UNIT 5 Around the World by Train. THINK ABOUT IT Discuss with a partner. 1.What countries have you traveled to? 2.Where would you like to go in the future?

UNIT 5

Around the World by Train

THINK ABOUT ITDiscuss with a partner.

1. What countries have you traveled to?

2. Where would you like to go in the future?

3. Have you ever taken a train in another country?

4. Do you have a blog? If so, what do you blog about?

UNIT 5 Around the World by Train

Before We Read

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARSUNIT 5 Around the World by Train

A. Read and Answer

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

Starting a blog is very easy. You can find tools on many Web sites. Blogging is a way of sharing ideas and pictures on the Internet. People write about things like food or a film review. Readers can also leave omments on the blog. Make your own blog and start typing today!


Word in Bold

Write the words in the box in the appropriate space.

Definition

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

1. ___________________ an online diary

2. ___________________ an opinion

3. ___________________ something that helps you

blog tool comment

blog

comment

tool


B. Complete the Sentences

1. Hayes _____________ books for a newspaper.

= Hayes writes book _____________ for a newspaper.

2. The man _____________ about the great basketball game.

= The man made a _____________ about the great basketball game.

3. Susan _____________ about living in America.

= Susan has a _____________ about living in America.

Blog, review, and comment can be used as both nouns and verbs. Use the correct form to fill in the blanks.

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

reviews

reviews

commented

comment

blogs

blog


C. Scan Turn to page 48 of the Student’s Book. Look for information about the Glacier Express and fill in the blanks.

1. It’s the ____________ express train in the world.

2. It travels 36 ____________ an hour.

3. It goes slower than the writer’s ____________.

4. This train climbs 2,033 meters to ____________ _________.

5. Hot ____________ are served on the train.

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

slowest

kilometers

bicycle

Oberalp Pass

meals


D. Make Predictions

1. What is the blog about?

Climbing a mountain Taking a trip

Eating on the train Learning a language

2. Where does the story happen?

In America On a glacier

In Switzerland On the GoldenPass train

Look at the topic, the title, and the pictures on page 48 of the Student’s Book. Answer the questions.


Vocabulary Preview


A. Word DefinitionsPut these words in the appropriate space: view, book, comfortable, imagine, ride.

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

verb to think of something

adjective feeling good

noun a trip on a train or bus

verb to call to keep something

noun what you see

imagine

comfortable

ride

book

view


Word in Bold Part of Speech Definition

1

2

3

4

5

B. Complete the SentencesUse the words in the box to fill in the blanks. Change the form of the

1. I ______________ a table at my favorite restaurant tonight.

2. Can you ______________ life without computers?

3. The train ______________ takes 15 minutes.

4. The chair is ______________ to sit on.

5. The house has a great _________ of the sea.

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

imagine comfortable ride book view

booked

imagine

ride

comfortable

view


words if necessary.

C. Words in ContextCircle the meaning of the sentence.

a. The express train will get you there faster.

2. The trip was expensive, but it was worth it.

a. The trip was not cheap and it was very boring.


1. If you are in a hurry, you should take the express train.

b. The express train will get you there slower.

b. The trip cost lots of money, but it was interesting.

3. I didn’t like the movie. It was too scary.

a. I enjoyed the movie because I felt afraid.

4. I can’t breathe when I look down from heights.

a. I don’t like high places.


b. The movie made me feel too afraid.

b. I like it up here a lot.

D. Use the Phrases Right Fill in the blanks with the phrases in the box. Change the form of the

in other words take my breath away in my opinion

1. The view from the top of the mountain ______________________.

= The view from the top of the mountain was very beautiful.

2. This restaurant, _________________________, is the best in town.

= I think this restaurant is the best in town.

3. Nobody likes the movie. ___________________, it isn’t popular.

= Nobody likes the movie. Or you might say it isn’t popular.

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

took my breath away

in my opinion

In other words


words if necessary.

Now Let’s Read


Now Let’s ReadUNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

High Up in the Alps

A Trip to Switzerland, by Tiffany Evans


Switzerland’s trains are great, and they have the best views too. Last week, I took the Glacier Express, also known as “the slowest express train in the world.” It goes 36 kilometers an hour. In other words, it is slower than my bicycle. But it was worth it! I’ll never forget the Alps because they have the most beautiful valleys. Sometimes, the view can take your breath away. I’m afraid of heights, so it was scary to look down hundreds of meters. The train went up to 2,033 meters at Oberalp Pass. Imagine that.

I think I’ll talk about the train itself. What a comfortable ride! We could book hot meals when we bought our tickets. The windows were so big that we could even see the sky. Next week, I’ll be blogging about a trip on the GoldenPass train.

Now Let’s ReadUNIT 1 TEDDY BEARSUNIT 5 Around the World by Train

After We Read


A. True or False

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

Check T if the sentence is true or F if false.

1. T F She took the Glacier Express this week.

2. T F The train is faster than Tiffany’s bicycle.

3. T F She thought the view was ugly.

4. T F It’s hard to see anything from the train.

5. T F Kelly Garfield thinks the GoldenPass was nicer.


B. Make Inferences

UNIT 1 TEDDY BEARS

1. What does the inside of the train Tiffany took look like?


Look at the pictures and answer the questions.

a b

2. What kind of dish did Tiffany book?


a

a

b

b

3. When did Tiffany feel it was scary?

C. Multiple ChoiceCircle the answer.

1. Which of the following is true about the Glacier Express? a. It takes less time than other trains.

b. It takes the same time as other trains.

c. It takes more time than other trains.

d. It takes the fastest way there.


