MISS B.: When does the last train for London leave?
CLERK: Just a minute, please. It leaves at 1 p. m.
MISS B.: Can I have a lower berth?
C.: I am sorry, I have got only an upper berth left. Will that do?
Mr. B.: We shall have to hurry if we are going to catch the train.
MRS. B.: Don´t pack that book, you´ll want it in the train.
MR. B.: Come along, now. Are you sure you´ve got the tickets, Helen?
I.: I´ve just booked return tickets for the 3 o´clock train. Our train´s due in ten minutes.
F.: I´m going to take our luggage from the cloak-room. Wait for me here, please. I´ll be back in a minute.
I.: Come along! Jump up! Well, we´ve just made it!
Assignment 1.8 Reconstruct the following situations into dialogues
1. Imagine that you are at the information office of some railway station and you want some information about the trains.
2. Mr. T´s train leaves in a few minutes. He hails a porter and asks him to take his trunks, suitcases to his compartment.
3. You and your friend missed the train. You are going to take return tickets for the next train.
TEXT 2. BUS TRAVEL IN TOURISM
VOCABULARY TO USE
horse-drawn coaches, inner cities, gasoline-powered, mass transportation, inner city movement, short- and long-distance scheduled services, charter services, motor coach industry, uncelebrated areas of travel, exciting changes, expansion, ridership, an energy crunch, promotional strategies, good value, routing procedures, luxury coaches, lavatories, smooth rides, swivel seats, mystery tour, the lack of expectations, tour operator marketing strategy, tour arrangements,
Assignment 1.1 Read and translate the text:
Buses got their start as horse-drawn coaches in the inner cities of Europe and North America. The first gasoline-powered bus began service in Germany in the early 1900s – and was used for inner city mass transportation. Today most buses are still used for inner city movement, but the industry has expanded to include short- and long-distance scheduled services, charter services and tours. The motor coach or bus industry, though one of the most uncelebrated areas of travel, is not subject to any exciting changes and expansions. This statement is based on the increased interest in bus tours and the comfort factor now seen in buses, or motor coaches. The industry is looking promising but it has not always been that way.
The use of buses increased its ridership everywhere in the world in times of an energy crunch such as in 1973 and 1979. After this time the industry changed dramatically. New tour companies entered the marketplace nearly every day for months.
For example, Greyhound, the largest single bus company, which provides nationwide routes in the US, is now operating a system that is 22 percent bigger than it was in 1989. The reorganization of Greyhound continues.
Promotional strategies stress the reasons why people take a bus over other modes of transportation. These reasons are that a bus has good value, better access than other transportation modes, easy ticket and routing procedures, good sightseeing along its routes arrangements for large groups to take the same bus whether it is a charter, tour or scheduled bus.
The bus itself has undergone many changes to improve the likelihood of increased passenger loads. Buses have become luxury coaches with larger windows for viewing, seats that are versatile in comfort and size, lavatories with more space and smooth rides under almost any mad conditions. Some buses have swivel seats and tables that can be placed between seats for eating and entertainment.
The price of a package tour is relatively low in comparison to the individual´s planning and traveling time and cost. Keeping the price competitive convinces more people that the convenience of having everything arranged is well worth the relatively minor additional investment.
Another marketing strategy used by some tour companies is the mystery tour, in which the consumer agrees to the planned tour without prior knowledge of the destination. The traveler is told what type of clothing to carry (such as swimsuits and shorts for warm weather destinations or jackets and gloves for colder weather destinations) but is not told the exact place. The excitement of not knowing where one is going has caught on as a very popular tour. Perhaps a great deal of the mystery tour success is attributable to the lack of expectations for the trip. Because travelers cannot have expectations of the destination or the route almost everything is acceptable to them.
Another tour operator marketing strategy is to use the services of a travel agent increasingly in tour arrangements. In the past most tour companies tried to sell the tours themselves without assistance of travel agents. Several companies have now developed strong travel agent programs that include agent commissions for each tour sold. The cooperative effort should increase revenues for both parties.
Assignment 2.2 Answer the following questions:
