LET'S PACK OUR BAGS

To what extent are your experiences in travelling connected with the Internet? Google’s five stages of travel are: DREAMING, PLANNING, BOOKING, EXPERIENCING, and SHARING. How are these activities related to online services? Discuss them in groups. Give one idea for each stage.

Julie and David are going on a month’s backpacking in Norway. They are packing their backpacks and discussing what to take with them.
Listen to their conversation first. Then, in the grid below, click the right reasons why they should keep the mentioned items in their rucksacks.

item	reasons
headlamp	need free hands, not to lose it, midnight sun isn't bright enough
gas stove	to prepare meals, to keep warm, to boil water, for light
sleeping pad	to lie or sit on, to cover with it, to put it on
fleece	windy days, cool nights, mosquitoes, rain

Are you fond of packing? Do you always pack smart and travel light, or do you usually end up sweating due to too much luggage? Explain the situation to your partner and describe the consequences.

Read the statements taken from the recording and click one mistake in each of them.

You mustn't put your headlamp in your side pocket. Backpackers don't like compressible items. A sleeping bag makes a soft place to lie on. Scandinavian summer nights are like those in the Mediterranean.

Not all words or expressions are explained in the ‘Words to Remember.’ Your task is to use a dictionary to explain the meaning of the words below and then use them in your own sentences to illustrate their meanings. Write them in your notebook.

CLUSTER (v.), BULKY (adj.), GEAR (n.), RUN OUT OF (phrasal verb)

AUDIO SCRIPT

D = David
J = Julie

D: So, have we packed everything?
J: I don’t know. There’s a lot of camping gear in our backpacks, but I feel like I have forgotten something. . . Something really important.
D: Your head torch maybe? The midnight sun is not so bright, and you’ll need your hands free to help me pitch the tent in the evening. You must put it in your side pocket ’cause you don’t want to rummage through your backpack.
J: Aye Aye sir!
D: Haha. . . Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Besides, look at the size of our backpacks. We mustn’t overload ourselves because. . . Hey, why is this lounger here?
J: I thought we might take it with us. It’s not too heavy, it folds so neatly and you said foldable items are welcome with backpackers. . .
D: . . . No way, we’re not taking it with us. It may be light as a feather to carry it across this room but it will be hard work to drag it across Norway. Put it away.
J: Ok, ok.
D: Let me see what else has sneaked in there. . . You must be kidding, Julie. A whistling kettle! We’re not going to move around by car, we’ll be on foot most of the time.
J: So, why have you put in a bulky gas stove then? What cookware are we going to use to boil water for tea or soup?
D: We can do it in these two pots. And we don’t need ten bags of convenience soup. If we run out of them, we’ll buy them in their local supermarkets.
J: You’re going to take out all the things I’ve put in.
D: That’s not true. I think it was an excellent idea to pack the first aid kit. I would have never thought of that. And that ball of rope will definitely come in handy. Cheer up. We’re going to be fine without that lounger. We can use our sleeping bags to make a soft place to lie on and take pleasure in doing nothing.
J: I guess there won’t be many chances to dive into the sea? We don’t need beach towels, do we?
D: Yep, we don’t. But you should take an extra fleece, summer nights in Scandinavia can get quite chilly, they are nothing like the ones by the Mediterranean.

Next, make a list of things you always put into your suitcase or a rucksack when you go on a few days trip, and compare it with your partner. Then, listen to Julie and David’s dialogue one more time, and in your notebook, write down only the sentences that express obligation, prohibition, ability, certainty, and advice. Justify your decision. Compare them with your partner’s.

Finally, think about summertime when you go on holidays with your friends and you have to do some packing. Write a short paragraph on the topic, the questions and ideas above will help you structure it well.

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