Showing someone around
1. Listen to Sarah show her friend Paul around her home town. What do you think each of these places is?
Ronelles ________.
Crosswell Hill ________.
Old Keller ________.
The Typewriter ________.
Figo’s ________.
Show answers
Ronelles is a nightclub.
Crosswell Hill is a park.
Old Keller is a statue.
The Typewriter is a monument.
Figo’s is a café or restaurant.
2. Listen again. Make a list of the words and expressions that helped you decide what each place is.
Ronelles ________.
Crosswell Hill ________.
Old Keller ________.
The Typewriter ________.
Figo’s ________.
Answer & Transcript
Ronelles: lights outside, dancing, clubbing
Crosswell Hill: walk / read (if weather’s nice) / joggers / walking dogs
Old Keller: huge / 100 feet high / an important person / made of marble
The Typewriter: built after 2nd World War / names of men who died
Figo’s: eat / sandwiches / I’m starving!
Transcript
Sarah: So what do you think of the view? Not bad, eh?
Paul: Yeah, it’s fantastic. You can see for miles. Thanks for showing me round, Sarah.
Sarah: No problem. Glad you’re enjoying it!
Paul: What’s that over there? That big building with the lights outside?
Sarah: That’s Ronelles. It’s a good place to go if you want to go dancing. It doesn’t close until four.
Paul: Hmm. Well, I’m not really into clubbing.
Sarah: Me neither. Anyway, on the left is Crosswell Hill. I quite often go for a walk there and read a book if the weather’s nice.
Paul: Hmm. Crosswell Hill, eh? I guess it’s handy for joggers?
Sarah: Yes, and it’s popular for walking dogs.
Paul: Well I might go jogging tomorrow morning. Hey, who’s that, in the middle? It’s huge!
Sarah: People call him Old Keller. It’s about 100 feet high, I think. James Keller was an important person here in the last century and when he died they built that. It’s made of marble.
Paul: Right. And that’ impressive, ___ on the right, just over there.
Sarah: Yeah, people call that the Typewriter, because it looks like a typewriter. It was built after the Second World War. The names of all the men from the city who died in the war are on it.
Paul: Why are we stopping?
Sarah: Because we’re going in there for a bite to eat.
Paul: What ___ Figo’s?
Sarah: Yeah. It’s famous for its sandwiches. They’re the best in town.
Paul: Great. I’m starving.
Asking about attractions
1. Mark is speaking to a travel agent about his next holiday. Listen and complete each question he asks.
a Is it easy ________.?
b How ________. is it, once you’re there?
c What’s it like to ________.?
d _____. to do?
e Are there any ________.?
f What’s the ________.?
g What’s the ________. like?
h Is it ________. anything in particular?
i Are there any ________. nearby?
j When’s the ________. to go?
Listen again and repeat each question.
Answer & Transcript
a to get to
b expensive
c get around
d What is there
e good beaches
f biggest attraction
g nightlife
h famous for
i places to visit
j best time
Transcript
a Is it easy to get to?
b How expensive is it, once you’re there?
c What’s it like to get around?
d What is there to do?
e Are there any good beaches?
f What’s the biggest attraction?
g What’s the nightlife like?
h Is it famous for anything in particular?
i Are there any places to visit nearby?
j When’s the best time to go?
2. Now listen to the travel agent’s answers. Match each answer (1-10) with the correct question (a-j).
1) ___2) ___3) ___4) ___5) __
6) ___7) ___8) ___9) ___ 10 __
Show answers
1 b 2 f 3 h 4 d 5 a 6 i 7 e 8 j 9 c 10 g
3. Look at the statements below. Write T (true) or F (false) for each statement, then listen again and check your answers.
a Accommodation is reasonable, even in the centre. ____
b It’s a good place to go if you like different types of cuisine. ____
c It’s best to hire a car if you want to see everything. ____
d There isn’t anywhere interesting to go nearby. ____
e It’s a good place for relaxing on the beach. ____
f The weather isn’t usually very hot. ____
g It’s easy to get around the city using public transport. ____
h It’s very popular for people who like nightclubs and dancing. ____
Answer & Transcript
a False. The hotels aren’t cheap.
b True. The food is very varied and cosmopolitan.
c False. You don’t really need a car.
d False. Alcatraz is ‘well worth visiting’.
e False. It’s hardly ever hot enough to sunbathe.
f True. It’s generally quite mild.
g True. The cable car is the ‘best way to see the city’. There are lots of ferries and buses, too.
h False. It’s not famous for’ nightlife, although there are some places to go.
Transcript
1)
Well, the hotels aren’t cheap, but if you don’t stay in the centre then you can get a good hotel at very reasonable rates, and you can eat out quite cheaply if you know the right places to go. The food is fantastic by the way.
2)
The Golden Gate Bridge, for sure. You should definitely walk across it. It’s amazing!
3)
Er, the old-fashioned Victorian architecture, I guess, and the cable cars, of course. The food is very varied and cosmopolitan, and the views, too, I guess, over the bay area.
4)
Loads. There’s the bay area, you mustn’t miss that. There are lots of parks, great shopping at Union Square. You should definitely go to Fisherman’s Wharf, and the sea lion at Pier 39 are well worth a visit. You mustn’t miss Chinatown, either. It’s the biggest outside China with some great markets. You have to stay there at least five days if you want to see everything.
5)
Sure. There are three airports and they’re all well connected. You can take the subway system or coach, bus, train. No problem.
6)
Yeah. You have to take a day trip to Alcatraz. It’s quite expensive, but it’s well worth visiting.
7)
Well, it’s on the coast but it’s not really that kind of city. It’s hardly ever hot enough to sunbathe or go swimming.
8)
Anytime is good, but the warmest days are September and October. It’s generally quite mild, so you’ll need a coat whenever you go.
9)
You should definitely walk, and take a cable car. It’s the best way to see the city. Parking’s a problem, and anyway you don’t really need a car. There are lots of ferries and buses, too.
10)
Pretty good. It’s not famous for it, though, so you really ought to check what kind of place you want to go to. There are a few good live music bars, I guess.
4. Can you guess which famous US city this is? ________
Show answers
The city Mark and the travel agent are talking about is San Francisco.