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Travel guide.

Look at this guide for tourists visiting California, then do the exercises to improve your reading skills.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first. Then do the other exercises.

Preparation

Check your understanding: true or false

Check your understanding: matching, worksheets and downloads.

Which place in California would you like to visit?

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A travel guide

Read a travel guide about Bangkok to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

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Whether you're travelling to the islands or the mountains of Thailand, you're likely to spend at least one night in its capital city on the way. Bangkok might be noisy and polluted but it's also an exciting city with plenty of things to see and do. Why not make it a longer stay?

Where to stay

The Khao San Road was a famous traveller spot even before Leonardo di Caprio's character in the film The Beach stayed there. But it's noisy, not very pretty and not very Thai. For something more authentic, Phra Kanong offers an alternative place to stay, with its fantastic street markets where everyday Bangkok people eat, work and live. It's not as convenient for the main tourist sites, but it has a Skytrain station so you can be at the Grand Palace in 20 minutes.

How to get around

Bangkok's traffic can be a nightmare. Sure, you can easily take a taxi – if you want to spend hours stuck in traffic jams – but there are two much better ways to get around the city. To explore the temples and historical sites, catch an express boat river taxi or a longtail boat along the Chao Phraya river and the canals. For the modern part of the city, the Skytrain is a fast, cheap way to travel from the river to the shopping malls and nightlife of Sukhumvit, and the famous Chatuchak street market.

Where to eat

The simple answer is: everywhere! Thai street food is among the best in the world, and for around $5 you can eat a filling and delicious meal. Some food stands have little plastic seats where you can sit and eat and they cook the same dish over and over, like fried chicken on rice or Pad Thai noodles. Head for Chinatown – Yaowarat Street – and choose whatever looks most interesting from the many excellent Chinese and Thai restaurants and food stands.  

After you've seen the main sites like the Giant Buddha at the temple of Wat Pho and the spectacular Grand Palace, and shopped at Chatuchak market, check out the snake farm and watch the live snake show. You can even touch a snake yourself if you want to!

Would you like to visit Bangkok? Why or why not?

Language level

Would you like to visit Bangkok? Why or why not? Yes, of course, I'd like to visit Bangkok. Because it's a place with an interesting culture, different from mine, so I think that I could learn a lot of things there. Furthermore, eating different food, meeting different people could be a nice experience. Overall, I think that travelling to different places is a rewarding experience!!

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Traveling is a beautiful thing, especially for an active and crazy city like Bangkok, I watched The Hangover Part 2 and I found that the city is much fun.

Of Course! I would like to visit Bangkok because I would know the city culture and the traditions. Furthermore, I'm very curious about the local food.

I would like to visit Bangkok,because this city has plenty excellent place,for example temples.I want to try noodles and fall in love in this city.

Actually I'm a big traveller and I have been in many countries but never in Thailand, by reading this text I'm eager to visit this wonderful country. I hope to taste those delicious foods on a wooden stand of a local market as soon as possible

Actually I live in Bangkok. So I would not answer whether I would like to visit Bangkok or not.

There are many good activities and good stuff in Bangkok. Delicious food, modern shopping place, good transportation, fast internet etc.

Welcome and Enjoy!

I would like to visit Bangkok, Thailand, once in my life. Because I enjoy the cuisine, which is famous for being spicy and tasty. And the culture here is also rich and diverse.

I like Bankcock and all the streets in China but there is a little too much traffic

I would like to visit Bangkok, because I like to travel. I like to see new places, make photos and meet new people. The culture of Thailand is completely different, I hope one day I'll have oportunity to go to Thailand.

Of course, only if the opportunity were given because the place I have wanted to know since I was little is Spain, exactly Ibiza.

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Travel & Tourism: Hiring a car

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast , Rich and Rowan hire a car from Jack's rentals. The language focus is on words and phrases connected to hiring a car .   In this week's task, we want you to tell us about something that you think is a rip-off. Don't forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have a new football phrase for you to guess.

Travel & Tourism: Hiring a car Introduction

Jack : Hello my name’s Jack

Rowan : My name’s Rowan

Rich : and I’m Rich 

Rowan : And welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Jack : In the Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and help you with your English. 

Rowan : Don’t forget you can find the transcript for all our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich : This podcast is one in a series of podcasts that focuses on travel and tourism. Last week we spoke about the language we need in hotels.

Jack : This week we want to help you with some of the language you need when you want to hire a car.

Rowan : When we fly abroad for business or pleasure we may rent a car at the airport.

Rich : I prefer using public transport but that’s not always possible.

Jack : In this week’s roleplay, Rich rents a car at the airport from probably the best hire company in the world: Jack’s rentals.

Rowan : I’m not too sure about that. I’ve heard they are just after your money.

Rich : You’ll find out who’s right in the roleplay. Your task this week is to tell us about something that you think is a rip-off - something that costs much more money than it should.

Rowan : If you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any other podcast platform, you should also check out our website.

Jack : On the Premier Skills English website, you’ll find  the transcript, examples and activities to help you understand the language, and a task for you to complete with other listeners.

Rowan : Before we do the roleplays let’s look back at last week’s football phrase.

Last week’s Football Phrase 

Rich : OK, our football phrase. If you’ve not listened to the podcast before, every week we set our listeners a language challenge. We explain a football phrase or word and you have to guess what it is.

Rowan : When you know the answer, go to the Premier Skills English website and write the word or phrase in the comments section for this podcast. If you’re correct we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast.

