English For Today chapter 6: Going on a Trip

Unit Six

Going on a Trip

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• listen for information
• listen to and follow announcements
• read and understand texts
• ask and answer questions
• write answers to questions
• write the main ideas

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Lesson 1: At the Airport

Keywords: lounge, immigration

A . Look at the picture and talk about it:

Figure

Description: Four people sit in an airport lounge. A man in a polo shirt sits on the left, a girl in a dress sits beside him, a woman in a kurta holds a cup, and a woman in a sari sits on the right. Two suitcases stand in front of the women. Behind them is a row of seats with more people; through the window an aeroplane is flying in the sky.

1. What do you see?
2. Can you guess where it could be?
3. Who are the people in the picture?
4. What could be their relationship?

B . Now read the text and find out if your guesses are correct:

Zara lives with her parents in London. They have come to Bangladesh to visit Zara’s aunt and uncle. She is very close to her cousin, Mita. Both the families have visited many interesting places together in Bangladesh. It was great fun. Then they decided that they would visit some places outside Bangladesh too. They decided to go to Thailand. But Mita’s parents were too busy with their work, so they could not go. However, Mita was going with them.

Mita, Zara and her parents are at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. They are waiting in the lounge. Mita is very excited. This is the first time that she is travelling on a plane. They are flying by Bangladesh Biman. Mita is hoping to have a great time in Thailand.

As they wait, the two cousins start planning what they would do once they reach Bangkok. Mita’s uncle brings forms for all of them to fill in before going

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through the immigration. He gives one to Mita and says,“You have to give some information about yourself in the form. The immigration officer will check your passport and stamp it. And then you are ready to travel.” Mita,Zara and her parents start filling in the forms.

C . Read the text again and answer the following questions:

1. Why is Mita excited?
2. Why aren’t Mita’s parents going with her?
3. What does an immigration officer do at the airport?

D . Write a short composition about your experience of travelling to another place. It could be going to your grandparents’/aunt’s/sister’s/brother’s house. Write about your preparation before travelling, your experience of the way, e.g. launch terminal, railway/bus station, airport, etc:

Lesson 2: Filling in a Form

Keywords: expire, renew, visa, valid

A . Read the card and discuss in pairs:

Figure

Labels: Govt. of the People's Republic of Bangladesh; Departure Card; 1. Name; 2. Sex: Male, Female; 3. Date of Birth; 4. Nationality; 5. Passport Number; 6. Date of Expiry; 7. Flight Number; 8. Date of Departure; 9. Address in Bangladesh (For Foreigners); 10. For Bangladesh Nationals; 11. Visa Number; 12. Date of Expiry; 13. Type of Visa; 14. Purpose of Visit; Seal; Passenger's Signature; Date; Day, Month, Year; [unclear] (Bangla labels) Description: A departure card form with a national emblem at the top. Numbered fields run down the left with boxes for Day, Month and Year on the right; there are tick boxes for Male and Female, a section for Bangladesh nationals, and a seal box and a passenger's signature line at the bottom.

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B . Now, read the text about Mita, and fill in the departure card in section A on her behalf:

Mita’s full name is Mita Sultana Ahmed. She was born on 6 May 1998. She got her passport on June 09, 2010. It is a five-year passport. It will expire on 8 June 2015. After that she has to renew her passport. Her passport number is AB 9842251. She is going to Thailand by Bangladesh Biman, flight number BG 88 on 14 July 2012.

Mita got her visa from the Royal Thai Embassy in Dhaka. Her visa number is T 9115138. The visa was issued in Dhaka on 29 June 2012. The visa is valid for three months. It will expire on September 27, 2012. It is a tourist visa. If you are travelling on a tourist visa, you are not allowed to study or work there.

C . Imagine you are travelling to a foreign country. Copy the form in A and fill in with your own information. If you have a passport, use information from it. If you do not have a passport, make your imaginary passport with visa number and expiry date, passport number, date of travel, etc:

D . Work in pairs. If you have a passport, tell your partner when you got it and which country/countries you have already visited. If you do not have a passport, would you like to have one? Why?

Lesson 3: Going Through Immigration

Keywords: departure, booth, counter, scan, machine readable

A . Look at the pictures and discuss in pairs:

1

Figure

Labels: পাসপোর্ট, PASSPORT, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ, People's Republic of Bangladesh Description: A dark grey passport cover with a circular emblem of a map of Bangladesh in the middle.

2

Figure

Labels: IMMIGRATION Description: An immigration booth. An officer sits behind a counter on the left, and a queue of passengers with backpacks and suitcases stands in the booth area. A railing stands on the right.

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1 Why does a person need a passport?

2 What are those booths for?

3 Why are people standing in a line in front of them?

4 What are the persons doing inside the booth?

B. Read the text and answer the questions:

Zara's parents, Mrs. Jhuma Islam and Mr. Mazharul Islam, Zara and Mita, fill in their departure cards and move towards the immigration counter. Mita stands in front of one of the booths. She hands in her passport and the departure card to the officer.

The immigration officer goes through Mita's passport, visa and the departure card. "Are you travelling alone?" asks the officer. "No. I'm going with my aunt, uncle and cousin," says Mita.

"They are right there on that counter."

"Is this your first visit to Thailand?"

"Yes."

"How long are you going to stay there?"

"Seven to ten days."

"Where are you going to stay?"

" In a hotel."

The officer is talking as well as going through Mita's papers. He finds the papers OK. He smiles and stamps her passport. The officer keeps the departure card, and returns the passport to Mita.

"Have a safe journey."

"Thanks."

Mita waits for her aunt, uncle and Zara on the other side of the immigration. Once all of them are done, they walk towards the passengers' departure lounge.

C. Make a list in the following grid showing what the immigration officer asks and tells Mita, and what Mita says in response. One is done for you:

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D. Now, work in pairs and act out the role of Mita and the immigration officer.

E. What are the three things needed at immigration?

Lesson 4: Boarding the Plane

Keywords: seize, enclosed, formality, gel

A. Read the text and answer the following questions.

Mita, Zara, Mr. and Mrs. Islam all sit at the lounge. They all have hand luggage with them. Mr. Islam asks, "Mita, Zara, are you two carrying any liquid, lotion, gel or cream in your carry-on luggage?" "I have a small lip gel in it. Why uncle?" "Well, if it is a very small one, there is no problem. But if you've more than 100 ml, you have to put it in the checked–in luggage. These are not allowed on board in hand luggage. For security reasons, the officials who do the baggage checking will seize and throw them away". Mita, Zara, Jhuma Islam and Mazharul Islam go through the security checking and wait in the enclosed area. All the formalities are done. Now, they are waiting to board the plane.

Mita, Zara and her parents board the plane after their row number is announced. Mita gets a window seat. Her seat number is F23 C. Zara sits beside her on an isle seat and her parents sit behind them.

Questions:

1. Who has a small lip gel in the hand luggage?

2. How much liquid or gel is allowed to carry in hand luggage?

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3. Why are liquid, gel and cream not allowed on board a plane?

4. Which row is Mita sitting in?

B. Listen to the text and complete the chart. First one is done for you:

U1, L4 B Listening text: 3