A trip to

london Lezione 2

All’albergo 1-2

Fare richieste 3

Decidere cosa

vedere

4-6

Dare opinioni, fa-

re proposte

7

Decidere cosa

mangiare

8

Domandare e dare 9-10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

English

Learning

At the hotel

Silvia arrives at the hotel.

Good morning madam. How can I help you?

Good morning, I’m Ms. Fidanzia and I

booked a room.

All right, let me check… Could you repeat

your name, please?

Yes, sure it’s Fidanzia.

Thank you. Yes. You booked a single room

for three nights, is that correct?

Right.

Can you sign here please?

Yes, of course.

Here is your key. Your room is 34, on the

third floor. I hope you enjoy your stay.

Thank you very much. Ah, sorry, what

time is breakfast served?

Breakfast is from 6.30 to 10, in the

Restaurant on the ground floor.

Thank you.

Marco arrives at the hotel.

Good morning sir. Can I help you?

Yes, please. Can I have a room for

three night?

Certainly. A single room or a double

room?

Single, please.

And what’s your name, sir?

It’s Corsini.

Sorry sir, could you spell it for me plea-

se?

Yes, it’s C O R S I N I.

Would you like a room with a shower

or with a bath?

A shower, please. How much is the

room rate per night?

It's 20£ plus VAT, and that includes a

full English breakfast..

That’s ok.

So, here's your key. That's room 55, Mr Corsini, and you'll find the room on the

fifth floor.

Thank you very much.

1. True or False?

Read these statements about the dialogues above. Are they true or false? Correct them if it is necessary.

T F

1. Marco booked a room. _______________________________

2. Silvia has a single room. _______________________________

3. Marco’s room has a shower _______________________________

4. Silvia’s room is at the fifth floor _______________________________

5. Breakfast is included in the price _______________________________

6. The restaurant is on the first floor _______________________________

I numeri cardinali

1st first

6th sixth

2nd second 7

th_______

3rd_______ 8

th eighth

4th fourth 9

th ninth

5th______ 10

th______

LEZIONE 2

Pagina 2

2. Who speaks? You are at the hotel and you want to get

the room: who says these words? Receptionist You

A) Can I help you?

B) I booked a room.

C) What’s your name, please?

D) Here’s your key.

E) How much is the room?

F) Could you spell it please?

G) What time is breakfast?

H) Enjoy your stay!

I) Could you repeat it, please?

3. What happens? Put the correct letter(s) near

the situations:

- Mi chiedono il nome __ - Mi chiedono se ho bisogno di aiuto __ - Mi danno la chiave __

- Mi chiedono di ripetere __

- Mi chiedono di fare lo spelling __

- Mi salutano __

- Dico che ho prenotato una stanza __

- Chiedo quanto costa una stanza __

- Chiedo a che ora è la colazione __

R. - Good morning sir/madam. How can I/could you help you?

Y. - Good morning! I’m Mr/Ms ______________ and I booked a ______________ .

R. - Ok, let’s have a look. Can I/Could you repeat your name, please?

Y. - Yes, it’s _____________________.

R. - Yes Mr/Ms ______________ , you booked a single/double room for three

nights. Is that correct?

Y. - Yes.

R. - Can I/Could you please sign here?

Y. - Sure. Can I/Could you tell me what time is ______________ ?

R.. - It is served between 7 and 10 am. Here is your ___________. Your room is 16, on the first ________ .

Y. - Thank you. And can I/could you tell me where the ____________ is?

R. - It’s over there, at the end of the corridor on the left.

Y. - Thank you!

R. - Enjoy your ____________.

4. Finally we arrived at our hotel!!!

Choose the correct words and complete the dialogue between you: and the receptionist:

At reception In the room

A TRIP TO LONDON

Le richieste in inglese vengono normalmente fatte con l’aiuto dei

modali may, can, could, will, would.

Can è considerato il meno formale di tutti ed usato per lo più

con amici e familiari. Di regola non è educato fare richieste

con la forma negativa.

Per chiedere il permesso di fare qualcosa, in inglese si usano:

May formale

Could meno formale

Can informale

La frase Would you mind è molto usata per fare richieste e chiedere permesso.

Chiedere a qualcuno di fare qualcosa : Would you mind + gerund Would you mind opening the window?

Chiedere permesso : Would you mind + if I + simple past Would you mind if I open the window?

Qualche volta "Would you mind" diventa "Do you mind", che è un po’ meno formale.

Do you mind opening the window? Do you mind if I open the window?