Rich : We had lots of correct answers last week but a big congratulations to Daniel Baron from Colombia who was the first to get the correct answer. It’s been a few weeks since you were first, Daniel. Where have you been?

Jack : And a big well done to the following listeners who also got the correct answer: Liubomyr from Ukraine, Marco Zapien from Mexico, HSN and MoBeckham from Turkey, Elghoul from Algeria, Hayato from Japan, Mikolajspa from Poland, Stefano Mac from Italy, Max Alex from Vietnam, Emmanuel from France, Navid from Iran, Emmanuel Kwarteng from Ghana, Wsanta from Argentina, and Secanore1228 from Colombia.

Rich : I also wanted to say a big hello to Secanore1228 from Colombia who wrote to say that they’ve been listening for two years and has now listened to all our podcasts from the very beginning.

Jack : That really is fantastic and we are delighted to hear from you at last, Secanore!

Rowan : The new football phrase is at the end of this podcast but we’re going to give you one more chance to guess last week’s football phrase. Are you ready?

Rich : The phrase was ***** ***** ****. The phrase describes a cup match where one team wins following thirty minutes of additional time. I watched Everton beat Tottenham 5-4 ***** ***** **** last week.

Rowan : We’ll give you the answer and a new football phrase at the end of this podcast.

Jack : If you remember, our last podcast was all about hotels. We spoke about checking in, hotel facilities and complaining.

Rich : We asked you to imagine you were a guest at a hotel and to make a complaint.

Rowan : HSN from Turkey had a problem with the hairdryer in his room so complained about it.

Jack : MikolajSpa made a complaint about the sports equipment in the hotel.

Rich : And Nappog from Venezuela complained about the pillows in his room.

Rowan : Thanks for all your comments and for completing the tasks. It was good to see you using the words and phrases connected to making a complaint we introduced in the podcast.

Jack : If you haven’t heard this podcast it’s called Travel and Tourism: Hotels and you can find it on the Premier Skills English website or on Apple Podcasts.

Introduction to roleplay: 

Jack : We have one roleplay for you this week which you will hear in three parts. Rich and Rowan are at the car hire desk at the airport. They are renting a car.

Rich : In the first part we’ll focus on words we use to describe different types of cars and some extra equipment you might want to rent.

Rowan : In the second part we’ll talk about car insurance which is something you have to pay to cover possible damage to the car or an accident while you are driving.

Jack : And in the third part of the roleplay we will cover words and phrases connected to other things you might have to pay for when hiring a car.

Rich : We’re using a car hire company called Jack’s rentals and I’m not sure that it’s the best company out there.

Rowan : Before each part of the roleplay we want you to answer two questions. Here are your questions for the first part:

Jack : Question one: What kind of car have Rowan and Rich hired?

Rich : Question two: What does Jack try to sell us?

Rich : Well, that took ages. What’s the time now - nearly eleven?

Rowan : About that. The flight touched down about an hour late in the end and then an hour to get through passport control.

Rich : Let’s get the car and get to the hotel. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow with the coaching session at the football stadium.

Rowan : I’ve got a reference number here for the car rental. What’s the company name again? Here it is - Jack’s rentals.

Rich : Jack’s rentals? Sounds a bit dodgy to me. Couldn’t you have just gone with Hertz or Avis or something?

Rowan : It’ll be fine. It was a good deal. Look, the car hire desk is over there. I’m sure it won’t take too long.

Jack : Good evening. My name’s Jack. How can I help you?

Rich : Your name is Jack … of Jack’s rentals?

Jack : Just a coincidence actually.

Rowan : Hi, yes. We’re here to pick up a car.

Rich : I think he probably knows that.

Rowan : It’s under the name of Walkley, Rowan Walkley.

Jack : OK, let me see. Yes, here we are. I see you’ve gone for our economy option - a 3-door manual hatchback.

Rowan : Yes. That’s right.

Rich : Do you think there’ll be enough space for all the training equipment?

Jack : The economy vehicles do only have limited luggage space in the boot. I see you have a few bags there. 

Rich : It might be a bit of a squeeze.

Jack : We do have a station wagon available if you wanted to upgrade for an extra twenty euros a day.

Rowan : No, we’ll be fine thanks.

Jack : What else could I help you with? Do you need a child seat or booster seat?

Rowan : No children with us and I’m not that short thank you.

Jack : What about a satnav? It’s easy to get lost in the city.

Rowan : I think we’ll be OK with Google maps on our phone.

Language focus 1: 

Jack : Before the roleplay, we asked you two questions. The first question was: What kind of car have Rowan and Rich hired?

Rich : The answer is a 3-door manual hatchback. We’ll look at some of this language in a second but basically, Rowan chose the smallest and cheapest car available.

Rowan : Our second question was: What does Jack try to sell us?

Jack : First of all, I try to sell them a bigger car and then I try to sell them a child seat or a booster seat and then a satnav.

Rich : We said no to everything. Jack’s just trying to sell us extra things that we don’t need.

Rowan : OK, let’s look at some language we used in this part of the roleplay. I think we should start with two essential words: hire and rent.

Jack : We can rent a car or hire a car. They mean the same but we usually rent a car in American English and more often say hire a car in British English.

Rich : There is no difference in meaning. To rent or hire something means to pay to use something for a limited amount of time. 

Rowan : We use rent and hire for other things as well. Some are rented and some are hired. We normally rent flats and houses but we hire people when we employ them. 

Jack : I’d love to hire a gardener, a cleaner and a chauffeur. Maybe when I win the lottery!

