A sea trip

“No”, said Harris, “if you want rest and change, you can’t beat a sea trip.”

I objected to the sea trip strongly. A sea trip does you good when you are going to have a couple of months of it, but, for a week, it is wicked.

You start on Monday with the idea that you are going to en­joy yourself. You wave an airy adieu to the boys on shore, light your biggest pipe and swagger about the deck as if you were Cap­tain Cook, Sir Francis Drake, and Christopher Columbus all rolled into one. On Tuesday you wish you hadn’t come. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, you wish you were dead. On Saturday you are able to swallow a little beef tea, and to sit up on deck, and answer with a wan, sweet smile when kind-heart- ed people ask you how you feel now. On Sunday, you begin to walk about again, and take solid food. And on Monday morning, as, with your bag and umbrella in your hand, you stand by the gangway, waiting to step ashore, you begin to thoroughly like it.

I remember my brother-in-law going for a short sea trip once for the benefit of his health. He took a return berth from Lon­don to Liverpool; and when he got to Liverpool, the only thing he was anxious about was to sell that return ticket.

It was offered round the town at a tremendous reduction so I am told; and was eventually sold for eighteen pence to a youth who had just been advised by his medical man to go to the sea­side, and take exercise,

“Seaside!” said my brother-in-law, pressing the ticket affec­tionately into his hand; “why, you’ll get enough to last you a life­time; and as for exercise! why, you’ll get more exercise, sitting down on that ship, than you would turning somersaults on dry land.”

He himself — my brother-in-law — came back by train. He said the North-Western Railway was healthy enough for him.

(From “Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K. Jerome. Adapted)

1. Answer the following questions:

1. What made the narrator object to the sea trip?

2. Why did his brother-in-law sell his return ticket?

3. How did he describe the advantages of a sea trip to the youth who bought his ticket?

2. Point out the lines and passages that you consider hu­morous.

3. Make up a dialogue.

A person who has just returned from a foreign cruise is an­swering the questions of an eager listener.

Use the following: a most exciting experience; I really envy you; do tell me all about it; where did you sail from? what were your ports of call? go ashore; go sightseeing; what was the place that impressed you most? I didn’t think much of...; the journey was tiring; but you did enjoy it, didn’t you?

4. Give English equivalents of the following:

пароход (3); пассажирский пароход; грузовой пароход; океанский лайнер; каюта; каюта-люкс; место в каюте; ил­люминатор; палуба; верхняя (нижняя) палуба; на палубе; борт; правый (левый) борт; на борту парохода; (пароход­ная) труба; мачта; якорь; бросать якорь, поднимать якорь; стоять на якоре; трап; порт; гавань; пристань; путешествие по морю; (увеселительная) поездка по морю; ехать морем; ехать пароходом; садиться на пароход (3); сходить с паро­хода; заказывать (покупать) билет на пароход (2); прича­ливать; заходить в порт; выходить из гавани; брать груз; грузиться, выгружаться; высаживать пассажиров (о паро­ходе); брать пассажиров; переехать (океан и т. д.); хорошо (плохо) переносить качку; капитан; первый помощник капитана; стюардесса; курсировать (о пароходе); морская линия; первый рейс парохода (2); (не)спокойное море; путешествие (поездка) туда и обратно; прибывать (о паро­ходе); отходить (о пароходе); кораблекрушение; путеше­ствие (поездка) морем, когда оно (не)спокойно; не поспеть (опоздать) на пароход; приехать вовремя на пароход; при­быть вовремя (о пароходе).

5. Give antonyms to the following words:

To object, strongly, wicked, dead, wan, solid, benefit, to be anxious, reduction, dry.

6. What phrases with the following words do you know?

Beat; trip; come; heart; hand; stand.

7. What nouns can be used with the following adjectives?

Airy, sweet, solid, tremendous, medical.

8. Supply articles or possessive pronouns wherever nec­essary.

1. If... captain wishes to keep ... ship in ... middle of... har­bour, he must drop anchor.

2. Many ocean-going liners are driven not by ...coal, but by ... oil, because this is lighter and more economical.

3. Would you like to stay up on ... deck or go down below?

4. I’m not much of... sailor.

5. ... sea is quite smooth and we shall have a good crossing.

6. Pass up ... gangway, please!—First class on ... right,—sec­ond class on... left.

7. We went on ... board at Sochi.

8. It’s time to get on ... board,... boat will be sailing soon.

9. I took ... return berth from London to Liverpool and when I got to Liverpool... only thing 1 was anxious about was to sell... return ticket. ‘

10. Have you ever taken ... journey by ... boat.

11. We have made up our minds to go on ... sea-voyage next summer.

12. I’m looking forward to ... Black Sea cruise so much.

13. Can I book ... passage on ... next boat to Southampton?

14. Which is more expensive, ... cabin or ... stateroom?

15. What are... duties of... steward on ... board... ship?

16. She was ... good mixer and in ... short time she knew all the passengers on ... board ... ship.

17. He missed ... moment... ship dropped ... anchor.

DIALOGUE4 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

Read and dramatize the dialogue.

TYavel agent: May I help you?

Traveller: Yes, please. We’d like to take a ship from Stock­

holm to St. Petersburg.

TYavel agent: When are you planning to go?

Traveller: Next Saturday, if there’s any ship.

TYavel agent: Yes, it leaves Stockholm at 18.00 and goes to St. Petersburg via Helsinki.

Traveller: What time does it arrive in St. Petersburg?... How

long does the whole journey take?

TYavel agent: It takes 12 hours to get to Helsinki and 8 hours more to St. Petersburg.

Traveller: So we are due to arrive at about 14.00 the next

day, aren’t we?

TYavel agent: That’s right, sir.

Traveller: If we take a two-berth cabin ... Is it a cabin with

two separate berths?

TYavel agent: Right. One above the other, sir.

Traveller: Oh, really? I didn’t realize that. Do the upper and

the lower berths go under the same price?

TYavel agent: They do. It will cost you $48 each.

TYaveller: I see. It won’t be late to book the tickets in a day

or two, will it?

TYavel agent: No problem, sir.

DIALOGUE5 ■■■■■■■■■■»■■■■■■

TYaveller: Good morning. Could you tell me if there’s a

night ferry from Hull to Rotterdam?

TYavel agent: Yes, it’s at six o’clock every evening.

TYaveller: And what time does it get into Rotterdam?

TYavel agent: Eight o’clock the following morning.

TYaveller: Uh-huh. There’s just the one ferry, isn’t there?

Yes, it goes at six o’clock every evening.