节目资讯
刊物:大家说英语
日期:2013-11-05
难易度:Medium
关键字:schedule, ticket, platform, arrive, express, coupon, off
Welcome to our show, friends.
This is Let's Talk in English, where we learn some English and have some fun at
the same time.
I am Nathan, one of your teachers here on the show.
Today we want to continue our topic called TRAVEL.
And our lesson is still called A Ride on the Train.
A Ride on the Train.
So, Katie, how long was your longest train ride?
Well, I think that my longest train ride was about eight hours.
It was when I was traveling in Europe, so we had to ride the train for a really
long time.
Hi, everyone, my name is Katie.
And I'm your other teacher here at Let's Talk in English.
I hope that you're ready for today's lesson.
So let's get started.
Take out your LTE magazine and turn to today's Let's Begin!
You can read it with Nathan right now.
Let's begin!
Rob is looking at a train schedule.
He has a ticket to visit his friend in Chicago.
A friend sent him a coupon online for 25 percent off!
The train leaves from platform three at 7:00.
It arrives in Chicago at 10:00.
It's not an express train.
The train ride is three hours.
This sounds like it will be an interesting lesson.
So let's start with Conversation A.
(Music).
Hi, Rob. What is that?
Hi, Ken. It's a train schedule.
Are you going somewhere?
I'm going to visit a friend in Chicago next weekend.
Why don't you fly?
I got a great deal on my train ticket.
A friend sent me a coupon online.
Really?
Yes. Look.
Wow. Twenty-five percent off!
That is a great deal.
I don't think I have ever gotten a deal like that for travel.
Rob should be very thankful.
Katie, when you buy tickets to travel, do you think that time or price is more
important?
Oh. That is a good question.
I think that the price is more important, though.
Usually when I travel, I try to travel as cheap as I possibly can.
So I book the lower price even if it's at a weird time.
But it's good to let ticket prices help you make your schedule.
You'll probably get the cheapest ticket that way.
Oh, let's talk about a key word that Katie just used.
schedule.
schedule.
A schedule tells you when different things will happen.
Some people make schedules for themselves every day.
Really? They must be very careful with their time.
We have a new schedule every week at work, though.
It's very helpful to have.
But what is a train schedule like?
Ah, well, a train schedule will tell you when trains leave to go different
places.
Most travel schedules stay the same.
So a train leaves to go to the same city at the same time every day.
The schedule does not keep changing.
I know the schedule would be good to have sometimes.
But wouldn't Rob's ticket tell him when his train leaves?
Mmhm. It probably would.
But let's learn about another key word.
ticket.
ticket.
A ticket is a little piece of paper you buy that lets you do something.
Many tickets let you go somewhere.
That's right.
So you need tickets when you ride a train, a plane or a bus.
Those tickets usually tell you when you will leave, where to get off, and other
things you need to know.
But you also get tickets when you go to the zoo or to a show or even to the
movies.
So tickets are used for very different things.
And sometimes you can get a special deal on tickets.
Rob had a coupon for his deal.
A coupon is another small piece of paper that gives you a deal, like buy one get
one free or twenty-five percent off.
Now if something is twenty-five percent off, that means that twenty-five percent
of the price is taken off.
You don't have to pay twenty-five percent.
And I think that that is a pretty good deal for anything.
Now are there any more great deals?
Well, maybe we should look and see in Conversation B.
So let's go there and look around now.
My train leaves on Friday at 7:00.
I leave after work.
What platform does your train leave from?
Umm... The train leaves from platform three.
A lot of trains leave from platform three.
You're right.
It's often crowded.
What time do you arrive in Chicago?
If the train is on time, I arrive at 10 p.m.!
"If the train is on time" is very important.
Some trains are almost always on... on time, but some trains are often late.
That's right.
When I rode the train in the United States, it was usually late.
But the train in Asia is usually on time.
If you are going to ride the train, you really need to be on time.
You cannot be late.
And you need to make sure that you go to the right platform.
That's a good key word for talking about trains.
So let's learn about it now.
platform.
platform.
A platform is where you wait for the train at a train station.
Train stations usually have at least a few platforms.
And trains stop next to platforms, so they are very long.
You can get on the train in the front or the back.
And a platform can also be a place to stand that is higher than the floor or the
ground.
Sometimes platforms are made to make people easier to see.
But when you travel, look at your ticket to make sure you go to the right
platform.
Your ticket might say platform two, so your train will leave from platform two.
If you go to platform three, you won't be on the right train.
That's right, and it's very important because the road for the train is usually
between two platforms.
They are in different places.
So you need to go to the right one.
But let's talk about the "Use It!" sentence that Katie just used.
Something leaves from somewhere.
The boat leaves from the north side of the river.
Or the airplane leaves from gate B24.
Well, those are great sentences to ask when something leaves.
But when do these things arrive?
And that's another key word for today.
Let's take a look.
arrive.
arrive.
When you arrive, you get to the place you wanted to go.
When you ride a plane, you usually know when you will leave and when you will
arrive.
We often use this word for traveling.
If you're going to travel to see a friend, you can tell your friend when you
will arrive.
Then they know when to meet you at the airport or at the train station.
That's important.
It's important to know when someone will arrive.
But we use this word in other ways, too.
If you order something online, you also need to wait for it to arrive.
It may take a few weeks.
Sometimes I order books or clothes online, and it takes a few days or a couple
weeks for them to get to me.
But now the time for Conversation C has arrived.
We need to go there so we can hear more about Rob's train.
(Music).
Is it an express train?
No. The train stops at almost every station.
Then it's a long trip.
Not really. It's only about three hours.
Oh, that's not bad.
I can bring a book to read on the train.
Or you can listen to music or talk with other passengers.
Sure. I love talking to people.
I know!
Well, we learned something else about Rob's train.
It is not an express train.
But what does that mean?
Well, let's look at that key word to help us understand.
express.
express.
Something that is express goes somewhere very quickly.
That's right.
An express train does not stop many times, so it moves very quickly.
Express trains usually only stop at very big stations where many people want to
get off or on the train.
Normal trains can be express trains.
But when I was in New York City with friends, we got on an express subway.
But we didn't know that it was an express subway.
It did not stop at every station.
I was afraid we would not be able to go to our stop.
So you thought that the train might pass it?
What happened?
Well, I think we were going to a very popular place.
It was the stop where the Yankees play their baseball games.
That's good. I think you're right.
Many people would want to go there.
Did you think the New York City subway was confusing?
Hmm... not really. It's very big.
But there were a lot of people and a lot of places to go.
But the signs were very clear.
I usually understood where I was going.
We did not miss our stop.
So I really like their subway.
Oh, well, I do not like their subway, Nathan.
When I was in New York, I got on an express train and ended up on the other side
of the city.
It was a little scary, but everything turned out OK.
Now, a minute ago Nathan said, "Not really," when I asked him if he thought the
subway was confusing.
That means something is mostly not true.
That's right.
I might have been confused once or twice, but I was usually fine.
So, Katie, do we have any more time to talk about anything else?
Well, not really.
We just have time for our key words right now.
So let's practice them together.
Let's look at the first one.
schedule.
schedule.
Where is the new bus schedule?
ticket.
ticket.
I need a ticket to the concert.
platform.
platform.
The train platform is long.
arrive.
arrive.
Mark arrived at the party at 6:00.
express.
express.
The express train only stops twice.
Please try to use all of these key words today and tomorrow so that you can
remember them, and know how to use them.
But now it's time for a break.
See you againsoon.