1.

Travel, Trust,
and Tourism
Jemaa el-Fnaa is a square and a marketplace in Marrakesh, Morocco. Every evening, food stalls
and entertainers attract local people and tourists to the main square of the city. How is the market
different from markets near where you live? How would visiting this place make you feel? Why?

IN THIS UNIT, YOU...

• t alk about student exchanges and study-abroad programs.
• read about a disappearing way of traveling for free.
• watch a TED Talk about how design can build trust between strangers.
• write a review of a place you have visited.

8
1A Cultural Exchange
VOCABULARY Experiences abroad

1 Have you been abroad? If yes, where? If no, would you like to? Why?

2 Check that you understand the words and phrases in bold. Then tell your partner
which experiences you think are good and which are bad.
1 be left to your own devices 8 hang out with local people
2 experience culture shock 9 lie around a house all day
3 find people very welcoming 10 see all the sights
4 get a real feel for the place 11 stay in a B&B
5 get food poisoning 12 stay with a host family
6 get robbed 13 take a while to get used to the food
7 go hiking in the mountains 14 travel off the beaten path

3 Complete the description with words or phrases from Activity 2.

In the past, it was very common for teenagers to do student exchanges, where they would
go abroad and stay in each other’s homes. The idea was not only to learn a new language,
but also to (1) with the local teenagers, go to their school, and get a
(2) the place and culture. Sometimes the (3)
was very welcoming and students got along well with the people in the home; other times
the (4) was too much. The students couldn’t (5)
the food and ended up being left to their (6) . Maybe that’s why these days
it is more common for teenagers to go on a group trip abroad, where everyone stays in
a (7) or hostel together. During the trip, students go and see
(8) and only briefly meet up with a group from a local school. This way
teenagers don’t (9) a foreign house all day, and there is no awkwardness.
The worst that could happen might be a case of (10) from a bad clam and
some sore feet from walking around the town.

4 Do you think that the old or new way of doing student exchanges is better? Why?

Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism 9

 LISTENING GRAMMAR Present and past forms

5 Listen to the first part of a podcast about 8 Look at the sentences in the Grammar box.
study-abroad programs. Find out: 01 Then answer the questions.
1 who can do these programs. 1 Which two are about the present?
2 how long people can go abroad and study for. 2 Which four are about the past?
3 when the system started. 3 Which two describe actions that happened before
4 what the possible benefits are. something else in the past?
4 Which three use simple forms?
6 Listen to Kenji and Catalina. Answer the 5 Which three use continuous forms?
questions. 02
Present and past forms
1 Where did they do their study-abroad programs? a I was actually thinking about canceling my trip.
2 How long did they stay for? b I’d been wanting to go there for ages.
3 Did the trip increase their understanding of other c We’re talking about study-abroad programs.
cultures and develop their language skills? If yes, d I’d never left Argentina!
how do you know? e I spent six months in Germany last year.
f I miss my host family.
7 Are the sentences true or false? Listen again Check the Grammar Reference for more information and practice.
to check your answers. 02

1 Kenji had visited several countries before studying 9 Match the rules (1–6) with the examples (a–f)
abroad in Munich.
in the Grammar box.
2 He was really excited about studying abroad.
1 We use the simple present to talk about habits,
3 His host family helped him develop a better
permanent states, and things that are generally
understanding of the German language.
true.
4 He’s still in touch with his host family.
2 We use the present continuous to talk about
5 Catalina has family roots* in Italy. actions we see as temporary, in progress, and
6 She felt at home as soon as she arrived. unfinished.
7 After a few weeks, she spoke enough Italian to do 3 We use the simple past to describe finished
what she needed to do. actions in the past, especially when there is one
8 She’s glad she went to Italy, but has no plans to go finished action after another.
back.

*family roots original place where a family is from

10 Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism

 4 We use the past continuous to emphasize an 11 Complete the pairs of sentences with the
action in progress around a time in the past. correct simple form of one of the verbs and
5 We use the simple past perfect to emphasize the correct continuous form of the other.
that one thing happened before a particular point
1a We usually (spend) the summers
in the past.
with my grandparents at their house on the coast.
6 We use the past perfect continuous to talk about
1b This summer, though, my brother is in Costa Rica.
an action that was in progress over a period of
He (stay) with a host family there.
time up to or before a particular point in the past.
2a This weekend I (go) hiking in the
mountains with some friends.
10 Complete the text with the correct form of
2b The bus (leave) at six every
each verb.
morning, so we should be at the station 15
1 I really ____ (love) traveling. It's probably the most minutes before.
important thing in my life.
3a I (get) really bad food poisoning
2 I'm 17, and I _______ (plan) to spend the summer while I was in Scotland. I have no idea why!
on a National Geographic Student Expedition.
3b Things got worse when somebody stole my
3 I actually ______ (go) on my first adventure trip a suitcase while I (wait) in line to
few years ago when I _____ (spend) two months buy train tickets to Glasgow.
in China.
4a I spoke good French by the time I left Quebec
4 While we ______ (stay) in Beijing, we visited the because I (hang out) with the
Great Wall of China. locals for the last few months of the ski season.
5 It was the first time I _______ (ever / go) abroad, 4b It was a great trip, but it was scary, because I
and I loved every minute of it! never (try) skiing
6 It was something I ______ (dream) of doing ever before.
since I was a child. It was amazing!

