vocabulary chosen in each text.
Any other differences you noticed.
Decide which places you heard about you’d like to visit.

5. Before you start La Plus Belle
Read this extract from a magazine article.
See if your ideas were mentioned.
Work with a partner.
TWO LIVES-balancing the demands
Artist Jean-Luc Bellard, a native of Orly near Paris, picked up sticks and moved to the wilds of the Lot region of south-western France in He has had no regrets. He soon acquired a crumbling 17th century house in the pristine village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie at a fraction of the price he’d have paid for the same space in the capital and remodelled it into a cosy living and work space which ensured the quiet and virtually people free life he needed for his work. He’s one of 60 or so artists permanently residing in the village and his social life may be sparse, but it does exist and relationships with neighbours are cordial. Crucially for an artist, people his respect privacy. Perfect you might think. In the summer, however, the region fills up with tourists, the main source of Jean-Luc’s income. Somewhat annoying he admits. Architecturally, Saint Cirq hasn’t changed in centuries and there are strict rules on development. No cars are allowed in the village and it is kept scrupulously clean by the mayor’s office…
Say what you can see in these photos.
Compare the two places using these ideas.
geographic features
climate
approximate population
work and employment
cultural activities
tourism
transport
quality of life for inhabitants
Example
OK then. In first one photo…there’s a village on top of a hill…it looks quite high…and there seems to be a cliff above a river…whereas in the second photo…
Would you like to live in a place like this?
What could make life difficult for its residents?

6. TRAVEL PARTNERS WANTED FANCY A TRIP AWAY AT LOW COST?
Speaking
A weekend away
The advertised trip away is to a remote wilderness region of your country but the advert says very little about what you would need to take with you.
Work in small groups.
Decide these things.
Read this notice which has been posted on your school notice board.
Which things in the list below would be essential.
Which things you could leave behind.
What else you would need to pack.
TRAVEL PARTNERS WANTED
FANCY A TRIP AWAY AT LOW COST?
If you’re into going into the wilds in winter, enjoy the marvels of nature and like being adventurous in the company of people like yourself, read on!
Originally 6 of us were heading out for a long weekend away next month but 3 have dropped out because of study commitments. We’re looking for people to take their places. You don’t need to be an experienced outdoors person, just enthusiastic about spending time away from it all. You’ll need to bring suitably warm and weather-proof clothing but little else, other than yourself. Call Guy on this number:
a tent
a sleeping bag
a cooking stove
a torch
a map of the location
two pairs of shoes/boots not including the ones you’ll wear to get there
extra shoelaces
a box of matches
cooking pots and cutlery
medication and first aid kit
toiletries
Compare ideas as a class.
Decide whether it is safe to go on this trip.
Say why.
Talk about how you would pack your items.

7. Reading The longest journey Tell the class about your experiences.
Read this report from a newspaper.
Work with a partner.
Find out these things.
Alan Mackenzie (19), who was yesterday airlifted to safety from the summit of Mount Rundle in Banff National Park in Alberta is today recovering in the town’s hospital after plunging around 50 metres down the spectacular peak. Mackenzie, a geology student from Glasgow, Scotland had gone out with a party of 12 of his fellows in search of grizzlies, of which recent sightings had been reported by local park rangers in the vicinity of the upper slopes of the 3,000 metre range. His mission? To take photographs of our dangerous ursine cousins. He later admitted to climbing without ropes and other safety equipment and seemed blissfully unaware of the dangers posed both by this neglect, or by his potentially quarry. Bear-watching is an increasingly sought after pastime for visitors to the splendours of our parks but extreme care needs to be taken. Miraculously, Mackenzie survived his fall, thanks to a lone pine tree onto which he held for dear life while dangling above a rocky avalanche he’d inadvertently started. Marooned for 6 hours on a crevice he was later airlifted to safety by helicopter and later apologised to authorities. He is making a full recovery.
their longest journey so far
the distance travelled
the time it took
places they passed through
what they saw
interesting experiences
My longest journey was four days on a greyhound bus…from Calgary in Canada to Los Angeles, California. That was when I was at university… during my summer holidays… I went with two friends from my course. The shortest distance is about 2,000 kilometres but we went via Vancouver on Canada’s west coast… we travelled through the Rocky Mountains which took over 24 hours. It was great travelling by bus… if a bit tiring… you got to see some amazing country… and wildlife from time to time … I remember seeing a grizzly bear in the mountains…it ran right across the road!
Choose some key phrases from the text. Summarise its content in your own words.