Rich : Going back to cars. Hire can also be a noun. We can speak about car hire in general. We went to the car hire desk in the roleplay.

Rowan : We can’t use rent in this way. We have to use the word rental. We can talk about car rentals and the car rental desk.

Jack : Rowan reserved a 3-door manual hatchback in the roleplay. Listen to this section of the roleplay again. Can you hear any other types of car or car parts mentioned?

Jack : Ok, let me see. Yes, here we are. I see you’ve gone for our economy option - a 3-door manual hatchback.

Rich : We hired a 3-door manual hatchback. A hatchback is a type of car that has a sloping door at the back of the car. You open this door to get into the boot.

Jack : The boot is where you put your bags or your luggage. Luggage is a more formal word and what car hire and staff will use.

Rowan : You’ll also see the word luggage being used at airports and train stations and similar places.

Rich : Anyway, a hatchback is usually a small car. The one we rented was a 3-door hatchback. This idea of a 3-door car or a 5-door car always confuses me.

Jack : A 3-door car has doors next to the driver’s seat and the passenger’s seat at the front, and a door to open the boot.

Rowan : A 5-door car also has doors next to seats in the back of the car. 

Rich : I always forget they call the boot a door but I suppose it is - kind of. The car we hired was a manual. This means you need to use the gearstick.

Jack : In Europe, most cars you hire will be manual unless you request an automatic. Most cars in the United States are automatics.

Rowan : So we hired the cheapest car we could - the economy option. Car hire firms usually have different options - economy or compact are usually the cheapest then they might have standard options or premium options.

Rich : Jack wanted us to upgrade - he wanted us to hire a better car for more money. Jack wanted us to spend more money.

Jack : I offered them a station wagon. This type of car has a bigger boot and more space. In the UK, this type of car is usually called an estate.

Rowan : Rich thought we wouldn’t have enough space. He said it might be a bit of a squeeze.

Rich : This is a nice phrase - a bit of a squeeze. Something is a bit of a squeeze when it’s difficult to fit things - often people into a small space.

Jack : Do you think we can all jump in the taxi together?

Rowan : Three of us on the back seat? It’ll be a bit of a squeeze but I think it’ll be OK.

Rich : Remember you can check your understanding of all this vocabulary on the Premier Skills English website.

Jack : Let’s move on to the second part of our roleplay. Rich and Rowan said no to a bigger car but I’ve still got a few extra things to sell them.

Rich :  Here are the two questions we want you to answer as you listen.

Rowan : Question one: What do we buy?

Rich : Question two: What don’t we buy?

Roleplay 2:

Jack : And are both of you going to be driving? I notice you’ve only designated one driver on the reservation.

Rich : I’d like to drive as well if that’s not a problem.

Jack : OK, I can add an additional driver for an extra ten euros a day. No problem at all.

Rich : Thanks.

Jack : And what about insurance?

Rowan : I added insurance online.

Jack : Yes, but you may want to think about excess cover. I would highly recommend it. 

Rowan : I think we’ll be OK with the standard cover.

Jack : Our standard cover doesn’t include tyres or windscreens and your liability is a thousand euros.

Rich : A thousand euros? That seems a bit steep.

Jack : Yes, taking out this extra policy will reduce the excess to just 100 euros. This will be your only liability in the event of any damage to or theft of the vehicle.

Rowan : But it is optional, right?

Jack : Yes, and we also include roadside assistance and recovery in this policy.

Rowan : I already have excess insurance cover so we’re fine thanks.

Language Focus 2

Jack : Before you heard this part of the roleplay, we asked you two questions. The first question was: What do Rich and Rowan buy from me?

Rich : We paid for an additional driver. We only paid for one main driver when we booked online and if you want more than one driver you have to pay extra.

Rowan : Our second question was: What didn’t we pay for?

Jack : Car hire firms will often try to sell additional insurance to what you already have. I tried to sell some insurance but they chose not to buy it.

Rich : OK, let’s look at some language we used in this part of the roleplay. I think we should start with that word: insurance.

Rowan : Insurance is an agreement with a company for you to pay a specific amount of money and the company will pay all or most of the costs if you have an accident or an injury of some kind.

Jack : There all types of insurance: life insurance, house insurance, health insurance, travel insurance and car insurance.

Rich : In the roleplay, we were talking about car insurance. Have a listen to this part of the roleplay again. Are there any tricky formal words you notice?

Jack : Yes, taking out this extra policy will cut/reduce the excess to just 100 euros. This will be your only liability in the event of any damage to or theft of the vehicle.

Rowan : Jack tried to sell us some extra insurance. He told us that this extra insurance would reduce or cut the excess we would have to pay.

Rich : The excess is what you have to pay and not the insurance company if you have an accident.

Jack : For example, if you crash the car and it costs 3000 euros to repair you have to pay the excess and the insurance company pays the rest.

Rowan : In the roleplay, the excess was 1000 euros so if the repairs were 3000 euros the company would pay 2000 euros and we would need to pay 1000 - the excess.

Rich : Jack wanted us to pay for some extra cover. This is another important word when we speak about insurance - cover. What cover do you have?

Jack : Cover is the financial protection you have if you have an accident. Rowan and Rich had the standard insurance cover. 

Rowan : When it comes to car insurance you can have cover for all kinds of things. Do you have cover for fire and theft? Do you have third party cover? Do you have cover for accidental damage?

Rich : Jack used some quite formal language when he was trying to sell us some additional cover. He spoke about liability. 

