Unit 26: I'm afraid...
– Reporting bad news
– Asking for help or advice
Part 1
Vocabulary
Complete the blog post below with the words in the box.
a. canceled c. down e. misplaced g. stolen
b. damaged d. expired f. missed h. vacancy
Travels with Tina
My travel has been tough! First, I (1)___________ my flight to Auckland, New Zealand. The computers at the airport were (2)___________ , so I tried to make a new reservation on my phone, but I dropped my phone on the floor and it was (3)___________ . I arrived in Sydney, the airline (4)___________ my luggage. And all the hotels were full! After four hours, I finally found a hotel with a (5)___________ . When I went to register at the hotel, I discovered that my wallet was (6)___________ . I did have an extra credit card in my backpack. I looked at it and it was (7)___________! I called my bank to report my wallet stolen and (8)___________ all my credit cards. I unpacked my backpack, and guess what I found—my wallet!
Answers
My travel has been tough! First, I (1) missed my flight to Auckland, New Zealand. The computers at the airport were (2) down , so I tried to make a new reservation on my phone, but I dropped my phone on the floor and it was (3) damaged . I arrived in Sydney, the airline (4) misplaced my luggage. And all the hotels were full! After four hours, I finally found a hotel with a (5) vacancy. When I went to register at the hotel, I discovered that my wallet was (6) stolen . I did have an extra credit card in my backpack. I looked at it and it was (7) expired! I called my bank to report my wallet stolen and (8) canceled all my credit cards. I unpacked my backpack, and guess what I found—my wallet!
Tell your teacher about a bad traveling experience.
Sample answer
A: One time I was flying to another country. There was a big storm, and our flight left 12 hours late. When we got to our destination, it was the middle of the night. There were no trains or buses into town.
B: Oh, no! What did you do?
A: Well,…
Part 2
Conversation
Listen and answer 2 questions.
1. Where does Victoria want to go?
2. What three problems did Victoria have?
Victoria & Airline employee
Transcript
Victoria: Hi, I have to transfer to Flight 734 to Sao Paulo.
Airline employee: I’m sorry to inform you that the flight has been canceled.
Victoria: Oh, no! Can you rebook me on the next flight?
Airline employee: You just missed the last flight of the day. The next flight is in two days.
[pause]
Hotel employee: I hate to tell you this, but we don’t have any vacancies.
Victoria: Well, could you please recommend another hotel nearby?Hotel employee: Sure, there are several hotels on Hotel Drive. The best thing to do is to go online.
Victoria: Thank you.
[pause]
Victoria: Excuse me. Do I need a password to get online here at the airport?
Airport employee: No, but I’m afraid our network is down at the moment.
Victoria: This is not my day! Do you know of any Internet cafes nearby?
Airport employee: No, I’m sorry. I don’t. But you can use my phone to find a hotel.
Example answer
- Victoria wants to go to Sao Paulo.
- Three problems Victoria had: (1) her flight was canceled, (2) the next flight wasn't for another two days, (3) the hotel didn't have any vacancies, (4) the airport's Internet was down.
Practice the conversation with teacher
Listen. Write the three extra sentences you hear in the conversation. Practive the new conversation.
Victoria: Hi, I have to transfer to Flight 734 to Sao Paulo. _______________?
Airline employee: I’m sorry to inform you that the flight has been canceled.
Victoria: Oh, no! Can you rebook me on the next flight?
Airline employee: You just missed the last flight of the day. The next flight is in two days.
[pause]
Hotel employee: I hate to tell you this, but we don’t have any vacancies.
Victoria: Well, could you please recommend another hotel nearby?
Hotel employee: Sure, there are several hotels on Hotel Drive. The best thing to do is to go online.
Victoria: Thank you. _______________.
[pause]
Victoria: Excuse me. Do I need a password to get online here at the airport?
Airport employee: No, but I’m afraid our network is down at the moment. _______________.
Victoria: This is not my day! Do you know of any Internet cafes nearby?
Airport employee: No, I’m sorry. I don’t. But you can use my phone to find a hotel.
Answers
Victoria: Hi, I have to transfer to Flight 734 to Sao Paulo. What gate does that flight leave from?
Airline employee: I’m sorry to inform you that the flight has been canceled.
Victoria: Oh, no! Can you rebook me on the next flight?