1. Where and how did buses get their start?
2. When did the first gasoline-powered bus begin service?
3. What does the industry include today?
4. What is the motor coach subject to?
5. What is this statement based on?
6. What did the use of buses increase?
7. What kind of company is Greyhound?
8. What do promotional strategies stress?
9. How has the bus changed to improve services?
10. What kind of buses have we got nowadays?
11. How much does the bus package tour cost?
12. What is special about mystery tour?
13. What is another tour operator marketing strategy?
14. What have several companies now developed?
15. What should increase revenue for both parties?
Assignment 2.3 Match the beginnings and the end of the sentences:
| 1. Buses got their start as horse-drawn coaches in the | a. short- and long-distance scheduled services, charter services and tours |
| 2. The first gasoline-powered bus began service in | b. is now operating a system that is 22 percent bigger than it was in 1989 |
| 3. Today the bus industry has expanded to include | c. take a bus over other modes of transportation |
| 4. The motor coach or bus industry. | d. to use the services of a travel agent increasingly in tour arrangements |
| 5. Greyhound, the largest single bus company, | e. inner cities of Europe and North America |
| 6. Promotional strategies stress the reasons why people | f. to sell the tours themselves without assistance of travel agents |
| 7. The bus itself has undergone many changes to improve | g. Germany in the early 1900s – and was used for inner city mass transportation |
| 8. Buses have become luxury coaches with | h. the mystery tour, in which the consumer agrees to the planned tour without prior knowledge of the destination |
| 9. Another marketing strategy used by some tour companies is | i. is not subject to any exciting changes and expansions |
| 10. Another tour operator marketing strategy is | j. agent commissions for each tour sold |
| 11. In the past most tour companies tried | k. the likelihood of increased passenger loads |
| 12. Several companies have now developed strong travel agent programs that include | l. larger windows for viewing, seats that are versatile in comfort and size, lavatories with more space and smooth rides under almost any mad conditions |
Assignment 2.4 Define whether these sentences are true to the fact or not. Mark them “T” or “F”:
1. Buses got their start as horse-drawn coaches in the coast cities of Europe and North America.
2. The first gasoline-powered bus began service in Russia in the early 1900s – and was used for inner city mass transportation.
3. Today most buses are still used for inner city movement, but the industry has expanded to include short- and long-distance scheduled services, charter services and tours.
4. The motor coach or bus industry, though one of the most uncelebrated areas of travel, is not subject to any exciting changes and expansions.
5. This statement is based on the decreased interest in bus tours and the comfort factor now seen in buses, or motor coaches.
6. The use of buses increased its ridership everywhere in the world in times of an energy crunch such as in 1973 and 1979.
7. Greyhound, the largest single bus company, which provides nationwide routes in the Germany, is now operating a system that is 22 percent bigger than it was in 1989.
8. Promotional strategies stress the reasons why people take a bus over other modes of transportation.
9. These reasons are that a bus has good value, better access than other transportation modes, easy ticket and routing procedures, good sightseeing along its routes arrangements for large groups to take the same bus whether it is a charter, tour or scheduled bus.
10. The bus itself hasn´t undergone many changes to improve the likelihood of increased passenger loads.
11. The price of a package tour is high in comparison to the individual´s planning and traveling time and cost.
12. Keeping the price competitive convinces few people that the convenience of having everything arranged is well worth the relatively minor additional investment.
13. Another marketing strategy used by some tour companies is the mystery tour, in which the consumer doesn´t agree to the planned tour without prior knowledge of the destination.
14. Another tour operator marketing strategy is to use the services of a travel agent increasingly in tour arrangements.
15. In the past most tour companies tried to sell the tours themselves with assistance of travel agents.
16. Several companies have now developed strong travel agent programs that don´t include agent commissions for each tour sold.
Assignment 2.5 Use the appropriate words from the list:
subject, good value, swivel seats and tables, dramatically, luxury coaches, the likelihood, modes of transportation, the marketplace, an energy crunch, the comfort factor, short- and long-distance, inner city, horse-drawn coaches
1. Buses got their start as … in the coast cities of Europe and North America.
2. The first gasoline-powered bus began service in Russia in the early 1900s – and was used for … mass transportation.
3. Today most buses are still used for inner city movement, but the industry has expanded to include … scheduled services, charter services and tours.
4. The motor coach or bus industry, though one of the most uncelebrated areas of travel, is not … to any exciting changes and expansions.
5. This statement is based on the decreased interest in bus tours and … now seen in buses, or motor coaches.
6. The use of buses increased its ridership everywhere in the world in times of … such as in 1973 and 1979.
7. After this time the industry changed …
8. New tour companies entered … nearly every day for months.
9. Promotional strategies stress the reasons why people take a bus over other ….
10. These reasons are that a bus has …, better access than other transportation modes, easy ticket and routing procedures.
11. The bus itself hasn´t undergone many changes to improve … of increased passenger loads.
12. Buses have become … with larger windows for viewing, seats that are versatile in comfort and size, lavatories with more space and smooth rides under almost any mad conditions.
13. Some buses have … that can be placed between seats for eating and entertainment.
Assignment 2.6 Translate the following sentences from Russian into English:
1. Первый автобус на бензиновом двигателе появился в Германии в начале XIX века и использовался для внутригородских массовых пассажирских перевозок.
2. Сегодня большинство автобусов все еще используется в качестве внутригородского транспорта, хотя транспортная индустрия расширилась и включает в себя маршрутные перевозки как на короткие, так и на длинные расстояния, чартерное обслуживание и туристические перевозки.
3. Использование автобусов для перевозок расширилось во времена энергетического кризиса 1973-1979 г.г. После этого туристическая индустрия сильно изменилась. Новые туркомпании появлялись на рынке почти каждый день в течении многих месяцев.
4. Стратегии по продвижению этого вида транспортных услуг выделяют причины, почему люди предпочитают автобус другим видам транспорта.
5. Автобусы стали хорошо оборудованными и более доступными, чем другие виды транспорта, кроме того, приобрести билеты на любой маршрут достаточно легко.
6. Цена автобусного тура относительно низка по сравнению с индивидуальными поездками.