Jack : Liability is used to describe who is legally responsible for something. This use of formal legal language can be quite scary at a car hire desk.

Rowan : When someone says you might be liable if there is an accident it might make you buy the extra insurance but we said no. 

Rich : We thought it was a bit of a rip-off - something that is not worth what you pay for.

Jack : They didn’t say I was ripping them off but they said the extra insurance was a bit steep.

Rowan : To say something is a bit steep is an informal way of saying something is expensive.

Jack : Let’s move on to the final part of our roleplay. Rich and Rowan said no to a bigger car and the extra insurance but I still think I can charge them a bit extra.

Rowan : Question one: Does Rich think we should get petrol when we return the car? 

Jack : Question two: What extra charges do I make Rowan and Rich pay?

Roleplay 3:

Rich : Are we nearly done? It’s taking a while.

Rowan : I think so. Let’s see what he tries to charge us for next.

Jack : OK, that’s nearly everything. You’re free to bring back the tank empty or full.

Rich : I think we might be charged more if we bring it back empty. It’s a bit of a scam.

Jack : Sorry?

Rowan : Nothing. Is there a charge for bringing the tank empty?

Jack : Our current petrol charges are here on the desk and yes there would be an additional fee to fill up the tank.

Rich : Best to bring it back full.

Jack : OK. If I could have a credit card in your name madam so I can take a deposit.

Rowan : A deposit?

Jack : Yes, we have to pre-authorise a charge to your credit card to cover the fuel in the tank. If I could make a copy of both of your driving licenses so I can make a copy and we’ll be able to get you on the road in no time.

Rowan : It seems to be costing a bit more than I originally thought.

Jack : OK, that’s everything. Here’s the rental agreement which you need to sign here and here. Five days rental and surcharges for the additional driver, airport pick up and late pick up. Drop off is at ten o’clock on Friday. 

Rowan : OK, there you go.

Jack : And here are the keys. If you go through the doors in front of you and follow the signs to the car hire car park, you’ll find your vehicle in bay 236.

Language Focus 3

Jack : Before you heard this part of the roleplay, we asked you two questions. The first question was: Does Rich think they should get petrol when they return the car? 

Rich : The answer is yes.

Rowan : Our second question was: What extra charges do we get charged for?

Jack : I make them pay extra for an additional driver and for renting the car from the airport.

Rich : In this part of the roleplay, we talked a lot about petrol costs. Listen to this part of the roleplay again. What language do you hear connected to petrol?

Rowan : Let’s start with the word tank. This refers to the petrol tank - the container in your car that holds the petrol.

Rich : When you go to a petrol station you fill up the tank with petrol.

Jack : To fill up is a phrasal verb and means to make something completely full. It is often used to talk about liquids. I’m really thirsty. Can you fill up my glass?

Rowan : You fill something up when it’s empty and stop filling something up when it’s full.

Rich : I said the idea of bringing the tank back empty is a bit of scam because it costs so much.

Jack : A scam is a dishonest plan for making money. 

Rowan : It might not be a scam but it’s certainly a rip-off and Jack did make some extra money in the end. Listen to this part of the roleplay again:

Jack : Ok, that’s everything. Here’s the rental agreement which you need to sign here and here. Five days rental and surcharges for the additional driver, airport pick up and late pick up. Drop off is at ten o’clock on Friday. 

Rich : There were some extra surcharges that we were not expecting.

Jack : A surcharge is an extra payment on top of something that you have already paid.

Rich : Two of these surcharges were for picking up and dropping off the car at the airport.

Rowan : These are two very useful items when we hire a car: pick up and drop off.

Jack : To pick up is a phrasal verb which when we’re talking about cars means to collect someone or something from somewhere.

Rich : I’ll pick you up at 6, OK.

Rowan : To drop off means to leave someone or something in a specific place.

Rowan : I’ll drop you off outside the sports centre, OK.

Jack : Rowan and Rich picked up the car at the airport and they were going to drop it off again five days later.

Rich : You might need to go to the pick up and drop off points to do this.

Rowan : Remember that we’ve got vocabulary activities for you to check your understanding of everything we’ve looked at today on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich : In this week’s task, we want you to tell us about a rip-off - something that you think costs much more money than it should.

Jack : In the roleplay, Rowan and Rich thought I was ripping them off. They thought I was charging far too much money for extra little things.

Rowan : We want you to tell us about something that you think is a rip-off. Something that costs more money than it’s worth.

Rich : It could be some kind of equipment, clothes or technology or maybe a service of some kind. 

Jack : Or you might want to tell us about a time when you or someone you know was ripped off. What did they buy? Were they tricked or was it just something they could have paid less money for elsewhere?

Rowan : We want you to write your answers in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website.

Football Phrase

Rich : It’s time for this week’s football phrase. Have you got one Jack?

Jack : I have. This week’s football phrase is * *********'* ****. The phrase generally describes an object that is very rare or unusual and is very valuable to some people. In football, the phrase is usually used to describe a goal scored by a player who hardly ever scores.

Rowan : When I was a kid I used to save coins from different countries and I had some really rare ones that were definitely *********'* *****, in fact, I sold some of them and made quite a bit of money.

Jack : Let’s see if anyone gets it right and who is first this week. If you are still wondering what the answer was to last week’s football phrase it was after extra time.

Rowan : Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below. If you get it right, we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast. 

Rich : If you have a question for us about football or English you can email us at [email protected]

Jack : or you can leave your questions and comments on the website in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Rowan : or you could give us a rating and a fantastic review on Apple Podcasts.

