8 Travelling Task 1. You are going to read the text aloud. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, and then be ready to read it aloud. Remember that you will not have more than 2 minutes for reading aloud. Since 2007 high-speed trains have become a common type of transport in Europe. They make it possible to cut travel times by hours. The trains travel at 350 kilometres an hour, and this is not the limit! The only problem for the engineers is the loud noise the trains produce. People living in the areas the trains travel through suffer from the noise greatly. For the passengers, the situation is different. For their comfort, all the carriages are made sound-proof from the inside. Travelling on high-speed trains is comfortable and pleasant. In the future, a high-speed railroad network could cover most of Europe. For example, a trip from Paris to Rome could take only 3 hours! Task 2. You are going to take part in a telephone survey. You have to answer six questions. Give full answers to the questions. Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question. Electronic assistant: What is your favourite season? Student: Electronic assistant: Where do you usually spend your summer holidays? Student: Electronic assistant: What do you like to do during your winter holidays? Student: Electronic assistant: How often do you and your family travel? Student: Electronic assistant: What type of transport do you find the most convenient? Student: Electronic assistant: What place in your country would you recommend to a foreign tourist to visit? Why? Student: Task 3. You are going to give a talk about travelling. You will have to start in 1.5 minutes and speak for not more than 2 minutes (10–12 sentences). Remember to say: • why people like travelling in Russia; • what means of transport is the best for travelling, and why; • what places in Russia you would like to visit; • what your attitude to travelling is. You have to talk continuously. I'm going to give a talk about travelling. Most people enjoy travelling in Russia because there are a lot of places to visit in our country. Travelling is a good chance to discover new places, to explore beautiful nature, and make new friends. People of different nationalities live in Russia, so travelling gives an opportunity to experience local traditions, go sightseeing and try national food. Speaking about transport, I think travelling by bus is the best. It is one of the cheapest and most convenient means of transport. Modern buses are equipped with comfortable seats, air-conditioning systems and free Wi-Fi. As for me, I would like to visit the Baikal. It is the deepest and possibly the oldest lake on the planet. It stores the quarter of the world's fresh water resources. I want to see spectacular landscapes of the Baikal with my own eyes and enjoy its unique natural beauty. My attitude to travelling is positive because it is a great way to broaden the outlook, practice English, meet new people and see the world. That's all I wanted to say. E-mail. You have received an email message from your English-speaking pen-friend Maggy: From: Maggy@mail.uk To: Russian_friend@oge.ru Subject: Travelling ...What a journey! We went by car to Brighton and spent a couple of days at the seaside. I wish we could go there again! ...Why do you think travelling is so popular? Where would you like to go? How do you prefer to travel? Write a message to Maggy and answer her 3 questions. Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of email writing.