Reading 9-A

 Read the extracts from articles written by travel writers. Match the extracts with each sentence. There is one extract that matches two sentences.

1 __

Elizabeth seemed like an ordinary person − just another old lady sitting on the deck of a cruise ship. I wouldn’t have started talking to her if I hadn’t noticed that everyone on the ship knew her name: from the captain to the cleaners. Elizabeth told me that she’d moved into a cabin on the cruise ship nine years earlier, and had never left. Elizabeth pays £4,000 a month to stay on the ship − about the same as a hotel room on land. But the ship has great food and entertainment, and Elizabeth sees the world!

2 ___

It was 3 a.m., and I just wanted to sleep. But the people cleaning the departure lounge had other ideas.

‘You can’t stay here. You have to move!’

I wanted to say, ‘Look, if a hurricane hadn’t hit Cuba, they wouldn’t have cancelled my flight − and I wouldn’t be trying to sleep on your floor. Does it look like I’m having fun?’

But, of course, I just picked up my things, walking back to the all-night airport café. It was my third cup of coffee that night, and I wasn’t feeling very good. ‘If anyone else tells me to move,’ I thought, ‘I’ll scream!’

3 ___

I was sitting on a flight to São Paulo, enjoying a film, when someone cried, ‘Look! The engine’s caught fire!’ Moments later, the captain made an announcement.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, both our engines have stopped. We’re trying to start them, so please stay calm.’

Calm − we were falling out of the sky! People began to scream. The cabin crew rushed around. I cried! Then suddenly, the left engine came back to life.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ the captain announced, sounding happier this time, ‘we’re going to land in Senegal, West Africa. I hear it’s nice at this time of year.’

4 ___

On our first day in New York, we went for a walk through Central Park, sitting on a bench to eat hotdogs. Then we left the park, planning to go to the Empire State Building. We were walking down Fifth Avenue, enjoying the sunny weather, when my Mum suddenly cried, ‘Oh no. I’ve left our bag in the park.’

‘My camera is in that bag!’ Megan said. ‘It wouldn’t have happened if you’d been more careful,’ Dad said. But I just said, ‘Let’s stop blaming Mum and go back to the park.’ And luckily someone had found our bag and hidden it behind the bench, thinking we might come back for it.

In article 1, the writer

1 __

Elizabeth seemed like an ordinary person − just another old lady sitting on the deck of a cruise ship. I wouldn’t have started talking to her if I hadn’t noticed that everyone on the ship knew her name: from the captain to the cleaners. Elizabeth told me that she’d moved into a cabin on the cruise ship nine years earlier, and had never left. Elizabeth pays £4,000 a month to stay on the ship − about the same as a hotel room on land. But the ship has great food and entertainment, and Elizabeth sees the world!

2 ___

It was 3 a.m., and I just wanted to sleep. But the people cleaning the departure lounge had other ideas.

‘You can’t stay here. You have to move!’

I wanted to say, ‘Look, if a hurricane hadn’t hit Cuba, they wouldn’t have cancelled my flight − and I wouldn’t be trying to sleep on your floor. Does it look like I’m having fun?’

But, of course, I just picked up my things, walking back to the all-night airport café. It was my third cup of coffee that night, and I wasn’t feeling very good. ‘If anyone else tells me to move,’ I thought, ‘I’ll scream!’

3 ___

I was sitting on a flight to São Paulo, enjoying a film, when someone cried, ‘Look! The engine’s caught fire!’ Moments later, the captain made an announcement.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, both our engines have stopped. We’re trying to start them, so please stay calm.’

Calm − we were falling out of the sky! People began to scream. The cabin crew rushed around. I cried! Then suddenly, the left engine came back to life.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ the captain announced, sounding happier this time, ‘we’re going to land in Senegal, West Africa. I hear it’s nice at this time of year.’

4 ___

On our first day in New York, we went for a walk through Central Park, sitting on a bench to eat hotdogs. Then we left the park, planning to go to the Empire State Building. We were walking down Fifth Avenue, enjoying the sunny weather, when my Mum suddenly cried, ‘Oh no. I’ve left our bag in the park.’

‘My camera is in that bag!’ Megan said. ‘It wouldn’t have happened if you’d been more careful,’ Dad said. But I just said, ‘Let’s stop blaming Mum and go back to the park.’ And luckily someone had found our bag and hidden it behind the bench, thinking we might come back for it.

In article 2, the writer

1 __

Elizabeth seemed like an ordinary person − just another old lady sitting on the deck of a cruise ship. I wouldn’t have started talking to her if I hadn’t noticed that everyone on the ship knew her name: from the captain to the cleaners. Elizabeth told me that she’d moved into a cabin on the cruise ship nine years earlier, and had never left. Elizabeth pays £4,000 a month to stay on the ship − about the same as a hotel room on land. But the ship has great food and entertainment, and Elizabeth sees the world!

2 ___

It was 3 a.m., and I just wanted to sleep. But the people cleaning the departure lounge had other ideas.

‘You can’t stay here. You have to move!’

I wanted to say, ‘Look, if a hurricane hadn’t hit Cuba, they wouldn’t have cancelled my flight − and I wouldn’t be trying to sleep on your floor. Does it look like I’m having fun?’