Airline employee: You just missed the last flight of the day. The next flight is in two days.
[pause]
Hotel employee: I hate to tell you this, but we don’t have any vacancies.
Victoria: Well, could you please recommend another hotel nearby?
Hotel employee: Sure, there are several hotels on Hotel Drive. The best thing to do is to go online.
Victoria: Thank you. I'll get online right away.
[pause]
Victoria: Excuse me. Do I need a password to get online here at the airport?
Airport employee: No, but I’m afraid our network is down at the moment. We've been having Internet problems all week.
Victoria: This is not my day! Do you know of any Internet cafes nearby?
Airport employee: No, I’m sorry. I don’t. But you can use my phone to find a hotel.
Part 3
Language Booster
Notice the ways we report bad news and ask for help or advice.
Reporting bad news
| the flight has been canceled. |
Asking for help or advice
| recommend another hotel? |
- Would it be possible to (use your phone)?
- Do you know of (any internet cafes nearby)?
Share one piece of bad news with your teacher.
Example
A: Unfortunately, my milk spilled.
B: Oh, no! How did that happen?
Part 4
Listening
Listen to people give bad news and ask for help or advice. Then number the people’s problems in the order that you hear the conversations.
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___a. The speaker missed her flight.
___b. The speaker’s credit card was stolen.
___c. The hotel doesn’t have any vacancies.
___d. The speaker’s luggage was damaged.
Answer
a. 2
b. 4
c. 1
d. 3
Listen again.
Summarize one of how each person’s problem was solved to your teacher.
Transcript
A: Good afternoon. Do you have a reservation with us?
B: No, we don’t. We were driving through town, and we decided that we’d like to stay and explore, so we need a place to stay for the night. Do you have any rooms available for tonight?
A: No, I’m afraid we don’t have any vacancies at the moment.
B: Oh, that’s a shame. Could you recommend any hotels nearby?
A: Well, there aren’t any other hotels in this area, but there are several hotels downtown. I can give you a list of good hotels for you to choose from.
B: That’s great. Would it be possible to use the computer in your business center to research these hotels?
A: Of course. Our business center is on the second floor. If you are not a guest here, there is a small fee for the use of the computers.
B: All right. Thank you very much for your help.
A: Good morning. May I help you?
B: I hope so. I missed my flight to Tokyo because my cab got stuck in traffic.
A: I’m sorry to hear that.
B: Thank you. Could you rebook me on the next flight?
A: Let me check on that for you. May I see your passport, please?
B: Of course. Here you go.
A: Thank you. I see you were on Flight 82 to Tokyo. That flight left about half an hour ago. It looks like there’s a flight in three hours.
B: Great!
A: Well, I’m afraid that flight is full and there isn’t another flight tonight.
B: That’s too bad. Would it be possible to get on a flight tomorrow?
A: Let’s see. Yes, there is a flight tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m.
B: Oh, that’s early. I’ll take it, but I’d better make sure I get here on time!
A: Hello, can I help you?
B: Yes, I just got off of Flight 72 from Paris, France, and one of my suitcases is missing.
A: I see. Do you have your boarding pass and your passport with you?
B: Yes, here you go.
A: Thank you. Let me check the computer. This will just take a moment.
B: All right.
A: Hm…, OK. I’m sorry to say that it looks like your luggage was damaged.
B: Oh no! How did that happen?
A: I’m not sure, but I’ll get your suitcase for you. [pause] Here it is. There’s a tear at the top of the suitcase, and the handle is broken.
B: Hmm. Would it be possible to have the suitcase replaced by the airline?
A: Yes, of course. Please fill out this form, and the airline will send you a check for the cost of a new suitcase.
B: OK, thank you.
A: Good evening. May I help you?
B: Yes, I have a reservation here tonight, but I have a little problem.
A: Oh no! What’s the matter?
B: Well, my credit card was stolen this afternoon. Would it be possible to use your phone to report the theft to my bank?
A: Of course. There’s a phone on that table there.
B: OK, thank you. Can you still check me into the hotel without a credit card?
A: Well, we don’t normally do that. Did you make your reservation with the same credit card?
B: No, I used a different card.
A: OK. Well, if you have two forms of identification, I can use the other credit card number to check you in.
B: That’s great! I have my passport and my driver’s license right here.
A: Excellent. I’ll check you in, and you can call your bank from your room if you like.
