Main Topic 15: Travel Lesson 79: Land Transport (20-25 minutes) Today, you will: 1. Learn useful vocabulary related to LAND TRANSPORT. 2. Review Gerund Phrases. I. VOCABULARY Exercise 1: What s the meaning? (5-6 minutes) A. Choose the meaning of the underlined words from the choices that follow. 1. The world s longest railway is in Russia. a. track b. rotunda c. highway d. intersection 2. Hundreds of motor vehicles take the freeway every day. a. wagons b. bicycles c. carriages d. automobiles 3. Cars covered the busy highway withblack smoke. a. lane b. road c. street d. bridge 4. Drivers line up to pay the toll fee. a. tax b. loan c. debt d. charge Page 1
5. Pedestrians stroll along Times Square every day. a. runners b. walkers c. shoppers d. motorists B. Sentence-Making Practice (3-4 minutes) Practice using the words you ve learned in your own sentences. 1. Railway 2. Vehicles 3. Highway 4. Toll Fee 5. Pedestrians Page 2
Exercise 2: What s the word? (4-5 minutes) Read the following dialog with your tutor and try to use context clues to fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word. You can find the missing word from the pool of words at the bottom. The Wyoming Transportation, Inc. is trying to secure a contract to provide services to the employees of Iowa Manufacturing Corp. Ms. Walter: Good morning. This is Ms. Elizabeth Walter of the Wyoming Transportation, Inc. May I please speak with the general manager of the Iowa Manufacturing Corp.? Ms. Danes: Good morning, Ms. Walter. This is Ms. Sandra Danes, the general manager of Iowa Manufacturing. How may I help you? Ms. Walter: I am calling to offer the transportation services of our company based here in Wyoming. I learned that your company will hold its annual trip to our state. Ms. Danes: That is right. We re supposed to take a to the different tourist spots in Wyoming. But if you can offer us a qualified driver who can accompany us, that would be better. Ms. Walter: Our drivers know the to the stunning places here. They are all based in this state and are familiar with the directions. Ms. Danes: Excellent! How does your company differ from other transportation companies? Ms. Walter: We have an exceptional record of customer safety. Our drivers are very careful. They follow all traffic rules. They do not over speed and other vehicles hastily. Ms. Danes: That is reassuring to know. Please send in your company s proposal to my email as soon as possible. My address is lilian_danes@imfg.org. We will call you if we choose to avail your company s services. Ms. Walter: Thank you, Ms. Danes. Ms. Danes: You are welcome, Ms. Walter. Goodbye. Choices: a. route b. commute c. overtake d. ride Page 3
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Topic: Gerund Phrases (5-6 minutes) General Description: A gerund is a verb ending in ing. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund and other modifiers which functions as nouns. They usually act as subject, direct object, and object of preposition or predicate noun. Examples of Gerund Phrases: Subject Direct Object Function Example( Preparing for a tour takes time. The commuters began crossing the street. Object of Preposition Predicate Noun Before driving to the office, he ate breakfast. My hobby is travelling to the countryside. Remember: Do not mistake a gerund phrase for a present participle phrase. Both phrases begin with an -ing word. Gerund phrase functions as a noun. Present participle phrase describes a word in the sentence. Examples: 1. Riding a high-speed train is a unique experience. (Gerund Phrase acting as subject) 2. We enjoy taking a trip together. (Gerund Phrase acting as direct object) 3. Getting on a journey is exciting. (Gerund Phrase acting as subject) Comprehension Check: Which of the following sentences use a gerund phrase? Travelling by train is a very convenient way to explore Europe. Travelling by train, I was able to see the whole of Europe. Page 4
Exercise 1: Incomplete Sentences (3-4 minutes) Choose the word or phrase that would best complete the following sentences. 1. I can see the scenic view by the train. a. ride b. rides c. riding d. ridden 2. Driving a vehicle hurriedly on a highway dangerous. a. is b. are c. was d. were 3. the directions before going to a place is a must. a. Missing b. Thinking c. Knowing d. Forgetting Page 5