2. What can we infer from the story?

a. Tiffany likes it when the train is in a lower place.

b. Tiffany loves it most when the train goes up high.

c. Tiffany doesn’t really like the food on the train.

d. Tiffany hopes to move to Switzerland someday.

3. How does Tiffany feel about the train?

a. It’s a little too big.

b. It’s a very nice ride.

c. It’s a little too hot inside.

d. It’s better than her bike.


4. Why does Kelly like the GoldenPass better? a. It’s a faster train. b. It’s more comfortable.

c. It goes to fewer places. d. It’s easier to see things.


Reading Strategy


Understanding Cause and Effect


We usually use the following words to introduce cause and effect:

For Example:

We didn’t enjoy the restaurant because the food was bad.

I was feeling tired; therefore, I went to bed.

Because of the weather, we couldn’t go to the beach.

Cause Effect

because

the reason for

because of

since

as

so

as a result

therefore

for this reason

thus


Give It a TryPART ICombine the two sentences with the word in parentheses.

1. The Alps have the most beautiful valleys. / I’ll never forget the Alps. (so)

2. It was scary to look down hundreds of meters. / I’m afraid of heights. (because)

3. I could get a hot meal on the train. / I was happy. (since)

4. We could see the rivers and valleys more clearly. / I liked the GoldenPass better. (therefore)

The Alps have the most beautiful valleys, so I’ll never forget them.

It was scary to look down hundreds of meters because I’m afraid of heights.

Since I could get a hot meal on the train, I was happy.

We could see the rivers and valleys more clearly; therefore, I liked the

GoldenPass better.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Complete the passage with these words: reason, because of, so, because.

PART II

Many people like trains more than airplanes and buses. You can’t see much

on an airplane ______________ you are too high up. You can’t walk around

on the bus, ______________ it isn’t very comfortable. On a train, getting up is

OK. I always take the train ______________ the nice views. Another

______________ I take the train is that the train station is near my house.

The only time I fly is when I go to another country.


because

so

because of

reason

Further Reading


The Fastest Trains in the World

France’s TGV is the fastest train in the world. It runs up to 574.8 kilometers

an hour. The TGV takes passengers to 30 cities. It’s comfortable, and you can

travel to city centers in no time. TGV passengers feel as if they are taking an

airplane. It is easy to see why French people call the TGV France’s pride.


In the past, traveling by plane was the fastest and most convenient way

to go. Passengers now have another choice — high-speed railways.

TGV

Japan’s Shinkansen, the oldest high-speed train in the world, has been

running for almost 50 years. This train is very popular in Japan. Each year,

over 150 million people ride it. That is more than any other high-speed train

in the world.


Shinkansen

The Taiwan High Speed Rail was opened in 2007. It stops at cities along

Taiwan’s west coast. The HSR can reach speeds of 300 kilometers an hour.

It only takes one and a half hours from Taipei to Kaohsiung. The train has

large windows and comfortable seats. HSR stations are also very modern.


Taiwan HSR

The TGV, Shinkansen, and HSR may not be cheaper than an airplane,

but they are more convenient. They are also a nice way to see a country.

Next time you’re in one of these countries, why not try a fast train?


Comprehension Check


1. It’s very popular in Japan. ___________

2. It was the world’s first high-speed train. ___________

3. No train can go faster than this one. _________

4. It stops at cities in western Taiwan. _________

5. Ride this train when you’re in France. _________

6. More people ride this train than any other. ___________

7. You’ll feel like you’re flying on this train. _________

8. It started to run just a few years ago. _________

A. Classification


Which high-speed train is each sentence about? Write TGV, Shinkansen, or HSR.

Shinkansen

Shinkansen

Shinkansen

TGV

TGV

TGV

HSR

HSR

1. What is the main idea of this article?

a. France has the fastest train in the world.

b. Traveling by train has become more convenient.

c. You’ll save some money taking a high-speed train.

d. Taiwan probably has the most modern stations.

2. What does the phrase in no time mean in the second paragraph?

a. Very fast

b. Easy

c. Going downtown

d. Comfortable


B. Multiple Choice

Circle the answer.

3. Which of the following statements is correct?

a. Taiwan has the oldest high-speed train.

b. Japan has the most popular high-speed train.

c. France has the slowest high-speed train.

d. The high-speed train is a cheaper way to travel.

4. The TGV, Shinkansen, and HSR are not cheaper than an airplane, BUT . . .

a. they cost less.

b. they are more modern.

c. they are easier to take.

d. they make us feel proud.


English Follow-Up


Topic Words: TravelingCircle the correct verb for each sentence.


1. I ride / travel / run a bus to work every morning.

2. Jane takes / drives / gets off a taxi when she goes to the airport.

3. Bill needs three hours to get on / drive / take to the city.

4. This car can run / take / get on as fast as 200 kilometers an hour.

5. Maggie called home before she boarded / ran / traveled the airplane.

6. The train rides / takes / drives you downtown.

7. The bus runs / rides / takes from Monday to Friday.

Documents

UNIT 5 Around the World by Train. THINK ABOUT IT Discuss with a partner. 1.What countries have you traveled to? 2.Where would you like to go in the future?