Every day hundreds of people travel from one place to another. They travel to work, to school or on business. Many people travel for pleasure and travelling becomes one of the most popular hobbies. People can travel by these means of transport: by plane, by train, by bus, by coach, by car, by bicycle, by boat ship, by tram, by trolley-bus, by public transport, by balloons…

When people travel a long distance they usually travel by air. Travelling by air is exciting, fast, comfortable, relatively safe but rather expensive. In the 20. century it has become one of the most important means of transport. In countries like the USA where the people have to travel long distance travelling by air has become quite common. When people choose to travel by plane they usually go to or telephone to the airlines or travel agency to get information about flights as well as about reservations and cost of air tickets.

At the airport the passengers travelling abroad have to show their tickets and passports. An official weight of their luggage can be only 20 kg free of charge. The passengers must also go through the customs. For air traffic safety both people and luggage have to be checked and metal objects have to be detected. Then the passengers can go to the waiting room. When the aircraft is prepared for flight the announcer calls passengers to get ready and board the plane.

Travelling by train is the most common form of travelling. In our country trains are used daily by many people to and from work or school. They are cheap, less polluting, safe but not very clean and comfortable. This refers especially to slow trains that stop at every station. It can also be an advantage as the people have enough time to enjoy countryside. Fast trains are more comfortable for longer distances. They do not stop at every station. There are also a sleeping car and the dinning car in fast trains that make the travelling by train more pleasant. Our railway system urgently need reorganizing and modernizing as it is one of the most neglected and old-fashioned one in all Europe.

Coaches are buses for long distance travelling. They are fast, comfortable and the prices of ticket are quite reasonable. In our country many people prefer coaches to trains. During holidays the travel agencies offer many coach trips to the mountains or seaside resorts. There are regular coach lines connecting the capital of our country with most of European cities. Travelling by bus is relatively uncomfortable, because there are always many people and so you still have to stand and our buses are also dirty. Sometimes there are even pocket thieves, who steal money or homeless, who smell awfully. This means of transport is used by people who can not afford to buy their own car.

Travelling by car is more comfortable than travelling by bus, because you always sit. You can stop where you want and there is usually air-conditioning and heating. Form many people motoring is a pleasure. They enjoy driving a car at a high speed and do not think of the dangers of fast driving. It concerns especially the young drivers who contribute much to the accident rate that is very high in this country. The opinions on cars differ a lot. They range from positive to negative ones. The numbers of cars on our roads and highways grows higher and higher every year.

Many young people of all countries of the world like travelling by bike. Some go to school by bike, others prefer cycling as a sport or a hobby. In recent years many young people go for holiday trips by bike that is both healthy and exciting. This type of travelling depends much on weather and therefore summer is the best season for cycling tours.



1. Match the verbs in A with the definitions in B

A____________________________ B_____________________________________
a) to break down1. to manage to see or read something
b) to full over2. to find yourself in a place or situation that you had not intended
c) to hold up 3. to delay someone or something
d) to pull out4. to move or travel towards somewhere
e) to see someone off5. to stop working because of mechanical fallure (of a vehicle or machine)
f) to end up somewhere6. to to accompany someone to a place of departure and say goodbye
g) to pull up7. to slow down and stop a vehicle
h) to head for somewhere8. to drive a vehicle into a different or faster lane
i) to make something out9. to move a vehicle closer to the side of the road, either to stop or to allow other vehicles to pass