Introduce the story: Today we'll talk about different forms of travel.
Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: Which type of transport does the writer prefer, do you think?
Vocabulary:
positively adv .绝对地，完全地
cruise n .巡游船
compartment n .列车客车厢内的分隔间（或单间）
civilize v .使文明
spacious adj .宽敞的
cramped adj .窄小的
seasick adj .晕船的
stuffy adj .憋气的，闷气的
intimidate v .恐吓，恫吓
monotonous adj .枯燥的，乏味的，单调的
disadvantage n .短处，缺点
exhilarating adj.使人高兴的，令人兴奋的
rhythm n .有节奏的运动
click v.发出咔哒声
escapist n .逍遥者
lull v .催人欲睡
sip v .呷，啜
snatch n .短时，片段
champagne n .香槟酒
sleeper n .卧铺
refinement n .精心的安排
fumble v .乱摸，摸索
breathtaking adj .激动人心的；不寻常的
inspection n .检查
inevitably adv .必然地，不可避免
soar v .高飞，翱翔
effortlessly adv .不费力地
destination n . 目的地
landscape n .景色
exhaust v .使精疲力尽
fresh adj .精神饱满的
motorway n .快车道
uncrumpled adj .没有垮下来
ferry n .渡船
Passage:
People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer
to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for
more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. It is almost
impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, for
the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep.
During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep,
you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half
the night staring at the small almost exhausted. Long car journeys are even less
pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least, travel
fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is
spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic. By comparison, ferry
trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts. You can stretch your legs on
the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting people and enjoy good
food----always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it is not, and you are likely
to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather,
sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice holiday
time for the pleasure of travelling by sea.
出远门的人常常需要决定是走旱路、水路，还是坐飞机。很少有人能够真正喜欢
坐几个小时以上的火车。车厢很快就变得拥挤、闷热，想摆脱开旅途的困扰是很
难的。看书只能解决部分问题。车轮与铁轨间单调的嘎喳声很快就会送你进入梦
乡。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，却很难入睡。即使你走运弄到一
个卧铺，夜间有一半时间你会盯着车顶那盏小蓝灯而睡不着觉；要不然就为查票
摸索你的车票。一旦抵达目的地，你总是疲惫不堪。乘汽车作长途旅行则更加不
舒服，因为连看书都几乎不可能。在公路上还好，你至少能以相当快的速度安全
地向前行。但旅行的大部分时间都花在路上，而且只有很少的服务设施，交通也
很拥挤。相比之下，坐船旅行或环游可以得到文明世界的各种享受。你可以在甲
板上伸展四肢、做游戏，还能见到各种有趣的人，能享用各种美味佳肴——当然，
这一切只有在大海风平浪静的情况下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起来，你就可能晕
船，那种难受劲儿是任何一种别的旅行方式都不会带来的。即便风平浪静，坐船
旅行也要占用很长时间。没有多少人会为了享受坐船旅行的乐趣而牺牲假期的时
间。
Notes:
1 take your mind off the journey, 摆脱旅途的困扰。 take one's mind off sth. 是“把
某人的注意力从某事上移开” 的意思。
2 in snatches, 断断续续地。
3 more often than not, 经常。
Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are
intimidated by them. They also have the disadvantage of being an expensive form of
transport. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Travelling at a height of
30, 000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating
experience. You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for
an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle back in a
deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a film and sip
champagne on some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there
is plenty to keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking
view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You
really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy
the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you,
while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is
nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However, you decide to spend your
time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.
You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous
journey.
飞机以危险而著称，连老资格的旅行者也怕飞机。飞机的另一个缺点是昂贵。但
就速度与舒适而言，飞机是无与伦比的。腾云驾雾，在 30，000 英尺高空以 500
英里的时速旅行，这种经历令人心旷神怡。你不必想办法去摆脱旅途的困扰，因
为飞机会迅速地把你送到目的地。几小时之内，你躺在扶手椅上，享受着旅途的
欢乐。真正会享受的人还可以在某些航班上看一场电影和喝香槟。即使没有这些
消遣条件，也总是有事可做。飞机上，你可以观察世界上非同寻常的奇妙的美景。
你毫不费劲地飞越高山幽谷，你确能饱览大地的风貌。如果这种景色被遮住了，
你便可以观赏一下展现在你面前的、一望数英里的、连绵不断的云海，同时阳光
灿烂，天空清澈明朗。旅途平稳，丝毫不妨碍你阅读或睡眠。不管你打算如何消
磨时间，有件事是可以肯定的，即当你抵达目的地时，你感到精神焕发，毫无倦
意，用不着因为漫长旅途的辛苦而花几天时间休息来恢复精神。
Notes:
4 But nothing can match them for speed and comfort.
但就速度和舒适而论，什么也不能和飞机相比。介词 for此处作“就……而论”讲。
5 keep you occupied, 使你有事可做。
44.2【阅读理解】Speed and comfort
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
1 Who often have to decide whether they would prefer to travel by land, sea or air?
(People travelling long distances.)
2 Train compartments get cramped and stuffy, don't they? (Yes, they do.)
3 Is it easy to read on a train? (No, it isn't.)
4 What lulls you to sleep? (The monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the
rails.)
5 And how easy is it to sleep on a train? (Not very easy at all.)
6 Are long car journeys more, or less, pleasant than train journeys? (Less pleasant.)
7 How can you travel on motorways? (At high speeds.)
8 What do ferry trips and cruises offer? (A variety of civilized comforts.)
9 What can you do when the sea is calm? (Stretch your legs, play games, meet
interesting people and enjoy good food.)
