Tag: Travel and Holiday

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Backpacking is a cost-effective way for people to travel to many different places. With a limited budget, they tend to make the most of out of their trip by staying in inexpensive hotels and living like a local.

However, there are also backpackers who do not have enough money to fund their trip. Some of them turn to the kindness of local people by begging, selling, or performing on the street in exchange for money.

Let’s read the article and know more details about the begpacking phenomenon.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-begpackers-intl-hnk/index.html

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does the word “portmanteau” mean in this context? “The term is a portmanteau of “begging” and “backpacking” and is usually used to negatively describe people who are asking the public for money to fund their travels.” Give examples.
2. Define the verb “pigeonhole“. “A Cantonese-speaking colleague waited nearby to see who interacted with Pratt, then pigeonholed them to ask questions – and, in some cases, return the money they’d given.” Use it in your own sentence.
3. What does the phrase “if the shoe were on the other foot” mean? “If the shoe were on the other foot, begpacking would be simply called vagrancy.” Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion on begpackers? Does it make a difference if they are simply begging, selling or providing entertainment in exchange for money?
2. Do you agree that much of the hatred for begpackers are from foreigners too?
3. What is passport privilege? How does it play a part in begpacking?
4. Do you think Asian countries should set financial requirements to all tourists?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Traveling by plane is the quickest way to get to your destination. Due to technological advances, it is also considered one of the safest forms of transportation. Another selling point for airline companies is the comfort they provide to their passengers. They offer wider seats, in-flight entertainment, more legroom and many more at additional costs.

However, for plus-size travelers the experience of flying can be daunting.

Let’s read the article and know more about the struggles of plus-size travelers and one particular plus-size traveler’s petition.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/plus-size-travelers-slam-airline-seat-policies/index.html

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “slippery slope” mean? “It can be a slippery slope.” Give an example scenario.
2. What does the idiom “to be hit in the pocket” mean? “This ultimately means that more and more passengers are likely to be finding it difficult to fit into airplane seats, and some may be hit in the pocket as a result.” Use it in your own sentence.
3. Define the word “encroach“. “One of the various demands listed in Chaney’s petition, which had received over 17,000 signatures at the time of writing, is that all airlines “provide accessible additional seats to customers-of-size” who may require more space or “encroach onto another passenger’s space.” Give one synonym and use “encroach” in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion on Jae’lynn Chaney’s demand? Is it reasonable or a form of entitlement?
2. Do you agree that charging more to plus-size passengers is a human rights issue? Why or why not?
3. What else do you know about airline policies in your country regarding plus-size passengers?
4. Just as airline companies are charging plus-size travelers more, do you think passengers with smaller bodies should be charged less? Explain your stand.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Passport photos are notable for their strictly enforced rules and standards, frequently perplexing travelers as to why they must uphold a stern face without looking happy. While it may appear to be an utterly pointless regulation, there are justifiable reasons for this seemingly unusual mandate.

Learn more about the reasons for not being allowed to grin in passport photos, taking into account things like standardization, identity verification, and facial recognition technology, by clicking the link.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-cant-you-smile-passport-photo_l_64775504e4b0b4444c7c29f9

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “grand scheme of things” mean in the sentence, “But these kinds of rules are still relatively new in the grand scheme of things.”? Use this idiom in your own sentence.
2. What does “not pass muster” mean in the sentence, “Showing your teeth won’t pass muster ― and apparently it’s a matter of border security.”? Use this idiom in your own sentence.
3. What does “in effect” mean in the sentence, “Photos with exaggerated expressions can make it more difficult to readily identify the passport holder,” he explained, noting that the agency’s photo requirements have “been in effect for United States passports for decades.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you explain the reasoning behind the decision to have a neutral expression in passport photos instead of allowing smiles?
2. How does facial recognition technology play a role in the requirement to not smile in passport photos?
3. Are there any alternative methods or technologies being explored that could overcome the limitations of smiling in passport photos? Tell me more.
4. Are there any specific guidelines or regulations regarding passport photos in different countries that deviate from the general practice of not smiling? Please share.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

People take up the hobby of mountain climbing for a lot of reasons. Some do it for the thrill and sense of adventure, while others want to set new records or break the older ones. Regardless of the reason, safety should be the main priority in this activity.