Pagina 3

Other ways to make requests / invite /offer

5. Do you know which is the appropriate situation?

1. Can you… ? A) Asking someone a favour (or something) less formal

2. Could you … ? B) Asking permission formal

3. Would you mind if I … ? C) Inviting someone

4. Can I … ? D) Asking someone a favour (or something) more formal

5. May I … ? E) Asking permission / offering help.

6. Would you like to (do something) … ? F) Check if you are causing trouble by doing something.

7. Would you like (something) … ? G) Offering something

6. What does it mean?

a. Le/Ti dispiace se io … ? __

b. Potresti/potrebbe … ? __

c. Posso (mi è permesso) … ? __

d. Le/Ti piacerebbe (fare qualcosa) … ? __

e. Posso … ? __

f. Puo/Puoi … ? __

g. Le/Ti piacerebbe (qualcosa) … ? __

7. Use some words of exercise 3 to complete the sentences:

Between you and your friends:

a. __________________ pass me the salt, please?

b. __________________ have a beer at the pub?

c. __________________ a drink?

d. __________________ ask you a favour?

In a train:

e. It’s a bit hot here. __________________ open the window?

In a class

f. __________________ use the toilet, please?

Typical responses to requests

Formal I'm afraid it's not possible. / I'd like to, but...

style: I'm very sorry, but… /

I wish I could (help), but...

Less formal: Sorry. / Sorry, I can't

Nota l’uso dei pronomi I / you nelle richieste, May è usato sempre con I May I … ? (chiedere il permesso) Will would sempre con you Would you / Will you …? (chiedere qlc) Can could con I o you Could I /Can I … ? (chiedere il permesso) Could you / Can you … ? (chiedere qlc)

Making requests

Formal style: I'd be glad to. / I'd be happy to.

Less formal: Yes, of course. / Of course. / Certainly.

Informal: Sure. / No problem.

LEZIONE 2 Pagina 4

A TRIP TO LONDON

Deciding what to see - Sightseeing

In London there are many things to see. We need to decide where to go and what to visit first …

We have only three days!!

What Why you want to go there Where it is

First day 1.

2.

Second day 3.

4.

5. Third day

6.

8. What is your plan? Read the following descrip-tions and then have a look at the city map and see near which Tube station the attractions are. Make some notes in the chart, about the thing you would like to see, and when.

If you know some other nice places in London, wri-te them down too!

1. Buckingham Palace It is the official London residence and office of the British monarch. It is a

setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. The Buckingham Palace

Garden is the largest private garden in London. The Forecourt is used for Changing of the Guard, a major ce-

remony and tourist attraction (daily during the summer

months; every other day during the winter).

The ceremony of changing the Life Guard then takes place on

Horse Guards Parade at 11am weekdays (10am Sundays).

2. The British Museum One of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture. Its per-

manent collection, numbering some eight million works, is amongst the fi-

nest, most comprehensive, and largest in existence and originates from all

continents, illustrating and documenting the story of

human culture from its beginnings to the present.

The British Museum is free to all visitors

Opening times

The Museum is open daily, 10.00–17.30

3. The Westminster Abbey It is London’s oldest and perhaps most famous Church. English kings and queens have

their coronation here - from the time of William the Conqueror in 1066 to today in

the twenty-first century.

Opening times

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm (last admission 3.30pm)

Wednesday 9.30am - 7.00pm (last general admission 6.00pm, last group admission 3.30 pm)

Saturday 9.30am - 2.30pm (last admission 1.30pm)

Sunday Worship only - No Tourist Visiting

A TRIP TO LONDON Pagina 5

4. Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London. At its centre is Nelson's

Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in

the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of contemporary art. On the north side of the

square is the National Gallery and to its east St Martin-in-the-Fields church.

The National Gallery is an art museum founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 pain-

tings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Its collection belongs to the public of the United

Kingdom and entry to the main collection (though not some special exhibitions) is free of charge.

Opening hours

Daily 10am – 6pm

Friday 10am – 9pm

Closing commences at 5.55pm and 8.55pm. Closed 1 January and 24–26 December

6. The Tower of London and Tower Bridge The Tower of London is the City’s oldest buliding. It stands by Tower Bri-

dge, and next to the river Thames. In the past, it was a palast and a prison. It is

not just one tower, but eleven towers in different buildings.

The Beefeaters are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London.

Opening times

Tuesday - Saturday Sunday - Monday Last admission

09:00 - 17:30 10:00 - 17:30 17:00

Tower Bridge is more than 100 years old. It is one of

London’s most famous bridges. When tall ships go up the river,

the centre of the bridge opens.

5. The Houses of Parliament It is the home of the British government. The clock high up on the

building is called Big Ben, but really Big Ben is the bell in the clock.

You can hear Big Ben ring every hour. Four smaller bells ring on the

quarter-hours.