Some study-abroad programs allow students to visit countries

like China, where they can go to places like the Great Wall.

Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism 11

1B Ask for a Ride
READING

1 Read the article about hitchhiking. Match these headings with the numbered paragraphs.
a Fear
b More wealth
c New needs and opportunities
d Legal restrictions
e Low-cost flights
f Greater access to cars

2 Which of these ideas does the author present? What evidence is given?
1 There used to be far more hitchhikers.
2 There was a high number of robberies involving hitchhikers.
3 It’s difficult to find a place to hitchhike these days.
4 More people drive now than in the past.
5 Air travel is safer than driving or hitchhiking.
6 We are wasting a lot of energy by driving alone.
7 People only hitchhike now if they are poor.
8 Hitchhiking brings benefits to communities and individuals.

CRITICAL THINKING Evaluating ideas

Evaluating ideas and judging them against other perspectives helps to form a basis for developing your own point of view.

3 Discuss the questions.

1 Which is the most important reason the author gives for the decline in hitchhiking? Do you agree?
2 What comparison does the author provide from the website Wand’rly? Is it a fair comparison? Why?
3 How is the example of hitchhiking in Virginia different from other kinds? Does this make it safer? Why?
4 Why do you think the author says he gained a different perspective from other tourists? Do you think that is
true? Do you think his perspective was better? Why?

4 Discuss the questions.

1 Do you think hitchhiking is a good idea? What other reasons could there be for doing it?
2 How could you make hitchhiking safer?

12 Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism

 Hitchbot, a hitchhiking
robot, waits for a ride at the
side of a road.

Hitchhiking
Where did all the hitchhikers go?
03 I was driving along the other day, and I
passed a man sticking his thumb out. He was
asking for a ride. When we had gone past, my
5 daughter, who is 15, asked me, “What was that
man doing?” The question surprised me, because 40 they used to.
hitchhiking used to be so common. I used to do (4)
it all the time when I was a student going home In the past, young people simply couldn’t afford
to visit friends, and I also spent one summer to fly long distances, and traveling by train wasn’t
10 hitchhiking around South America. Often when necessarily much quicker than traveling by car.
you went to some hitching spots, you’d have to 45 Now, however, we have budget airlines, making
line up behind several others already waiting for a air travel more accessible.
ride—it was so popular. So what happened? Why
is it so rare now? The authors of Freakonomics, (5)
15 Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt, have also asked Along the same lines, people’s standard of living
this question in one of their regular podcasts. has increased. Perhaps people opt for higher levels
They suggest that it probably comes down to five 50 of comfort, privacy, or reliability when they travel.
main reasons. (6)
(1) The trouble is that privacy comes at a cost. Levitt
and Dubner state that in the United States, 80
20 Several horror movies have shown psychotic
percent of passenger space in cars is unused,
drivers who kidnap and murder the hitchhiker
55 which makes them more costly to operate and
they pick up (or vice versa). This has been
creates unnecessary traffic and pollution. The
reinforced by certain stories in the media of
solution could be more hitchhiking! They give the
people getting robbed and being left in the
example of a city in Virginia, where commuters
25 middle of nowhere. Unsurprisingly, this has
have organized a spot where they meet to hitch
caused trust to break down. Some people believe
60 a ride so drivers with no passengers can use
that the chances of these things happening
carpool lanes on the highway that are reserved for
are small. The website Wand’rly, for example,
cars that contain more than one person.
suggests that people are far more likely to die by
tripping and falling than by hitchhiking.
30
Fresh Fears
(2)
But what about general travel? I often argued
There are more major roads now than there used
65 with my parents about the dangers of hitchhiking,
to be, and hitching is either banned or drivers are
and I would tell them about all the amazing
not allowed to pull over on these roads.
experiences I’d had and the generous, interesting
35 (3) people I’d met. I think it genuinely gave me
Alan Piskarsi, a transportation expert, points to a different perspective on other travelers and
the fact that cars last longer, so there are more of 70 tourists. But now, I look at my daughter and I
them available at a cheaper price. What's more, wonder about her going on a trip. Would I want
many more people have driver's licenses than her to go hitchhiking?

Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism 13

1C How Airbnb Designs for Trust

“ We were aiming to build Olympic

trust between people who had
never met.
JOE GEBBIA ”
1.0 Read about Joe Gebbia and get ready to watch his TED Talk.

AUTHENTIC LISTENING SKILLS

Reporting
When people tell stories, they often use present tenses to make events sound more immediate. They also often report what
people said or what was going through their mind at the time, as if they were speaking.

1 Look at the Authentic Listening Skills box. Listen and complete the extracts. 04

1 I make the mistake of asking him,

“ ?”
2 And I’m thinking,
“ ?”
3 And the voice in my head goes,
“ ?”
4 I’m staring at the ceiling, I'm thinking,
“ ?”