Let’s read the article and find out about this law in Nepal to minimize the risks for mountaineers.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/travel/nepal-bans-solo-mountain-climbers.htm

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What is the meaning of the word “amputee“?” The new law also prohibits blind and double amputee climbers from trying to reach the top peaks.” Use it in a sentence.
2. What does the word “acute” mean? “Although mountaineers die for a number of reasons, almost every fifth death is caused by acute mountain sickness.” Give two synonyms and use it in your own sentence.
3. What does the word “peak” mean in this context? “Nepal has banned solo mountaineers from climbing Mount Everest and other peaks.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is the Nepalese government imposing stricter rules on mountaineers?
2. How does this new law benefit the locals and the mountaineers alike?
3. Do you agree with this law? Why or why not?
4. What is your opinion on the prohibition of physically handicapped people from climbing the Mount Everest?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Cancellations, especially last-minute ones, are the bane of the hospitality industry as a whol,e but most places will offer a refund if you have a reasonable excuse. 

Read the article to know what to say and do to get a difficult hotel refund.

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-a-refund-on-a-nonrefundable-hotel-reservatio-1848372634https://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-a-refund-on-a-nonrefundable-hotel-reservatio-1848372634

Vocabulary Questions:

1. Define the expression “life gets in the way“, “Pandemic or not, sometimes life gets in the way of your travel plans.” Use this expression in your own sentence.
2. Define “to save a few bucks“, “When you request for a nonrefundable rate to be refunded you are essentially asking the hotel to disregard the risk that you took in order to save a few bucks.”. Use this phrase in your own sentence.
3. Define “to have a better shot at something“, “We should note that it’s always left to the discretion of the hotel or booking site as to whether or not to give you your money back—these are just situations where you have a better shot at being successful.“. Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you prefer to call or email a hotel when you want to discuss something with them? Why is this the case?
2. What are some reasons why people cancel their reservations?
3. What do you usually pre-pay when you book a hotel?
4. Do you know anyone who paid a cancellation fee? How much was it?
5. What will you do if you have to cancel a non-refundable service?
6. When was the last time you asked for a refund? Why?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For people who don’t travel often, it’s stressful to get ready for a trip. Do you have any travel tips on how to enjoy the journey and not stress out about everything?

Read the article to know how you can ensure you see everything you want and don’t lose anything before traveling to your next destination.

https://theeverygirl.com/travel-hacks/

Vocabulary Questions:

1. Define “all-time high“, “With airports as busy as ever and flight prices at what seems like an all-time high, we could all use a few travel hacks to get us through the trips we have coming up.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
2. Define the phrase “to shove something into“, “When you’re shoving all your clothes into a suitcase with shoes, bags, jackets, and more, it’s possible that they will lose their freshly cleaned laundry scent—especially if you’re going on a long trip.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
3. Define the expression”to find one’s self in a pinch, “We would recommend investing in a travel jewelry case, but if you ever find yourself in a pinch before a trip without one (or if you just don’t feel like buying one), there is another solution.” Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of these recommendations? Do you like them? Why/why not?
2. How do you usually plan for your trips? Do you like planning them? Why/why not?
3. What do you do to make your trips interesting and safe?
4. What do you do to not feel stressed and worried before your trip?
5. Share any special travel hacks you use.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Thousands of flight passengers flock at airports on a daily basis and they lose things all the time. 

During disembarkation, a passenger quickly realized her AirPods had gone missing on the plane, but was allegedly not allowed to go back to her seat to check if they were back there.

She tenaciously tracked them while being on-the-move for weeks. 

Read the article about a woman’s experience losing her Airpods on a plane and her story on how she tracked them down and got them back.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/airpods-tracked-down/index.html

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does ”blast” mean, “She worked out the email format for United employee emails, and “blasted” every single executive she could find, across the globe.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
2. What does the word “ping” mean, “He matched the address the earphones were pinging from to an address for an employee of the airport – a contractor working to load food onto aircraft.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
3. What does “lifeline” mean, Maybe they look like AirPods to normal people, but it’s my lifeline to my husband and means something different to me.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your reaction to this news about a case of alleged theft from a plane?
2. What is your opinion on how the airline handled this incident? 
3. What do you think of how Alisabeth handled this incident?
4. If you were in her shoes, what would you have done?
5. Have you ever lost anything while on a public transport vehicle/means? Talk about that moment.