Tours are available from 27th July to 1st September (Monday to Saturday

9.15am – 4.30pm). On Wednesday 15th, 22nd and 29th August, tours will

be running from 1.15pm – 4.30pm.

Tours will be available again from 19th September to 6th October

(Wednesday to Saturday 9.15am-4.30pm)

LEZIONE 2 Pagina 6

8. Camden Town and markets The Camden Market began in 1974 simply as a Sunday craft market and has tur-

ned into one of the largest and busiest markets in the UK and today they are loca-

ted over six areas.

You can buy anything from vintage clothing, artisans

crafts to bijou clothing and wide range of unique alterna-

tive items.

It is the fourth-most popular visitor attraction in London,

attracting approximately 100,000 people each weekend.

9. Covent Garden The Covent Garden area is associated with both

entertainment and shopping. It has 13 theatres, and over 60

pubs and bars around the main shopping area of the old

market. Covent Garden is licensed for street entertainment

and there are street performances at Covent Garden Market

every day of the year, except Christmas Day. Shows run

throughout the day and are about 30 minutes in length.

7. Notting Hill & Portobello Road Notting Hill has a contemporary reputation as an affluent and fash-

ionable area; known for attractive terraces of

large Victorian townhouses, and high-end shopping and restau-

rants

Portobello Road runs almost the entire length of Notting Hill

from north to south. It runs parallel to Ladbroke Grove. It contains Portobello Road Market,

one of London's best known markets, containing an antique section and second-hand, fruit and veg and

clothing stalls.

10. Piccadilly Circus Its status as a major traffic intersection has made Piccadilly Circus a busy meeting place and a tourist attrac-

tion in its own right. The Circus is particularly known for its video display and neon signs mounted on the

corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesburymemorial fountain and statue of an archer

popularly known as Eros. Piccadilly now links directly to the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue, and is close to

major shopping and entertainment areas in the West End.

Pagina 7

9. Our final plan

We decide together where to go and what to see, and we make a plan of our tours using the map.

What Where

First day 1.

2. Second day 3.

4. Third day 5.

6.

You’re right.

That’s true.

I think so too.

Good idea!*

It sounds good!*

I disagree / I don’t agree / You’re wrong.

I don’t think so. / I think otherwise.

Agreement

Disagreement

Give your opinion/suggestion using these expressions:

Why don’t we go to / visit … (place) first , and then …(place)?

What about going to /visiting … first, … ?

I think (that) - it is better to go first to ... (place),

and then to … (place)

is (very)/(not so) far.

- … (place) is nearer (than…).

is (not) on the way.

10. Comeplete the sentences

I think that ...

On the first day,

we can go to ______________________ and to ______________________, in the morning.

There we can ______________________ and ______________________ .

In the afternoon we could visit / see ______________________ and ______________________.

In that way we can ______________________ and ______________________ .

On the secon day we could … __________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________.

On the third day we finally … __________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________.

Not completely

agree...

I agree, You’re right, BUT …

Nice idea,

* they are very informal

LEZIONE 2

Pagina 8

We are in Soho. We are hungry and we would like to eat at a nice restaurant. Our guide says that there

are some good restaurants:

1. Picante - Dean Street - Mexican restaurant

Fresh Mexican food in the heart of Soho. You can enjoy our freshly made Burritos,

Tacos, Salads, Quesadillas and other genuine Mexican

food!

Opening time

Lunch Mon to Fri 11.30 am - 3.30 pm

Breakfast Wed to Fri 8.30 am - 10.30 am

2. The Old Star - Bedford Avenue - Pub with traditional food

The Old Star is over 300 years old. Here you can find a vast selection of

quality ales and enjoy some hearty pub food. Choose from pub classic such as

Suffolk Pork Sausage and West Country Cheddar mash,

to Fish & Chips and Gourmet Burgers.

We serve food from 11.00 am to 10.00 pm

3. Osteria dell’Angolo - Newman Street - Italian restaurant

Situated in the heart of Soho, Osteria dell’Angolo offers the finest of con-

temporary Italian cuisine, regional dishes and classic dishes.

Opening times

Mon - Fri 12.00 pm - 3.00 pm

Mon - Sat 6.00 pm - 10.30 pm

4. The Mintleaf - Rathbone Place - Indian food

Our full à la carte menu offers a mouth watering selection of innovative and contem-

porary Indian dishes, prepared using the very finest ingredients.