8. Writing Crossing Asia by train
We highly recommend a visit to the city of Irkutsk the most popular spot to stop off on a Trans-Siberian trip. Lake Baikal and its natural wonders is only 70 kilometres away. Beautiful Siberian timber buildings with new restaurants, cafés and night time destinations dominate the skyline and the city has become a much sought after tourist destination over recent years. The city also has a range of fascinating museums to visit.
We’re planning a holiday across Asia by train! We’re heading out of Moscow …really looking forward to the journey…but it’s a long one. Fourteen days in early spring to get to Vladivostok or Beijing …but we’re still not sure where to stop off on the way or which way to go.
Mongolia’s capital Ulan Bator has a long and fascinating history. Its people are known for their hospitality and openness and you’ll find a warm welcome to this fascinating culture. The world’s chilliest capital is a thriving tourist centre and offers a huge range of cuisines, as well great economical shopping opportunities including its wonderful cashmere products.
Read these extracts from tourist guides.
Listvyanka sits on the shores of Lake Baikal, Asia’s largest lake and one of the world’s deepest. The area offers tourists a large variety of activities from boat trips, diving and jet-skiing, ice-mountain-biking and ice sculpting. This is a great spot to go hiking on the Great Baikal Trail.
Spend a few days in hilly Vladivostok, one of the most visually stunning cities in Russia. Situated in a series of beautiful bays, the city is surrounded by fabulous green forests which seem untouched by civilisation. It also boasts unique architecture and is famous for its many monuments, statues and museums.
Beijing has long been the political, cultural and economic capital of China. Enjoy ancient palaces and monuments and all the benefits of a busy modern city. There are plenty of opportunities for shopping, eating and enjoying the exciting nightlife. Take a guided tour of the Forbidden city, go shopping at your favourite stores and enjoy a wander round the landscaped parks. All in a few days!
Work in small groups.
Create an itinerary for the friends.
Justify your choices.
Take notes and report to the class.

9. FIND OUT ABOUT LANGUAGE Clauses, sentences and phrases
Writing
A review of a trip
FIND OUT ABOUT LANGUAGE
Clauses, sentences and phrases
The basic unit of grammar in English is the clause.
These can stand alone or can be combined to form longer sentences.
The sleeping quarters were spacious and really quite luxurious.
This example can be reconstructed as two sentences.
The sleeping quarters were spacious.
The sleeping quarters were quite luxurious.
Clauses are in turn made up of phrases.
The sleeping quarters (noun phrase)
were (verb phrase)
spacious. (adjective phrase)
Every clause has, minimally, a verb phrase and a noun phrase.
Phrases can be made up of one or more words in length and consist of a head (the most important word) and one or more dependents.
really, quite (dependents) luxurious (head)
Read Ekaterina’s entry on a travel blog written just after her return to the US after an Asian trip.
I’ve just got back from the journey of my life. It’s the greatest travel adventure you could possibly hope to experience. Two weeks crossing Asia on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway with my best friend Antonina. The sleeping quarters were spacious and really quite luxurious, the catering surprisingly good and the tour guides polite and professional. The trip itself was very well-organized and the destinations extremely interesting. We followed the itinerary suggested by our classmates and spent two nights in Listvyanka on the shores of Lake Baikal, three in Irkutsk, and spent almost a week in Vladivostok, which was absolutely stunning. I’m a bit of a nature freak so this was really a pleasant surprise. Incredibly beautiful. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco. The hotels in our stop-offs were all clean, tidy and well-run. The journey itself was incredible, the route spectacular and the wilderness areas we passed through truly amazing.
Write a review of a trip you’ve been on or one you would like to go on.
Use Ekaterina’s entry as a model.

10. Today you… B2-C1 Unit Two Lesson 2B HOMEWORK IDEA
Read a notice and decided on some things you could take with you on a trip to a wild part of your country. You then decided on whether to go on this trip and gave reasons for your decision.
Described a journey you’ve been on and read a text about an adventure which went wrong.
Helped a pair of friends decide on an itinerary for their trip across Asia and read a diary entry written by one of the friends.
Prepared to write a description of a journey of your own.
HOMEWORK IDEA
Write your review if you haven’t done so yet.
Carry out some research on a destination which you might like to visit.
Work out an itinerary for your trip.
Present your ideas in the next lesson.