ATPS Língua Inglesa IV

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During the whole week they visited many Shopping Malls and bought a great deal of clothes and many presents. Everything was so cheap that they could not resist the temptation of spending more than they had.

Well, it was time to go back to Brazil. So, they packed their new clothes in their suitcases. As a matter of fact, they had to squeeze all their in their suitcases. But that was no problem. They had all their dream possessions inside those suitcases. So off they went to the airport.

Getting at the airport, they had a hard time trying to take out the 2 suitcases out of the taxi cab. But they managed to get to check in counter with great effort. After showing their passports to the clerk and receiving their seat numbers they were asked to put the 2 suitcases on the balance. It seemed strange, but the suitcases seemed heavier than before. Probably they were more exhausted after going into so much trouble.

When they thought that they would sit down and relax until departing, the clerk turns over and tells them that their luggage was overweight and that they would have to pay the excess. When the clerk told them the amount of money they would have to pay, they almost fainted. The amount charged was beyond their financial limits. And now what could they do?

They asked the clerk permission to take off the luggage from the balance and both sat down thinking of a solution. But what kind of solution if they did not have the exact amount of money to pay. All of a sudden, the man came up with a brilliant idea. Why not put on all the clothes that is in the suitcase. This way they would not need to pay the extra weight since they were wearing them. So each one got a suitcase and went to the restroom to start putting on the clothes.

After 30 minutes out they came like penguins from the restrooms. They got into the airplane and everyone was astonished by the scene. First they had a hard time to sit with so much clothes on. But the worst was still to come. After sweating a lot they began drinking water and you can imagine the agony they had in the airplane toilet to take everything off in time.

A clever and economic solution associated to a toilet hassle.

Travels and Tourism

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Traveling to fantastic places can really be enjoyable, but how can you protect yourself against hassles that may appear. Take an honest thought about the trip. Only then you should decide if it is worth going and if it is, start planning the trip.

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Travelers need to be prepared for the most expected, and even the unexpected situations. So if you are travelling be alert to several situations before departing. First you should enter in contact the State Department warnings and advisories. All of your documents have to updated and will not expire while you are travelling. Take photocopies of them for security. In case the originals are stolen or lost. You should also take note on a sheet of paper of telephone numbers such as a list of airlines, car rentals, and hotel phone numbers, embassy phone numbers, and international dialing codes. Make up an ID card and take it with you at all times, including information like your age, hotel, how to contact friends back home and relatives, blood type, and other important medical data that you may need in case you get involved in some kind of injury. It is advisable to have the information written in the language of the country you are in at the moment.

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If you buy the online ticket, it gives you the option to print out your boarding pass, recommended if you are not checking bags. If you pack any liquid items on your carry-on, such as lotion, shampoo, body oils, etc. make sure they are kept together in a plastic Ziploc bag. Be at the airport at least 2 to 3 hours before your flight's scheduled departure time.

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Depending on the size of your luggage, you may need to check more than one bag. Also, keep in mind you may only have one piece of luggage and one smaller carry on item. Have your ID handy. An airport agent will tell you when to walk through the metal detector, to the other side of the conveyor belt where you will collect your belongings. You are now located in the secure, boarding area. Gate numbers are indicators of areas where you will board the plane. Take a seat in your gate area and wait for the plane to be ready for boarding. When you get on the plane, find your assigned seat and place your luggage in the overhead bin.

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When you arrive at your destination, be sure to book a few things to do in advance can take out the stress of arriving in a new place. You can go directly into the action: avoid those long lines at famous monuments or getting on and getting off those tour buses. You should join a walking tour for an insider's view, learn more about the local food as well as the culture, or even participate in typical dances. With a little planning you won't miss any of the big highlights.

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Exercise 1

Fill in each blank with the correct word in parentheses. If both words can be used, choose the one that sounds more natural in each situation:

1. We will be docked (docked/parked) ( = we will remain in the port) until 6:00 PM.

2. We will be arriving at our next personal port (port of call/personal port) in about two hours.

3. We leave at 6:00 PM. Make sure to be back (return/back) by then.

4. Would you like a seat in the sun or in the shade (shade/dark)?

5. On most ships, you sleep on a bath (berth/bird).

6. Please board (board/climb) the ship ( = come onto the ship) as soon as possible. We are leaving in 15 minutes.

7. A "room" on a ship is called a cabin (cabin/berth).

8. I'll get you guys a couple of deck seals (chairs/seats) ( = sun loungers) so you can sit outside when you like.

9. Our next destination (destination/destiny) ( = the next place we visit) will be Cancun.

10. You can take the elevator (elevator/elevate) to the upper deck, or