Rich : Bye for now and enjoy your football!

How much did you understand?

Here is the vocabulary you saw at the top of this page and how Rowan, Rich and Jack used it in the roleplay. Do you know the words  in bold ?

Jack’s rentals? Sounds a bit dodgy to me. Couldn’t you have just gone with Hertz or Avis or something? What else could I help you with? Do you need a car seat or booster seat ? What about a satnav ? It’s easy to get lost in the city. I added insurance online. We also include roadside assistance and recovery in this policy . If I could have a credit card in your name madam so I can take a deposit .

Listen to the roleplays again to hear how Rich, Rowan and Jack used these words and phrases.

Hiring a car: Types of car and space

In the first part of the roleplay, you heard lots of vocabulary connected to types of car and their size. Listen to one part of the roleplay again. Do you know the phrases  in bold ?

Jack: Ok, let me see. Yes, here we are. I see you’ve gone for our economy option - a 3-door manual hatchback . Rowan: Yes. That’s right. ... Jack: The economy vehicles only have limited luggage space in the boot . I see you have a few bags there.  Rich: It might be a bit of a squeeze . Jack: We have a station wagon available if you wanted to upgrade for an extra twenty euros a day.

Do you have a car? What type of car have you got?

Hiring a car: Insurance

In the second part of the roleplay, Jack was trying to sell extra insurance to Rowan and Rich. Do you know what car insurance is? Listen to this part of the roleplay again and then have a go at the activity.

Hiring a car: Returning the car 

In the third part of the roleplay, Rich and Rowan had to decide what to do when they returned the car. Listen to these parts of the roleplay again. Do you know the words and phrases  in bold ?

Jack : OK, that’s nearly everything. You’re free to bring back the tank empty or full. Rich : I think we might be charged more if we bring it back empty . It’s a bit of a scam . Jack : Sorry?  Our current petrol charges are here on the desk and yes there would be an additional fee to fill up the tank. Rich : Best to bring it back full.

Please login to take this quiz.

What a rip-off!

In this week’s roleplay, Jack was trying to sell lots of things to Rowan and Rich. They thought he was ripping them off. This week's task is to tell us about a rip-off - something that you think costs much more money than it should.

• Tell us about something that you think is a rip-off. It could be some kind of equipment, clothes or technology or maybe a service of some kind. 
• Or tell us about a time when you or someone you know was ripped off. What did they buy? Were they tricked or was it just something they could have paid less money for elsewhere?

Write all your answers below, try to use some of the words and phrases we introduced in this podcast and don't forget to  have a guess at this week's football phrase .

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Never mind my Dear teacher-:) Thanks a lot of for your best effort. I wish a healthy life to all members of Premier Skills English British Council team and their families. By the way there is three hours difference between our countries. Bye.

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Hi Rich, No asterisk on the second word of my guess. Jack is right again. Never trust asterisk-:)

You're both right. I sometimes have problems counting those asterisks and, like in your case, sometimes forget them entirely. Sorry :)

I'm sure you've checked what this pesky football phrase was in this week's podcast! 

I was ripped-off. My home computer broke-down.I took it to the repairman. He made a simple operation just changed an unimportant part of computer but got a high amount of money. I never went this service again.

FOOTBALL PHRASE I think it’s AN EXCEPTIONAL ITEM.

A FUNNY INSURING STORY Landlady forgets kitchen tap open when going out for shopping. Naturally house becames flooded. Insurance policy is covered “flood” risk in the environment. However it wasn’t flood in the house . It would have needed an extra cover.

P.S. What’s happening to Liverpool! I think bell shaped curve graph of the team performance explain this. Last year team got title of Premier League. It means highest point of top of the curve. Now team performance is going down. Changement is magic formula.

I think this week’s football phrase is ( a priceless goal ) and ( priceless coins )

I think lots of things and wages in our life is a rip-off. The first and foremost is the footballers wages which is an absolute rip-off despite we love watching football and we have lots of favourite players but it’s really hard to digest their wages especially the amount of money that was paid by PSG to buy Neymar is loads of codswallop. I mean he’s not a doctor or a scientist or a teacher to get that fortune amount of money.

Also , football shirts are a rip-off when you find a sports shirt costs around 100 pounds is unacceptable because even when we change pounds to Turkish liras , it costs a fortune.

Once I was ripped off when I bought a MacBook Air 2017 from an online app and when I checked it in the technology mall , I discovered it was a rip-off because I was told that it cost just half the price I paid for it whereas I contacted the person again and returned back the laptop and got my money back luckily. I think it was a kind of a scam.

All services at Algiers International Airport are ripe-offs.

1.- Well an rip-off for me, when I was in Germany, during the travel the bus stopped at station, and gave us some time to eat and rest, in that place stay a Macdonalds, I have to say in Mexico, never, never I buy a hamburger of Macdonalds, in the station has and a restaurant from an Hotel, but in Germany I starved, and I dont want to spend money in the restaurant, but I hate Macdonalds, so in this situation put my hate in the side and pay one euro for the hamburger, one euro, but my stomach say tank you!

an unusual coin

an unusually coin

I have always considered the food at airports a rip-off. Sometimes you have to pay 10 times the standard price. Looking back on my last trip makes me feel a little bit regreted. I had to pay a lot of money for a cup of coffee. Now suppose you have a coffee in one of those shops at the airport. Who will admit liability if you get sick once you left the airport in a plane headed to another country?

I also think that there certain flight agencies that are dodgy. I remember that my flight ticket didn't include luggage space apart from the hand baggage that you can carry with you. And it's generally limited to a few kilos.

