Spelling & Vocabulary Enrichment [ 31 ]

31- ] Spelling & Vocabulary Enrichment .

 

Air Travel .

A- ] Departure :

- At the airport , you first go to the ‘ticket counter’ to ‘check in’ [ report that you have arrived ] . The ‘ticket agent’ [ airline representative ] ‘checks’ [ examines ] your ticket and ‘identification [ID] [ any document that shows who you are ] and gives you a ‘boarding pass’ for the plane with the ‘gate’ number [ e.g. , gate 14 ] and you seat number on it . If you have luggage to ‘check’ [ the luggage is taken on the plane separately ] , you are given a ‘claim ticket’ [ a piece of paper that shows the luggage is yours ] . If you are taking an international flight , an official checks your passport . International passengers can buy things in the ‘duty-free shops’ without paying sales tax , e.g. , perfume , watches and packaged food . About half an hour or so before ‘takeoff’ , you ‘board’ [ get on ]the plane and find your seat . If you have ‘carry-on luggage’ , you can ‘store’ [ put ] it under the seat in front of you or in the ‘overhead compartment’ above you . The plane then ‘taxis [ moves slowly ] toward the ‘runway’ , and when it has permission to ‘take off’ [ leave the ground ] , it accelerates along the runway and takes off .

B- ] The flight :

You may want or need to understand announcements ; these come from the ‘captain’ [ the pilot ] or from the ‘cabin crew / flight attendants’ [ people responsible for the safety and comfort of the passengers ] :

- Please ‘fasten your seat belts’ and put your seat in the ‘upright position’ .

- We are now ‘cruising’ [ flying at a steady speed ] at an ‘altitude’ [ height ] of 30,000 feet.

- We would like to ‘remind’ you [ ask you to remember ] that this is a ‘nonsmoking flight’ .

- The ‘flight attendants’ are now coming through the aircraft with ‘landing cards’ .

   [ These are cards you may have to fill out when you enter certain countries . ]

- At this time , please ‘discontinue the use of [ stop using ] and ‘stow’ [ put away ] any ‘portable electronic items’ [electronic articles that you can carry ,e.g. a laptop] .

C - ] Arrival :

When the plane ‘lands’ [ arrives on the ground ] , you have to wait for it to stop / to come to a full stop . When the doors are open , you ‘get off’ the plane and walk through the ‘terminal building’ [ where passengers arrive and depart ] and go to the ‘baggage claim’ area , where you get your luggage . After international flights , you then ‘pass through customs’ [ where your bags are checked for illegal goods or large purchases ] . If you are lucky , you can then get a bus , taxi or train to the center of town without waiting too long . You can also ‘rent’ a car at most airports .

Hotels .

A-] Hotels and other lodgings :

- ‘ a hotel’ : You pay for your room , but meals are usually extra . Most hotels have a restaurant and / or a coffee shop .

- ‘a motel’ : Less expensive than a hotel . Parking is free ; often you can park your car right outside your room . There’s usually no restaurant .

- ‘a bed and breakfast [ B & B ] : A room in someone’s home or in a small inn . Breakfast is included in the price .

- ‘a youth hostel’ : Very inexpensive ; you share a room with other people .

B- ] Staying at a hotel :

- We stayed at Sheraton Hotel for three nights in July , but I ‘made a reservation’ / ‘reserved a room’ [ arranged for a room to be held ] three months ‘in advance’ [ earlier ; in other words , in April ] because it was the middle of the ‘tourist season’ [ period of time ] . When we arrived , we ‘checked in at the registration desk’ / ‘at the front desk’ ; then the ‘bellman’ [porter] took our suitcases up to the room . I gave him a ‘tip’ - $ 1 for each suitcase . The staff was very friendly – we had a very nice ‘maid’ [ a woman who cleans the room , or ‘cleaner’ for a man or woman ] – and the room was very comfortable . The only problem was with the TV , which did not work [ function ] very well . [ You can say ‘There was something wrong with the TV’ .]

C- ] Useful words and expressions :

- ‘ a single room’ : For one person .

- ‘ a double room’ : For two people . You can ask for two beds or a ‘king-size’           [ extra large ] bed .

- ‘double occupancy’ : means two ‘guests’ [ people ] stay in the room . Some hotels advertise room rates in this way : ‘$ 50 per person , double occupancy’ . [ The price is $ 100 . ]

- ‘a nonsmoking room / floor’ : Smoking is not allowed .

-Could I ‘make a reservation’ /‘reserve a room’ /‘book a room’ for next Thursday ?

- Could I have a ‘wake-up call’ at 7 a.m. , please ? [ Could you call to wake me at 7 a.m. ?]

- Could you ‘put it on my bill’ , please ? [ add the cost to the bill , e.g. , for a meal you order in your room ]

- I’m ‘checking out’ , [ leaving the hotel at the end of your stay ] Could I ‘pay my bill’ , please? [ pay for everything ]

- Could you ‘call [ telephone for ] a taxi for me to go to the airport ?

-Are you ‘full’ /‘fully booked’ [ completely full , no rooms available ] all next week ?

- Is breakfast ‘included’ ? [ Does the price include breakfast ? ]

- Where’s the ‘elevator’ ? [ the machine that takes you from one floor to another ]

- Excuse me . How do I get to the subway station from here ?