Unit 3.

Sightseeing

I. Look at the pictures.

a. Which of these places would you like to go to?
b. Have you ever been to any of these places? What was it like? What did you do
there?

c. Which of the attractions listed below are the ones that influence you most when you
decide to go on holiday?
scenery sunshine beach seaside historical monuments
historical sites local customs local people facilities cultural activities

II. You are going to watch some presentations on well-known UNESCO properties. After
each presentation, you have to complete the corresponding notes:

1. Schonbrunn
 located in ……………….;
 the Palace is a testimony of the glory of a particular dynasty, the …………, which ruled
Austria for more than 630 years, from the late 13th century to the end of the First World
War in 1918;
 example of historical events:………………………………………………..
………………;
 the only female ruler in the Habsburgs was ………………………...;
 she sought to set the stability of the country by
…………………………………………….;
 the exterior of the Palace was painted in ……………………………;
 the Queen collected …………………..from all over the world.

2. Taj Mahal
 located in ……………….;
 completed in the year …………………;
 built in ………………….style;
  dedicated to ………………….;
 for Muslims, the garden and abundant water were the symbol of
………………………….;
 Emperor Mughal Shah Jahan was buried………………..

3. The Grand Canyon

 located in …………………;
 native American Indians considered it ………………….;
 pioneers considered it …………………………..;
 crossed by the …………River;
 the indigenous people who used to live there relied on ……..for their existence;
 it is getting …………and ……………..with each passing day.

4. The Last Supper Painting

 displayed in a church in ……………………………;
 painted by …………………., ………years ago;
 completion of the restoration lasted …………;
 the centre of the painting features ……………….;
 some signs of the tension of the moment:……………………………………………………..

5. Krakow
 it was the capital of Poland for ……years, starting with the ……….century;
 the central square covers …….hectares;
 the central square is dominated by ……………;
 the trumpeter’s tune always stops abruptly because ……………………………………..;
 the Wawel Castle saw the coronation of …….kings.

III. Read the extracts from a tour guide to Dublin and match the sentences with the
attractions. Which attraction:
a. is particularly suitable for children?
b. sells arts and crafts?
c. is associated with Irish politics?
d. particularly caters for educational visits?
e. combines sound and image in its displays?
f. contains an unusual object?
g. enables you to eat there?
h. is built on an earlier site?

Christ Church Cathedral

Was built in 1172 and replaced an earlier wooden church built by the Vikings. The 25-metre high nave
has some fine early Gothic arches. In the crypt there is a mummified cat and rat, found in an organ pipe
in the 1860s.
Dublinia
A state-of-the art multimedia exhibition of medieval Dublin giving kids the chance to dress up in period
costume and experience the sounds and smells of life-size reconstructions of city life in the Middle
Ages. A detailed teacher’s pack, including an 8-page history of medieval Dublin, is available for
primary and secondary school teachers.
Dublin Castle
For seven centuries Dublin Castle was a symbol of English rule. Robert Emmett, leader of the failed
1803 rebellion, planned to capture the castle as a signal for the country to rise up against English rule.
He was caught and publicly hanged.
Temple Bar
This arts and entertainments distinct occupies a maze of lively cobbled streets. Underneath the
Merchant’s Arch is a short dark alley lined with shops which open out into a modern open square with
plenty of crowded restaurants at lunchtime.

The Long Hall

The Long Hall is a magnificent, old-fashioned smoky pub serving the legendary Guinness and pub
fare. Behind the narrow room’s long bar stands a fascinating display of antique clocks.

Powerscourt Townhouse
This shopping centre is one of the best places in Dublin to find fashion accessories, antique shops and
jewelry stalls. The central courtyard, topped by a glass dome, is popular with many Dubliners as a
place to have a snack and a coffee.

IV. Consider the previous exercise and think of four similar attractions for your town.
Work in groups to devise a mini-guide.

V. Look at the following map, listen carefully to the directions and choose the correct answer:

1. a. 6; b. 7; c. 14; d. 9.
2. a. 20; b. 17; c. 19; d. 16.
3. a. 12; b. 10; c. 16; d. 22.
4. a. 13; b. 23; c. 11; d. 6.
5. a. 24; b. 9; c. 10; d. 7.

VI. Use the words in the box to fill in the gaps in a text about the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage:

seeks cooperation irreplaceable providing sites ensure

located legacy awareness-building inclusion value on
 Heritage is our …………1……….from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass
………2..…..to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both ………
3…………..sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa, the
Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America
make up our world’s heritage.
What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World
Heritage ………4…………belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which
they are…………5…………...
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) …………
6………..to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage
around the world considered to be of outstanding …………7………….to humanity. This is embodied
in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and
Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
The World Heritage List includes 911 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage
which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. These include
704 cultural, 180 natural and 27 mixed properties in 151 States Parties. As of June 2010, 187 States
Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention.
UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to:
 encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to …………8……….the
protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
 encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for
……………9………..on the World Heritage List;
 encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the
state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;
 help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by ………10..………technical
assistance and professional training;
 provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;
 support States Parties' public …………11………activities for World Heritage conservation;
 encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural
heritage;
 encourage international …………12………in the conservation of our world's cultural and
natural heritage.

VII. Choose from the words below to fill in the gaps:

buildings church concert hall hotels orchard

parks zoo skyscrapers town hall view-tower

1. Every mayor has an office in the ……………

2. Big cities have tall ………………… with many floors.
3. There is an ………….. with lovely olive trees beyond the town.
4. You can see the whole town and its surroundings from the near-by ………….
5. On that hill you can find a ……………. with a lot of exotic animals.
6. Our town is known for its beautiful green …………….
7. We can go to the concert that is taking place in the local…………….
8. Have you already seen the ……………. of Saint Peter? It is a Catholic one.
9. Do you know any cheap …………….. and restaurants in that town?
10. When sightseeing you can see a lot of historical ………….
VIII. Fill in the gaps with one of the following verbs: TAKE, CATCH, DRIVE, RIDE.
1. You have to ……… ……….. carefully, as the car is quite old and the road quite bad.
2. The quickest way to get here is to …… …………. a taxi.
3. The bus ……… …………..from the airport was very pleasant.
4. We ………… ……………the 12.45 to Milan, and changed there.
5. Hurry up! We’ll be late if we don’t……… ………the next bus.
6. How long does it …… ………….to get there?
7. I’ll have to go, I’m afraid. I have a train to … …………….. .
8. It’s a wonderful …… ……….through the mountains into Switzerland.
9. If we don’t leave before 5 we’ll be …… ……………in a traffic jam.
10. Do you need a special licence to ………… ……………..a minibus?

IX. Think of your favourite place for sightseeing and describe it in about 150 words. Refer to
location, facilities, services, people accompanying etc. Some of the following words might prove
useful:

cheap expensive breathtaking gorgeous safe dangerous

quiet comfortable crowded chilly hot lively