10 Do sea journeys always take a long time? (Yes, they do.)
11 How many people are prepared to sacrifice holiday time for the pleasure of
travelling by sea? (Relatively few.)
12 Why are many travellers intimidated by aeroplanes? (Because they have the
reputation of being dangerous.)
13 Is flying an expensive form of transport? (Yes, it is.)
14 What kind of an experience is flying? (An exhilarating experience.)
15 What can you settle back in to enjoy the flight? (A deep armchair.)
16 What does an aeroplane offer you? (An unusual and breathtaking view of the
world.)
17 What can you enjoy if the landscape is hidden from view? (The sight of unbroken
cloud plains.)
18 Why is there nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping? (Because the
journey is so smooth.)
19 How will you almost certainly arrive at your destination? (Fresh and uncrumpled.)
44.3【拓展写作】Speed and comfort
Step 3: Composition
Write a composition in about 300 words on the given topic:
• The disadvantages of travelling by air.
Key to composition
Plan and ideas for composition (b)
Title: The disadvantages of travelling by air
Introduction: All forms of travel—advantages and disadvantages—flying has many
advantages (e.g. speed) —but many disadvantages
Development: Booking—different airlines, different prices — then the real time— e.g.
for a 2-hour flight—time to get to airport, checking in, etc—at other end, customs,
passport control, waiting for luggage, etc.
On flight itself—squashed in—sitting next to strangers—airline food — two small
toilets for hundreds of people—noise of engines and air-conditioning system
For some people—constant sense of danger—will we arrive safely? —will any of the
engines fail?...
Conclusion: So many disadvantages but millions will go on flying rather than by road
or sea.
Composition
All forms of travel have advantages and disadvantages. Flying has many
advantages that regular international travellers will tell you about, but it has many
disadvantages.
When you travel by train, you turn up at the railway station, buy a ticket to your
destination, go onto the platform and get on the train when it arrives. With travelling
by air, booking itself is a major problem. Immediately you are faced with choices
because different airlines offer the same fights for different prices. Personally, never
know which to choose.
And then there's the real time. When they tell you that it is a two-hour flight, add
at least five hours to that. Remember first of all that you have to get to the airport (by
car, bus, coach or train). Then you have to check in — usually at least an hour before
take-off — go through customs and passport control, and then wait in the departure
lounge (bored out of your mind!) until your flight is called. Boarding takes at least
half an hour, and then you sit in the aircraft waiting to take off. At the other end, after
your flight, again you are subjected to customs and passport control before waiting for
your luggage before you catch your transport from the airport to your real destination.
On the flight itself you are squashed in, often sitting next to strangers who might
have strange or bad habits, such as an irritating cough. They always give you a meal,
but airline food often tastes like plastic and there is rarely any choice. There are just
two small toilets for hundreds of people and there is the constant drone of engines and
the hum of the air-conditioning system.
For some travellers, too, there is a constant sense of danger: Will we arrive
safely?
Will any of the engines fail?...
Flying has many disadvantages but millions will still go on flying.
(329 words)
课外练习：
1 The great disadvantage shared by train and car travel alike is .
(a) the fact that one cannot get to sleep on either form of transport
(b) the fact that one cannot concentrate on what one is reading
(c) the monotony of travelling at fast speeds along railway lines or roads
(d) the tedium and discomfort of the journey
2 An aeroplane journey invariably provides such distractions as .
(a) the thought that one has not long to wait before arriving
(b) the exhilarating quality of the air one breathes at 30,000 feet
(c) being able to watch a film or drink champagne
(d) the marvellous views of land or clouds you can see from the plane
3 Having arrived at your destination by air, you will .
(a) not feel exhausted as you will have had plenty of sleep
(b) feel the expense was worth the comfort and speed of the 500-mile flight
(c) have the satisfaction of knowing you could not have got there any faster
(d) at least feel fresh though your clothes might be a mess
4 People travelling long distances frequently have to decide they would
prefer to go by land, sea or air. (ll. 1-2)
(a) which
(b) how
(c) what
(d) if
5 If you are a sleeper ... (11.8-9)
(a) luckily getting
(b) lucky and get
(c) to get luckily
(d) so lucky to get
6 - and enjoy good food , of course, that the sea is calm. (ll. 13-14)
(a) provided
(b) in the event
(c) in case
(d) if only
7 In addition, it their being the most expensive form of transport… (1. 19)
(a) has been a grave disadvantage
(b) is the great disadvantage that
(c) is a great disadvantage
(d has been the great disadvantage of
8 If it is not and you are , no form of transport could be worse. (l1. 14-15)
(a) probably seasick
(b) bad at sailing
(c) sick of the sea
(d) prone to seasickness
9 Nothing can aeroplanes for speed and comfort. (11. 19-20)
(a) match with
(b) equal
(c) equal with
(d equal to
10 For a few hours, you a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. (ll. 22-23)
(a) relax in
(b) sit up in
(c) sit on
(d) install
11 You can enjoy the extraordinary of unbroken cloud plains ... (l. 26-27)
(a) scene
(b) vision
(c) spectacle
(d) scenery
12 You won't spend the next few days getting a long and arduous journey.
(l. 30)
(a) above
(b) over
(c) up from
(d) away from
答案：1d 2c 3c 4d 5b 6a 7c 8d 9b 10a 11c 12b