In conclusion, there many people out there who try to rip you off when your only wish is to have a good time traveling. It's a sad part of life.

I think most the famous football player’s contracts are a rip-off. Some of them don’t cost that much.

I don’t have idea about the week’s football phrase, but I’m so curious about the answer

I have a question I know so many vocabulary but I can't use it in write When I try write something I don't remember a lot of words. What is wrong?

a remarkable goal

I think that the phrase is '* *********'* ****'

* *********'* **** is the phrase of the week.

Leaderboard

Skills : Listening

Vocabulary : Hiring a car

Task:  Tell us something that is a rip-off

Travel & Tourism: Transport

Rowan, Rich and Jack talk about memorable trips by road, rail and air.

Travel & Tourism: Hotels

Rowan, Rich and Jack are at a hotel and Rich is complaining.

This Week: Cut the gap

Jack, Laura and Rich talk about the Premier League action from the last seven days.

How to drive a car

In this week's Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and cars.

This Week: Derby Joy

Travel & Tourism: Restaurants

Rowan and Jack go for a meal at a restaurant. Learn phrases to get a table, order food, ask about ingredients and to pay the bill.

Sightseeing in the town

In this video, Mei-Li from China and Ana from Brazil are planning to go sightseeing in Manchester.

• Preparing for IELTS
• Practice tests

Free online IELTS Listening practice tests

The IELTS Listening test will take about 30 minutes, and you will have an extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

The four parts of this practice Listening test are presented over four separate web pages. Make sure you move swiftly from one page to the next so that your practice is as realistic as possible.

Download the question paper and blank answer sheet before you start, and write your answers on the question paper while you are listening. Use a pencil.

Listen to the instructions for each section of the test carefully. Answer all of the questions.There are 40 questions altogether. Each question carries one mark.

For each part of the test, there will be time for you to look through the questions and time for you to check your answers.When you have completed all four parts of the Listening test you will have ten minutes to copy your answers on to a separate answer sheet.

We can make special arrangements for test takers with disabilities. If you require a modified version of the test, for example, in Braille, contact your test centre three months in advance to discuss your requirements.

Instructions to test takers

In the actual test you will be given the following instructions:

• do not open this question paper until you are told to do so
• write your name and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page
• listen to the instructions for each part of the paper carefully
• answer all the questions
• while you are listening, write your answers on the question paper
• you will have 10 minutes at the end of the test to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet; use a pencil

At the end of the test you will be asked to hand in the question paper.

Once you have completed the practice test, download the answers and see how well you have done.

British Council

British council unveils listening all night to the rain by sir john akomfrah ra at the 60th international art exhibition - la biennale di venezia.

Sir John Akomfrah explores post-colonialism, environmental devastation and the politics of aesthetics for the British Pavilion’s contribution to the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

I’m like a little boat,

Sensing an expanse,

Of endless water

Here under groves of trees,

Face to face in the bedroom,

Listening all night to the rain. 

Poem 83, Su Dongpo (1037-1101) 

John Akomfrah said:

“The exhibition is about trying to create a space where people can experience, understand and engage with questions of acoustemology: a sonic way of knowing and being in the world. This is at the core of the Pavilion – be it the ethics, the aesthetics, the problematics, the memories or the histories of listening. When you're listening, you're tuned into your own dreams and ambitions, and to the stories that people tell, unearthing narratives. The key visual motif of the Pavilion – flooding – revisits concerns about climate change but uses the occasion of the approaching crises to encourage a re-thinking of our past. It's a moment to take a detour through avenues of memory, suggesting paths perhaps not taken because we weren’t listening.”  

Tarini Malik, Shane Akeroyd Associate Curator of the British Pavilion, said:

“Bringing together vast and intertwined geopolitical and historical narratives, Listening All Night To The Rain is a boldly imaginative testament to the role of art in charting new ways of confronting legacies of racism and celebrating cultures of resistance and affirmation. True to Akomfrah’s legacy as a trailblazing British artist and filmmaker, this commission pushes the boundaries of his chosen medium, alluding to the power of memory in determining our future and preservation of the natural world.”  

Skinder Hundal, Global Director of Arts at the British Council and Commissioner of the British Pavilion, said:

“This year’s exhibition at the British Pavilion pushes the boundaries of anything artist John Akomfrah has ever presented before. Everyone involved in bringing Listening All Night To The Rain to life should feel extremely proud today of what they have achieved. I am convinced that this work will inspire a new generation of creative talent to collaborate with a deeper consciousness of our planet and the lives that inhabit it. On a personal note, I am overjoyed that three people of colour born from immigrant communities, John Akomfrah, Tarini Malik and myself, have broken through into one of the most important global art events on the calendar.”

The exhibition is also made possible through the support of Lisson Gallery, the Ford Foundation, Luma Foundation, Henry Moore Foundation, Rothschild Foundation and Aarti Lohia, Chairperson of the SP Lohia Foundation: the British Council's Ambassador for the International Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia.

Art Fund is generously supporting a tour to bring Listening All Night To The Rain to venues and audiences across the UK. Amgueddfa Cymru's National Museum Cardiff (Cardiff) and Dundee Contemporary Arts (Dundee) are among the UK museums and galleries to host the exhibition in 2025 and 2026 with support from Art Fund. Further tour locations and dates are to be announced in the coming weeks.

Bloomberg are digital partners for the British Pavilion in 2024.

The British Council Patrons Board, chaired by Ebele Okobi, has seen a record number of individual patrons supporting this year’s commission.