But, of course, I just picked up my things, walking back to the all-night airport café. It was my third cup of coffee that night, and I wasn’t feeling very good. ‘If anyone else tells me to move,’ I thought, ‘I’ll scream!’

3 ___

I was sitting on a flight to São Paulo, enjoying a film, when someone cried, ‘Look! The engine’s caught fire!’ Moments later, the captain made an announcement.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, both our engines have stopped. We’re trying to start them, so please stay calm.’

Calm − we were falling out of the sky! People began to scream. The cabin crew rushed around. I cried! Then suddenly, the left engine came back to life.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ the captain announced, sounding happier this time, ‘we’re going to land in Senegal, West Africa. I hear it’s nice at this time of year.’

4 ___

On our first day in New York, we went for a walk through Central Park, sitting on a bench to eat hotdogs. Then we left the park, planning to go to the Empire State Building. We were walking down Fifth Avenue, enjoying the sunny weather, when my Mum suddenly cried, ‘Oh no. I’ve left our bag in the park.’

‘My camera is in that bag!’ Megan said. ‘It wouldn’t have happened if you’d been more careful,’ Dad said. But I just said, ‘Let’s stop blaming Mum and go back to the park.’ And luckily someone had found our bag and hidden it behind the bench, thinking we might come back for it.

In article 3, the writer

1 __

Elizabeth seemed like an ordinary person − just another old lady sitting on the deck of a cruise ship. I wouldn’t have started talking to her if I hadn’t noticed that everyone on the ship knew her name: from the captain to the cleaners. Elizabeth told me that she’d moved into a cabin on the cruise ship nine years earlier, and had never left. Elizabeth pays £4,000 a month to stay on the ship − about the same as a hotel room on land. But the ship has great food and entertainment, and Elizabeth sees the world!

2 ___

It was 3 a.m., and I just wanted to sleep. But the people cleaning the departure lounge had other ideas.

‘You can’t stay here. You have to move!’

I wanted to say, ‘Look, if a hurricane hadn’t hit Cuba, they wouldn’t have cancelled my flight − and I wouldn’t be trying to sleep on your floor. Does it look like I’m having fun?’

But, of course, I just picked up my things, walking back to the all-night airport café. It was my third cup of coffee that night, and I wasn’t feeling very good. ‘If anyone else tells me to move,’ I thought, ‘I’ll scream!’

3 ___

I was sitting on a flight to São Paulo, enjoying a film, when someone cried, ‘Look! The engine’s caught fire!’ Moments later, the captain made an announcement.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, both our engines have stopped. We’re trying to start them, so please stay calm.’

Calm − we were falling out of the sky! People began to scream. The cabin crew rushed around. I cried! Then suddenly, the left engine came back to life.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ the captain announced, sounding happier this time, ‘we’re going to land in Senegal, West Africa. I hear it’s nice at this time of year.’

4 ___

On our first day in New York, we went for a walk through Central Park, sitting on a bench to eat hotdogs. Then we left the park, planning to go to the Empire State Building. We were walking down Fifth Avenue, enjoying the sunny weather, when my Mum suddenly cried, ‘Oh no. I’ve left our bag in the park.’

‘My camera is in that bag!’ Megan said. ‘It wouldn’t have happened if you’d been more careful,’ Dad said. But I just said, ‘Let’s stop blaming Mum and go back to the park.’ And luckily someone had found our bag and hidden it behind the bench, thinking we might come back for it.

In article 4, the writer

Complete the email with the words below.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was ¹________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable ²________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go ³________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went ⁴________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never ⁵________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents ⁶________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for ⁷________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a ⁸________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

1.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was 1________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable 2________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go 3________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went 4________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never 5________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents 6________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for 7________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a 8________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

2.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was 1________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable 2________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go 3________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went 4________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never 5________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents 6________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for 7________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a 8________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

3.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was 1________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable 2________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go 3________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went 4________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never 5________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents 6________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for 7________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a 8________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

4.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was 1________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable 2________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go 3________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went 4________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never 5________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents 6________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for 7________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a 8________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

5.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was 1________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable 2________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go 3________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went 4________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never 5________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents 6________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for 7________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a 8________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

6.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was 1________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable 2________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go 3________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went 4________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never 5________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents 6________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for 7________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a 8________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

7.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your email. We’re on a cruise ship in the Caribbean at the moment, and we’re having a great time! Our flight was 1________________ so we had to wait in the airport for a few hours, but that’s been the only problem so far. The ship is very nice, and we’ve got very comfortable 2________________ too. Every day we visit a different Caribbean island and go 3________________ or do activities there. Yesterday, we went 4________________ down a river in Jamaica − I’m not very fit, so I was exhausted at the end of the day! Every island we’ve visited has been amazing, but my favourite place so far is St Lucia. I’ll never 5________________ seeing the island for the first time when our cruise ship arrived there at sunrise − it was beautiful!

There are lots of things to do on the ship too, and my parents 6________________ me do anything I want. There’s also plenty of time for 7________________ by the swimming pool. The food on the ship is great, too, and Mum and Dad are very happy about that − last year we stayed in a 8________________ apartment in Italy, and they had to cook everything themselves! Anyway, I’d better go − it’s nearly time for dinner!

Melanie

8.