Answer
1. The hotel doesn't have any vacancies
A: Good afternoon. Do you have a reservation with us?
B: No, we don’t. We were driving through town, and we decided that we’d like to stay and explore, so we need a place to stay for the night. Do you have any rooms available for tonight?
A: No, I’m afraid we don’t have any vacancies at the moment.
B: Oh, that’s a shame. Could you recommend any hotels nearby?
A: Well, there aren’t any other hotels in this area, but there are several hotels downtown. I can give you a list of good hotels for you to choose from.
B: That’s great. Would it be possible to use the computer in your business center to research these hotels?
A: Of course. Our business center is on the second floor. If you are not a guest here, there is a small fee for the use of the computers.
B: All right. Thank you very much for your help.
2. The speaker missed her flight
A: Good morning. May I help you?
B: I hope so. I missed my flight to Tokyo because my cab got stuck in traffic.
A: I’m sorry to hear that.
B: Thank you. Could you rebook me on the next flight?
A: Let me check on that for you. May I see your passport, please?
B: Of course. Here you go.
A: Thank you. I see you were on Flight 82 to Tokyo. That flight left about half an hour ago. It looks like there’s a flight in three hours.
B: Great!
A: Well, I’m afraid that flight is full and there isn’t another flight tonight.
B: That’s too bad. Would it be possible to get on a flight tomorrow?
A: Let’s see. Yes, there is a flight tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m.
B: Oh, that’s early. I’ll take it, but I’d better make sure I get here on time!
3. The speaker's luggage was damaged
A: Hello, can I help you?
B: Yes, I just got off of Flight 72 from Paris, France, and one of my suitcases is missing.
A: I see. Do you have your boarding pass and your passport with you?
B: Yes, here you go.
A: Thank you. Let me check the computer. This will just take a moment.
B: All right.
A: Hm…, OK. I’m sorry to say that it looks like your luggage was damaged.
B: Oh no! How did that happen?
A: I’m not sure, but I’ll get your suitcase for you. [pause] Here it is. There’s a tear at the top of the suitcase, and the handle is broken.
B: Hmm. Would it be possible to have the suitcase replaced by the airline?
A: Yes, of course. Please fill out this form, and the airline will send you a check for the cost of a new suitcase.
B: OK, thank you.
4. The speaker's credit card was stolen
A: Good evening. May I help you?
B: Yes, I have a reservation here tonight, but I have a little problem.
A: Oh no! What’s the matter?
B: Well, my credit card was stolen this afternoon. Would it be possible to use your phone to report the theft to my bank?
A: Of course. There’s a phone on that table there.
B: OK, thank you. Can you still check me into the hotel without a credit card?
A: Well, we don’t normally do that. Did you make your reservation with the same credit card?
B: No, I used a different card.
A: OK. Well, if you have two forms of identification, I can use the other credit card number to check you in.
B: That’s great! I have my passport and my driver’s license right here.
A: Excellent. I’ll check you in, and you can call your bank from your room if you like.
Part 5
Speak with confidence
Write down four possible problems that people might have while they are travelling.
Point 1: ___________________
Point 2: ___________________
Point 3: ___________________
Point 4: ___________________
Sample answer
Presentation: Four Common Travel Problems
Four common travel problems:
- Missed Flights – Sometimes, due to traffic, long security lines, or delays, people miss their flights. This can be frustrating and costly, especially if they need to rebook at the last minute.
- Lost Luggage – Airlines sometimes misplace luggage, leaving travelers without their clothes or essentials. It can take days to recover the bags, or sometimes they are never found.
- Language Barriers – When visiting a foreign country, not speaking the local language can make it hard to ask for directions, order food, or even handle emergencies.
- Getting Sick – Different climates, unfamiliar food, or long travel hours can make people feel unwell. Without proper medicine or access to a doctor, being sick while traveling can be stressful.
Questions & Answers
Teacher: "Which of these problems do you think is the most difficult to deal with?"
Student: "I think losing luggage is the most difficult because it can ruin the trip. Without your things, you have to buy new clothes and essentials, which is stressful and expensive."
Teacher: "How can travelers prepare to avoid these problems?"
Student: "Travelers can arrive early to avoid missing flights, pack essentials in their carry-on, learn basic phrases of the local language, and bring medicine just in case they get sick."