The British Council has been responsible for the British Pavilion at the International Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia since 1937, showcasing the best of the UK’s artists, architects, designers and curators.These International Exhibitions, and the British Council’s Venice Fellowships initiative introduced in 2016, help make the British Pavilion a major platform for discussion about contemporary art and architecture.

The British Council’s Fellowship Scheme hosts 66 emerging arts professionals and students in Venice for a month throughout the run of the International Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia. During their time in Venice they invigilate the Pavilion alongside conducting independent research and fostering new international connections. For 2024, the British Council has partnered with 42 UK Higher Education Institutions and arts organisations with whom they are committed to creating inclusive and representative pathways for all into the Visual Arts Sector.

Notes to Editor

Exhibition details:

For further information, interview requests and images please contact: Sam Talbot [email protected] +447725 184630

Mary Doherty [email protected] +447716 701499

John Akomfrah’s British Council Commission for the British Pavilion at the 60th International Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will run from 20 April – 24 November 2024.

For more information visit https://venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org/listening-all-night

Preview: Wednesday 17 April to Friday 19 April, 10am-6pm

The British Pavilion is commissioned by the British Council; please ensure you credit the British Council in all editorial features.

For news on the British Council commission: https://venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org/

For British Council Venice press office updates: https://venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org/press

Follow updates on the #BritishPavilion via: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

UK in Venice

Visit venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org for further information about other UK events and UK- based artists exhibiting in Venice during the Biennale Arte 2024.

About John Akomfrah

John Akomfrah is a hugely respected artist and filmmaker, whose works are characterised by their investigations into memory, post-colonialism, temporality and aesthetics and often explore the experiences of migrant diasporas globally. Akomfrah was a founding member of the influential Black Audio Film Collective, which started in London in 1982 alongside artists David Lawson and Lina Gopaul, who he still collaborates with today alongside Ashitey Akomfrah as Smoking Dogs Films. Their first film, Handsworth Songs (1986) explored events surrounding the 1985 riots in Birmingham and London through a charged combination of archive footage, still photos, newly shot material and newsreel. The film won several international prizes and established a multi-layered visual style that has become a recognisable motif of Akomfrah’s practice. Other works include the three-screen installation The Unfinished Conversation (2012), a moving portrait of the cultural theorist Stuart Hall’s life and work; Peripeteia (2012), an imagined drama visualising the lives of individuals included in two 16th century portraits by Albrecht Dürer and Mnemosyne (2010) which exposes experiences of migrants in the UK, questioning the notion of Britain as a promised land by revealing the realities of economic hardship and casual racism.

In 2015, Akomfrah premiered his three-screen film installation Vertigo Sea (2015), which explores what Ralph Waldo Emerson calls ‘the sublime seas’. Fusing archival material, readings from classical sources and newly shot footage, Akomfrah’s piece focuses on the disorder and cruelty of the whaling industry and juxtaposes it with scenes of many generations of migrants making epic crossings of the ocean for a better life. In 2017, Akomfrah presented his largest film installation to date, Purple (2017), at the Barbican in London, which addresses climate change, human communities and wilderness. More recently, Akomfrah debuted Precarity (2017) at Prospect 4 New Orleans, following the life of forgotten New Orleans jazz trumpeter Charles 'Buddy' Bolden. In 2018, Akomfrah participated in the UK wide World War One arts programme 14-18 Now, with his multiscreen installation Mimesis: African Soldier (2018), which commemorated African and colonial participants who fought, served and perished during The Great War. In 2019 Akomfrah presented Four Nocturnes (2019) in the Ghana Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, a three-channel piece reflecting on the intertwined relationship between humanity’s destruction of the natural world and our of ourselves. In 2023, he premiered two major five-channel pieces at the 15th Sharjah Biennial: ‘Thinking Historically in the Present’: Arcadia (2023), reflecting on ‘The Columbian Exchange’ between the Americas, Afro-Eurasia and Europe from the 1400s onwards; and Becoming Wind (2023), an allegorical representation of the Garden of Eden and its disappearance.

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Noosa Shire Council considering a 'congestion tax' to solve traffic gridlock during holidays, weekends

If you have been to Noosa, you have probably raged at the traffic woes that plague the south-east Queensland holiday hotspot during busy periods. 

Noosa's population swells on weekends and peak times as daytrippers and holiday-makers descend upon the beachside town. 

The local council is considering a controversial solution to beat the traffic gridlock — a congestion tax for tourists. 

Noose Shire Council Deputy Mayor Brian Stockwell believes a congestion charge using vehicle recognition technology will be more successful than introducing paid parking. 

"We've got a real problem with congestion. It's not just something that's inconvenient," he said. 

"What used to be just in peak season now is most weekends.

"People are saying that it's really affecting their livability. It's negatively impacting their lifestyle and it's having mental health impacts.

"It is a very serious issue here at Noosa." 

How bad is the problem? 

Noosa's idyllic beaches and natural beauty attracts tourists from around Australia and overseas — not to mention Sunshine Coast locals who sometimes visit for the day. 

There is a severe shortage of carparks to meet the demand, particularly on weekends. 

The road into Hastings Street, the area's main shopping strip, becomes clogged with vehicles and can cause queues several kilometres long.

Noosa council runs free shuttle buses during peak times, which allows people to park in larger carparks nearby and catch a lift into the beach. 

But those buses get stuck in the same traffic congestion. 

