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Train Travel

Train Travel

Date: Dec 04 2009

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Used to Do vs Be Used to

Intro

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The Rolling Stones sang “Get your kicks on Route 66,” not “Have fun while riding the train.” The US is a country of car-lovers, and driving and the open road occupy a special place in American pop culture.

But some Americans would prefer to travel by train, as is common and convenient in many other parts of the world. Unfortunately, the US doesn’t have a very extensive or efficient rail system. So it’s much more common for people to fly or drive between cities than to take the train. Find out how Marni and Mason feel about this underrated form of transportation.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Mason

Mason

Marni:  You know what I love to do more than anything?

Mason:  I do not know.

Marni:  Travel on a train.

Mason:  Do you do that often?

Marni:  No, not often enough. And I think in America we don’t really have that opportunity, because we don’t really have a rail system that connects us easily from one city to another like in Europe and Asia.

Mason:  Yeah the last time I was on a train it was in Europe, so…

Marni:  Right. And they have such a great system there, you know, it’s so fast. But here we have Amtrak, which I love. I used to travel on the train a lot when I was little. I sort of associate that with my youth. And I’ve taken it up to Canada a few times. It’s beautiful, it’s a great way to travel.

Mason:  So, I mean it’s a much more passive thing. Like, it’s gonna take a long time, kinda like driving, but you’re not engaged like you are when you’re driving, where I actually have to pay attention to stuff.

Marni:  Right. You get to just sort of sit back and relax, and the trains are very nice.

Mason:  So when you go do you go with other people so it’s like social hour, or do you go with a good book and it’s like me-time?

Marni:  I’ve done both. And so I think there’s merit to both. It’s a fun way to travel with a lot of friends, but it’s a great way to get around just by yourself.

 

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Marni loves taking the train, and she wishes there were a better rail system in the US. Mason agrees that train travel isn’t as common or convenient in the US as it is in other parts of the world. Both he and Marni have had good experiences riding trains in Europe.

Marni used to take Amtrak when she was younger, and she’s continued to take the train in the US occasionally as an adult. She likes how relaxing train travel is, and she enjoys seeing the scenery. It can be a fun way to travel with friends, meet new people, or spend some quality time with yourself.

Do you like to travel by trains? Is train travel common in your country?

 

Comments

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Ava-ever

Ava-ever

China

lol, my dream is to get around the whole world, that would be  amazing

08:29 AM Dec 07 2009 |

samantha410

Colombia

I've never traveled on a train :( . I would like to have the oportunity to do it some day

11:49 PM Dec 06 2009 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

 i love to travel on train .  it `s beautiful and 
 great way to travel any where . but unfortunately
  it   is not common in my country 

09:59 PM Dec 06 2009 |

ghaffarihamed67

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

once time that i traveled with train train was verry cold i couldnt sleep its very bad memori for me

08:14 PM Dec 06 2009 |

geen55

geen55

Egypt

very good train travel . i love do it

04:42 PM Dec 06 2009 |

Olga_orc

Olga_orc

Ukraine

I like to travel by train. I think its feeling from my childness

03:48 PM Dec 06 2009 |

wlwelf

China

If you want to see the scenery along the way,it’s better to use the rail way. For me, both will do.

02:25 PM Dec 06 2009 |

kangking562

China

my english is not good

so I will be here more often

12:00 PM Dec 06 2009 |

Mr.Bean's wife

Myanmar

I prefer traveling by train to any other forms of traveling.I find it relaxing. I can enjoy the scenery and eat delicious food at the same time. I can have the best of both worlds. Train travel is common in my country because the price is reasonable and relaxing.

11:36 AM Dec 06 2009 |

arifalimukhtar

Pakistan

it is fun to travel by train and meet someone u don't know but u can talk so much during the trip.

09:02 AM Dec 06 2009 |

girafinha

girafinha

Japan

I was just thinking about taking amtrack from Tacoma,WA to Portland,OR. That's why I enjoyed this dialog more! Personally, I would like to have both me-time&social hour. It's so cool to travel by classic way which i mean by train in this modern era. I think people need leisurely time especialy since they tend to be in a rush these days. 

 

07:27 AM Dec 06 2009 |

ghostlove_153

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

I traveled by train 12 yeasr ago , it's so great . but that tour was locally in the same country .

i hope to travel with my friends out of my country by train or ship . i think this so greater than travel by plane

06:15 AM Dec 06 2009 |

weah44

weah44

Sudan

i have bever travelled by train but i am with marni in her view …in train i prefer travel with one friend or alone coz to all the scenerys you have to be attention with that and when you wanna describe somtthing that you seeing in the scenery you will tell your friend …..realy i have big curiosity to try travel by train

02:57 AM Dec 06 2009 |

mari_mariana

Brazil

I have never travelled by train before! I know, it's embarrassing! In my country we are not used to traveling by train! Few people to it!!! But I would like to experience that!

02:08 AM Dec 06 2009 |

tewsmax

Germany

Traveling by train in Europe is very good because the train network is very big and you could get fast everywhere you want to.

 

06:26 PM Dec 05 2009 |

kikimasho

kikimasho

China

it is fun to travel by train and meet someone u don't know but u can talk so much during the trip.

04:04 PM Dec 05 2009 |

aliali_june

Viet Nam

Traveling by train is good.

You can travel from North side to South side of Vietnam by train.

When going by train, I like best to see the scene. You can feel the different between places where the train went.  Cool

<!-Session data->

01:18 PM Dec 05 2009 |

glaciernew

glaciernew

China

I seldom take train. but i like the feeling—travelling around by train.

12:41 PM Dec 05 2009 |

-cute-devil-

United Arab Emirates

TRAIN TRAVEL ! sounds fun haha :P

10:57 AM Dec 05 2009 |

windgod

windgod

China

Train Travel around the world is my dream!

10:21 AM Dec 05 2009 |

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