Tag: Travel and Holiday

Japan Opens to Foreign Tourists

B1 – Intermediate

Japan is one of the world’s most visited country. It is well-known for it’s pop culture and advance technologies.

However, like most countries, they had to close their borders due to the pandemic. After almost two years, they are finally opening their borders up to foreign tourists again.

Let’s read the article below to know more about Japan’s reopening for tourism.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2205/220530-japan-tourism-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is it better to travel domestically rather than internationally at the moment? Explain.
  2. What are the benefits of international tourism? Explain.
  3. Was Japan right to close to tourists for two years? Why or why not?
  4. Is it time for countries to reopen and relax travel restrictions now? Explain.
  5. Is it better to travel as part of a package tour or as a solo traveler? Explain.
  6. How was your country during the Covid pandemic?
  7. What places in Japan would you really like to visit and why?
  8. Why should foreign tourists visit your country?

Seven Wonders of the World

B1 – Intermediate

Some places in the world are just inexplicably amazing. Some of them are known as the Wonders of the World. If you were asked to name all the Wonders of the World, would you be able to? That’s going to be hard to do. But we can try.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about the Seven Wonders of the World.

https://listenaminute.com/s/seven_wonders_of_the_world.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you know about the Seven Wonders of the World? 
  2. Which ones have you visited? Talk about it in full details.
  3. Which ones would you like to see/visit? Why?
  4. What place/places in your country do you think is/are also a wonder?
  5. Maybe future wonders will be in space. What is your opinion on this?

Sightseeing

B1 – Intermediate

Sightseeing is one of the most interesting and exciting things to do when traveling. You go around a city or a country to see their most important places or landmarks. It’s very interesting to learn and discover something new about a place every time.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about sightseeing.

https://listenaminute.com/s/sightseeing.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do people like sightseeing so much? Why do some people don’t like it?
  2. Do you like sightseeing? Why or why not?
  3. What is a place you learned about at school and visited? How was your experience in that moment?
  4. What is the best time of the day to go sightseeing and why? Which do you prefer and why?
  5. Which place do you want to see and why?

Traveling

B1 – Intermediate

There is a saying that goes, “Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer”. There are just too many places to visit, too little time.

Traveling gives us a lot of experiences and memories.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about traveling.

https://listenaminute.com/t/travelling.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the reasons you travel?
  2. Why do you think some people don’t enjoy traveling?
  3. Talk about your most memorable trip.
  4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of planning your trips in advance?
  5. Have you ever gone to a trip without any plans at all? Why or why not?
  6. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met while traveling? What makes this person interesting?
  7. Do you visit places that are off the beaten track? Why or why not?
  8. How do you feel about being somewhere with thousands of other tourists?

What It Feels Like to Sleep on the Side of a Mountain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever been in a situation where your friends wanted to do something extreme but you didn’t or maybe the other way around? Let’s compare your experience with the experience of the guy from the video.

Watch the video about a blogger who sleeps suspended on the side of a mountain and answer the questions.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What’s the most extreme place you have ever been to? What did you do during the trip? Would you like to do it again?
  2. Why, despite the fact that such a vacation can be unpleasant, do people choose to spend time like this?
  3. How do you think it would be like for you to sleep on a portaledge?
  4. What is something you do that makes you feel empowered?

Holidays

B1 – Intermediate

We can see how vacations are crucial in keeping a healthy balance in everyone’s life, whether they are students or working professionals. Everyone yearns for holidays to revitalize and enhance their quality of life by taking a break from the grind. We must take pleasure in our vacations and spend them efficiently to avoid time loss and disappointments.

Let’s read the transcript and listen to the audio about holidays. https://listenaminute.com/h/holidays.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why are holidays important?
  2. What holidays do you really look forward to?
  3. How can one spend their holidays?
  4. Is it better to stay at home on holidays or go somewhere?
  5. What is it like moving around your country during holiday time?
  6. What are the pros and cons of spending holidays with your family, with your friends, or alone?

Venice to Charge Tourists for Entry

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The city of Venice is going to impose an entrance fee for tourists in order to prevent a massive influx of visitors arriving in the city for various reasons. This decision have been met with different reactions from locals and tourists.

Watch the video and know more about this measure.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this measure set by the Venice local government?
  2. What reasons do they have for imposing this measure?
  3. How can this affect businesses?
  4. Do you agree with the price they set simply for entering the city? Would this discourage tourists from going to Venice? Why or why not?
  5. Are there similar touristic sites in your country that have been degraded because of over-tourism? Talk about it/them.

Wellness Retreat for the Rich at a Swiss Alps Resort

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The pandemic has put most of us in some very challenging circumstances. It hasn’t been at all easy for any of us. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to be spending the government-mandated lockdowns in a luxurious suite that costs $46,000 per night while enjoying panoramic views of the Swiss Alps?

Read the article about Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland.

https://www.insider.com/swiss-alps-luxury-resort-burgenstock-ambanis-2020-12

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you feel about staying at The Bürgenstock Resort?
  2. Any thoughts on how the rich lived through the pandemic?
  3. Where and how have you been spending the pandemic? 
  4. How/Where would you have liked to have spent the lockdown?
  5. Have you been to the Alps? Talk about your experience.

Roadside Assistance

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One of any driver’s worst nightmares is to be stuck in middle of nowhere because their car broke down. It’s a good thing there is roadside assistance to help you out in this situation. This service, however, isn’t free. In most cases, this service is covered by your car insurance package. If it isn’t, there are always companies willing to give you a hand for a price.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript on roadside assistance.

Roadside Assistance

Discussion Questions:

  1. Who is the man calling and what is the reason for his call?
  2. What information did the operator ask from the caller?
  3. Have you ever needed roadside assistance before? Share your experience
  4. Do you have a specific hotline to call to for road assistance? How soon can they arrive after you called them?
  5. Do you have enough know-hows on basic car repair/troubleshooting? How important do you think it is to know about these things?

Holiday Traditions

B2 – Upper Intermediate

New Year and Christmas are the most celebrated holidays in the world. However, each country celebrates them differently. For example, Japan celebrates the New Year in silence while many other countries celebrate it by lighting fireworks and blowing horns. It’s the same with Christmas. In most parts of the world, we have Santa. He delivers gifts to children during Christmas. However, in Austria, an unusual figure called Krampus, comes during Christmas to punish naughty children.

Click the link and let’s listen to how every family celebrate their holidays differently.

Holiday Traditions

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do the children in the audio celebrate Christmas?
  2. Do you celebrate Christmas? If yes, how did you celebrate Christmas as a kid? How about now?
  3. What are the biggest holidays in your country? How do you celebrate them?
  4. Why are holidays important?
  5. Do you think holiday traditions will live on for the next hundreds of years to come? Why or why not?