Offering a carrot and stick

Cr Stockwell says the council has provided "carrots" with free buses, but now it is time for the "stick" to funnel more people onto those buses and clear up the roads. 

"We have traffic that's backing back over the Noosa hill. It's causing people great difficulties," he said.  

"The congestion charge is … not about being anti-tourist. It's about saying in certain times of the year, certain days of the year, the best way to get to the beach is by public transport or active transport."

The free buses are funded by residents paying a $30 annual levy through their council rates. 

Cr Stockwell said a congestion tax, which would not apply to local residents, was considered in 2017 but "was quite unpopular then". 

"We probably now have a majority of people who would support this sort of change," he said. 

He denied the tax was a "revenue-raising exercise". 

"If we do this, it can probably actually pay for the sustainable transport options like the free bus, and we could take that $30 transport levy off the rate bill," Cr Stockwell said. 

Beaching parking 'scarce'

Griffith University transport expert Matthew Burke said beach parking was a "scarce resource". 

"City after city has brought in timed and then paid parking," he said. 

"God isn't creating any more land in Noosa and certainly we're not able to create more road space.

"We end up having to ration that pretty severely and paid parking will inevitably come at some point." 

Professor Burke said a congestion charge could be a very effective incentive for visiting beachgoers to change their behaviour. 

"It's not fun. People don't like to pay," he said. 

"People need to just judge whether the nuisance of bringing in a congestion charge would outweigh the benefits that would come in freeing up that strip." 

How would it work? 

Professor Burke said there were different ways a congestion tax could be charged. 

"The lowest tech is a boom gate and then a literal toll booth where people pay via a credit card or cash," he said. 

"The more advanced system is like the Transurban toll roads people would be familiar with in Brisbane, where you pay via a transponder that's attached to the vehicle and allows you to just drive through at pace."

Professor Burke said a critical factor in selling the decision to ratepayers was ensuring the council spent the revenue transparently. 

"If ever this was done at Noosa, what I think the community would want to see is … that money spent back in that location.

"There's easy ways to do this, [maybe] a big sign that says, 'This huge street improvement … has been paid for by those motorists from that congestion charge'. 

"We'd all love free parking but someone has to pay for that parking.

"It's provided by our local governments and others through rates, and we all pay rates, except for us daytrippers from down south."

Cr Stockwell said Noosa residents wanted "profound change". 

"They want noticeable and positive alteration to the way that the community is being impacted currently by the level of tourism," he said. 

"The Noosa community is now calling for something that's transformational in the way we treat traffic in our tourist precincts.

"We want to get Noosa back to be a place where people come but they leave the car behind." 

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'short-term pain for long-term gain': transport minister's message to motorists stuck in bruce highway delays.

Council considers banning cars from Noosa's Hastings Street

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Amsterdam blocks construction of new hotels to fight overtourism

Dutch officials are trying to limit the number of tourists flooding amsterdam.

In another attempt to crack down on overtourism, officials in Amsterdam are banning the construction of new hotels in the Dutch capital.

The policy, announced Wednesday, only permits new hotels in a one-in, one-out system; a new hotel can be built only if another closes. New hotels may not exceed the bed count of the previous hotels and must be “better,” per the city’s release, with more modern and sustainable features.

“Amsterdam says ‘no’ to new hotels,” reads a translated statement from city officials. “We want to make and keep the city livable for residents and visitors.”

The effort follows initiatives in Amsterdam to limit the influx of tourists into the city, a destination known for its tolerant drug policies, sex industry and liberated party scene.

In Amsterdam, people are not prosecuted for buying up to 5 grams of cannabis, which can be purchased in coffee shops. For years, city officials have been trying to rein in hordes of “nuisance” tourists, or those who are attracted to the city by the promise of a night of debauchery.

In June 2023, the city council passed the “ tourism balance in Amsterdam ” policy, which set a maximum number of overnight stays and day visits in the city, capping the annual visitor count at 20 million people per year. Wednesday’s guidance re-ups that regulation; the number of hotel nights in 2023 was 20,665,000, according to the city.

“We are now taking more measures to ensure that the number of hotel nights does not increase even further,” the city’s statement read.

That same year, seeking to curb the rowdy crowds of the Red Light District and offer residents a better night’s sleep, the city cracked down on public pot smoking in the streets and limited the hours of operation for certain restaurants and sex establishments.

Amsterdam also launched a “ Stay Away ” campaign, directly targeting British men between the ages of 18 to 35. The demographic group frequents the city for “stag” or bachelor parties, which residents say are disruptive .

Also in 2023, city officials adopted a proposal to relocate a cruise ship terminal . In addition to addressing pollution concerns, the move sought to prevent crowds of tourists from flooding the city’s center upon docking.

It’s unclear how the city plans to enforce the new hotel construction policy; according to the release, new hotels already under construction may continue. That includes 26 hotels with existing permits.

More travel news

How we travel now: More people are taking booze-free trips — and airlines and hotels are taking note. Some couples are ditching the traditional honeymoon for a “buddymoon” with their pals. Interested? Here are the best tools for making a group trip work.

Bad behavior: Entitled tourists are running amok, defacing the Colosseum , getting rowdy in Bali and messing with wild animals in national parks. Some destinations are fighting back with public awareness campaigns — or just by telling out-of-control visitors to stay away .

Safety concerns: A door blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, leaving passengers traumatized — but without serious injuries. The ordeal led to widespread flight cancellations after the jet was grounded, and some travelers have taken steps to avoid the plane in the future. The incident has also sparked a fresh discussion about whether it’s safe to fly with a baby on your lap .