Caravanning, catering and motor homes

There is a good choice of camp sitesand caravan (RV) parksthroughout Britain, normally open from Easter to October. Dur­ing/while the peak summer months, parks fill up quickly, so book in advance. In England, the tourist offices listed can be contacted during/while the summer to check on availability.International cara­van and camping sites indicate many park locations on/in the main roads. The BTA publishes a fairly comprehensive list called Camping and Caravan Parks in Britain. Two clubs — the Cara­van Club, and the Camping and Caravanning Club — publish guides listing their parks, and it may be worthwhile becoming a member. Both clubs operate their own grading system. A typical camping or caravan pitch will cost approximately £6 to £10 per night.

An alternative to a tent or caravan is to rent a motor home, which gives you great freedom to explore at your own paceand to stay almost anywhere. They are usually comfortable and very well equipped.

The BTA guide Britain: Vehicle Hire provides full de­tails of/for motor home rental. Expect to pay between/among £500 and £800 per week for/of a luxury six-berth vehicle which can even include a generator, microwave and television. Motor home companies can arrange for/to you to pick up your vehicle direct from/with the airport or ferry terminal. Most camping and caravan sites in Britain welcome motor home drivers.

Reading 3.

Read the texts.Find out the gerunds. Translate the sentences.

Thank your  lucky stars

Gemini  May 22 – June 21

You are quick at picking up new ideas and are better at doing mental work. You are easily bored with doing the same things. You enjoy discussing things with people.

Libra September 24 – October 23

You are good at being diplomatic. You hate quarrelling. You prefer quiet activities, such as sunbathing, painting, writing and reading.

Scorpio October 24 – November 22

You sometimes have difficulty in controlling your temper. You are a good detective. You love finding out answers and solving puzzles. You like active sports such as boxing, karate and water sports. 

Sagittarius November 22 – December 21

Being free is important to you. You hate being forced into routine. You are capable of putting a lot of enthusiasm into your interests. You like walking, riding and outdoor sports.

Capricorn December 22 – January 20

You are capable of working very hard. You dislike people being untidy. You can’t stand wasting time on unnecessary things. You like organizing and you don’t mind being alone.

Reading 4.

a) Read the text. Translate the sentences with underlined words.

Poisonous plants.

Poisonous plants when taken into the body of human beings or animals small or moderate amounts provoke a harmful reaction resulting in illness or death. Possibly as many as one of every 100 species of plants is poisonous, but not all have been recognized as such ones. Dangerous plants are widely distributed in woods and fields swamps and dry ranges, roadsides and parks, and may be wild or cultivated. Many ornamental plants, such as oleander, lily-of-the-valley, and mistletoe, are poisonous.

Botanists have to set rules to determine accurately whether any given plant is poisonous. Toxic species are scattered geographically in habitat and in botanical rela­tionship. They contain more than 20 kinds of poisonous principles¹, and mineral compounds such as nitrates accu­mulated from the soil. The poisonous compound may be distributed throughout all parts of the plant, or it may accumulate in one part more than in other, such as the root, berry, or foliage. A plant may vary in toxicity as it grows, generally becoming more toxic with maturity cer­tain plants, however, can be highly toxic when young and harmless later.

Some active principles cause skin irritation directly; others bring about an allergic reaction. Most poisons however must enter the body before they act, and in almost all cases this happens when they are eaten. Usually more than 60g of the poisonous part of the plant must be eaten by an aver­age before poisoning results (the amount in proportion less for children). Some plants however are toxic in small amounts; for instance, one or two castor beans, the seeds of the castor-oil plant, may kill a child. After ingestion the poison may act immediately on the digestive tract. Some plants affect the heart (oleander). Small amounts of the toxins in some of these plants may be used in medicine. Plants containing alkaloids often produce unpleasant or dangerous reactions in the nervous system. Examples are paralysis hallucinations or heart block. A few poisons act directly within the cells of the body. The best example is cyanide, which prevents cells of the body from using oxygen.

Poisonous plants are too numerous to eradicate, and many are highly prized as houseplants or garden ornamen­tals. If poisoning is suspected, a doctor should be con­sulted immediately.

Principle¹- первопричина

b) Choose the right option.

1. Which of the following is not true?

A If you try a bit of a poisonous plant, you may get ill or die.

B 100 species of poisonous plants may provoke an ill­ness or death.

C One can find poisonous plants in a wood.

D Poisonous plants may be grown in gardens.

2. Scientists cannot reveal a poisonous plant with high
precision because _

A there is a great variety of poisonous plants

B there is a dozen poisonous principles

C poisonous plants may be ornamental

D poisonous plants are wild ones

3. The author mentions everything except that .

A poisonous plants may have toxic leaves

B botanists accurately gather poisonous plants

C young plants may be highly toxic

D mature plants may be less poisonous

4. Poisonous plant can affect everything except ______ .

A the nervous system

B the blood

C the heart

D the skin

Reading 5.

Complete the activity to establish your needs in English. Tick the answers you like. Add more information where appropriate. Compare your needs with a partner

Reading 6

Read the text and make a review (обзор)

The Queen and Parliament

Every year the Queen opens Parliament. Millions of people watch her on TV. She leaves Buckingham Palace with a lot of soldiers on horses, and many of the important people in the country wait for her in the Houses of Parliament. In Parliament she talks, and all the important people listen to her. She wears a beautiful dress and has a crown on her head. She is the most famous woman in Britain, and she is Head of the Church of England. She is an important woman.

But - is she very important? She speaks to people in Parliament once a year, but she doesn't work there. So why is the Queen important? Why does she go to Parliament every year, and why is she the Head of the Church?

To answer these questions, we must begin a long time ago.

We must learn about some of the kings and queens before her.

IV Vocabulary spot

1 arrival – the time when someone or something arrives at a place from some -where else.

2 cancellation – a decision to end a legal agreement or obligation (a ticket, time or place)

3 catering – the job of organizing the food and drinks for an event such as a party or meeting

4 charge – an amount of money that you have to pay, especially when you visit a place or when someone or something does something for you.

5 customer – a person or company that buys goods or services.

6 dessert – sweet food that you eat after the main part of a meal

7 departure – an occasion when someone leaves a place, for example to go on a journey

8 discount – a reduction in the price of something

9 doorman – someone whose job is to be in charge of the main entrance of a building such as a hotel or a block of flats and help people when they go in or come out

10 dormitory – a large room, where a lot of people sleep, for example in a school or army camp

11in-house _adj – done, working or happening inside a company or organization.

12 secretary – someone in an office who works for someone else and does jobs such as arranging meetings, making phone calls and preparing letters

13 weekend break – a short holiday taken over a weekend.

14 working holiday – a holiday during which you work, for example doing unpaid work to benefit the community in which you are staying.

Holiday collocations

1 A resortis a place for holidays, sport, etc.

2 You check into a hotel

Reading 6