2 Look at your completed extracts in Activity 1. What do you think happened before?
What do you think will happen next?

WATCH

3 Discuss the questions.

1 Have you or your family ever asked for help from a stranger while on vacation? What happened?
2 Have you or someone in your family ever helped a stranger while on vacation? What happened?
3 Why might you trust or not trust a stranger? How do you decide who to trust for help or advice?

14 Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism

4 Watch Part 1 of the talk. Choose the correct • must leave reviews before they are
options. 1.1 revealed.

1 From his meeting with the “Peace Corps guy,” Joe • = people stop worrying about
learns differences (reputation beats similarity).
a he should always have an airbed. • and prompts = right amount of
b he should start a hosting business. honesty and sharing (disclosure).
c we should be less fearful of strangers.
2 He decided to start his business because
7 Watch Part 3 of the talk. Then summarize
a there weren’t many hotels in the city. what Joe said using these ideas. What did
b he really needed somewhere to stay. you like about these ideas? 1.3

c it offered him an opportunity as a designer. • when trust works

3 The business wasn’t immediately successful • a man having a heart attack
because • the sharing economy
a people didn’t trust Joe and his co-founder. • human connection
b the website wasn’t very well designed. • Seoul, South Korea
c it didn’t get any additional investment.
• students and empty-nesters*
*empty-nesters parents whose children have left home
5 How can you make people feel that they can
trust each other more? Think of three ideas. 8 Look back at your ideas in Activity 5. Did Joe
mention any of your ideas? Have any of them
6 Watch Part 2 of the talk. Complete these changed?
notes. 1.2

• Experiment—shows how host can feel

but guest can feel
= how business works. Well-designed reputation
(review) system—key to .

Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism 15

1D Trip Advice
SPEAKING

1 Work in pairs. Make a list of three places close to where you Useful language
live that you would recommend to each of these groups of
Making suggestions
people. Think about places to stay, eat, shop, and visit. · If sightseeing is their thing,
a couple in their 50s or 60s a father with a young teenage son then the best place to go is…
a group of teenage friends a young married couple with a child · If they want to experience a
genuine local night out, I’d
suggest trying…
2 Work in pairs. Make suggestions for the best places for each · If they’re only staying here
for a little while, they should
group of people. Use the Useful language box to help you.
probably…
· If you ask me, the one place
3 Put the sentences in the correct order to make a conversation they really have to go to is…
between a local person and a guest. Then listen and check
Reacting to suggestions
your answers. 05
· If they’d rather try something
a Well, there’s a great steak place down by the river. different, …might be worth a
b I’m thinking of seeing some sights today. Can you recommend shot.
anywhere? · I wouldn’t bother going to…,
personally.
c In that case, you’d be best off going to Madragora—a nice little
· They’d be better (off) going to…
vegetarian place near the park.
d OK. Well, I’ll check that out this morning, then. And do you know
anywhere good to have lunch?
e Great. Thanks for the tip.
f Oh, right. Well, actually, I don’t eat meat, so…
g Well, the Old Town is well worth a visit. There are some amazing
buildings there.

4 Roleplay two conversations similar to the one in Activity 3,

using places you know. Underline phrases from Activity 3
that you want to use. Then have the conversations.
Take turns being the local person and the guest.

Tourists walk across the Perito Moreno

Glacier in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

16 Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism

 Writing strategy
WRITING A Review
Writing reviews
In reviews, it’s quite common
5 Look at page 129 and read the four short online reviews.
to use a relative clause
What kind of place is each review about?
starting with which to add
a comment about a whole
6 Which reviewer: sentence.
1 does not feel that he or she got a good value? · I was far from my school,
which wasn’t ideal.
2 managed to negotiate a deal?
· It serves great breakfasts,
3 strongly recommends a place? lunches, and snacks, which
4 had to entertain himself or herself quite a lot? is perfect if you’re feeling
5 complained? hungry.
6 had to wait far longer than he or she had been expecting to?
Useful language
7 felt very comfortable where he or she was?
Introducing follow-up
8 mentions local sights?
comments
· On top of that,…
7 Look at page 129 again. Underline the sentences in the reviews · What’s more,…
that helped you answer the questions in Activity 6. · One other thing was the
fact that…
8 WRITING SKILL Adding comments Recommending and not
Match the first half of each excerpt (1-4) with the second half (a-d). recommending
· I can’t recommend it
1 Our room had a great view of the ocean, but the hotel restaurant enough.
closed at nine, · It’s well worth a visit.
2 We had an amazing time, but terrible weather on the day we left, · It’s just not worth it.
3 We complained about the room, so they offered us two full days at the spa, · I’d skip it (if I were you).
4 The beach was a five-minute walk from the hotel, but so was the snake market,

a which meant we were delayed for several hours.

b which was rather disappointing.
c which was a bit of a culture shock, to say the least.
d which was kind of them.

9 Choose one of these places and write a review. Use the Useful language box to help you.
• vacation destination • local cafe or restaurant
• local tourist attraction • place you have stayed

Unit 1 Travel, Trust, and Tourism 17