Opening times

Mon - Wed 12.00 pm - 3.00 pm ; 5.30 pm -11.00 pm

Thurs - Fri 12.00 pm - 3.00 pm ; 5.30 pm - 11.30 pm

Sat 5.30 pm - 11.30 pm

Sun 5.30 pm - 11.00 pm

5. Ichiriki - Denmark Street - Japanese restaurant

Ichiriki is a cosy and old-fashion restaurant, but we are proud to offer you the real taste of Sushi and Japanese hot

food, freshly made by professional chefs.

Opening times

Mon to Fri lunch 12.00 pm - 3.00 pm

dinner 6.00 pm - 10.30 pm

Sat (only dinner) 6.00 pm - 10.30 pm

Sun closed

Deciding where to eat

Asking preferences - Cosa ti piace?

What kind of food do you like? I like Indian / spicy / Italian food (very much).

Do you like Japanese food? Yes, I do / No, I don’t. / Yes I like it, but I prefer Indian food.

Asking desires - Cosa ti piacerebbe?

Where would you like to go? I’d like to go to the Japanese restaurant, because …

What would you like to eat? I’d like to eat sushi!

11. Marco and Silvia decide to eat somewhere … Put the sentences in the correct order to build a dialogue.

Silvia

A. Marco, in which restaurant would you like to go?

B. Let’s go!

C. I like spicy food too, but as we are in London, why

don’t we try English food and beer? Maybe a pub...

D. Well, if you can’t wait, the Indian restaurant is the

nearest ..

Marco

E. What about the Mexican one? I really love spicy

Asian food!

F. That’s a good idea. Let’s have a look at the map… I’m sorry, but I think that the pub is too far from

here. I’m really tired and hungry.

G. It sounds good, it is nearer than the pub and … it’s

spicy too!!!! 1 / A 2 / ___ 3 / ___ 4 / ___ 5 / ___ 6 / ___ 7 / B

12. We need to decide where to eat.

Ask your friends and decide which restaurant is the best.

Look at the map and complete the chart with your information.

Where would you like to go (and why) ?

1. Mexican 2. English 3. Italian 4. Indian 5. Japanese

like

don’t like

near/far

We are going to the ______________ restaurant.

And now … we have to find the way!

We are here!!!

Asking for directions

Silvia is asking for directions…

Excuse me sir, could you tell me what’s the best way to Rathbone Place?

Sure, you are at Soho Square now, so you have to take Soho Street, which is in front of

you, and go straight on. Then you cross Oxford Street, which is quite large, and there

you’ll be in Rathbone Place.

I beg your pardon sir, but I didn’t understand.

That’s all right. You have to go straight on along

Soho Street, then pass Oxford Street and you are

in Rathbone Place.

Oh, yes, I got it! Thank you very much sir!

You’re welcome.

Asking for directions:

Excuse me, could you tell me

how do I get to … the nearest bus stop?

what's the best way to … Tower Bridge?

where is … Oxford Street?

Excuse me, is there …

a restaurant/supermarket

near here?

Pagina 9

LEZIONE 2 Pagina 10

14. Follow the instructions… where are you going to?

1. Cross the street and go left. Take the first street on

the right. Go down the street. Turn on the right. It’s

on your right . ______________________

2. Cross the street and go right. Take the first street on

the left. Take the next street on the right. Go straight

on and it's on the right. ______________________

3. Turn right and go straight on. It's in front of you at the

corner of the second crossing on the other side of the

road. ______________________

4. Cross the street and go right. Take the first street on

the left. Go down to the end of the street and turn

right. Go straigt. Pass the post office. It's on your right.

______________________

11. Match the correct translation:

1. cross … ___ A) tra

2. opposite ___ B) attraversa/i ...

3. near ___ C) alla fine di

4. next to ___ D) vicino a

5. between ___ E) opposto

6. at the end (of) ___ F) accanto a

7. on/at the corner ___ G) dietro

8. behind ___ H) incrocio

9. in front of ___ I) semaforo

10. around the corner ___ L) davanti a

11. traffic lights ___ M) segnale stradale

12. crossing, junction ___ N) all’angolo

13. sign ___ O) dietro l’angolo

You are here

1

3

4

5

2

6

turn left go straight

on / ahead turn right

cross ... pass ...

You have to ...

next to

between

opposite

at the corner of ...

It is ...

Newsagent

1

2

4

Post office

Book shop 5

Chemist

Supermarket

3

Gift shop 6

13. We need to find the way…

Looking at the map on the other page and using the

expressions on the top of this page, try to give the cor-

rect directions for :

the Italian restaurant

the Indian restaurant

the Japanese

the English pub

We need to …

go straight on

go left/right turn on the left/right

cross the square/the road… go across the square/the road

take the next/first/second street on the left/right

A TRIP TO LONDON Pagina 11

London bus Map

LEZIONE 2 Pagina 12 London Tube Map