way2go! 7. Coursebook, Schulbuch

62 Unit 04 | On the move Individual long turn: SPEAKING 15 Strategies box To consider sth. means to think about sth. carefully before making a decision. Compare the different ways of travelling. Consider the challenges of travelling alone. Discuss whether travelling makes people happy. Young_travellers.com , an online magazine, is asking young people to send in articles on tips and tricks for travelling safely. The writers of the three best articles will get a free ticket to a destination of their choice. You have decided to send in an article. In your article you should: discuss what makes travelling attractive to young people inform your readers about possible risks recommend ways of travelling safely Write around 400 words. Give your article a title. See Writing coach, Article , p. 186. WRITING 16 By the way: When is the left right? The answer to this, of course, is when you’re driving in Ireland! Have you ever wondered why the Irish drive on the left? There’s a historical reason for this: it’s all to do with keeping your sword hand free. In the Middle Ages you never knew who you were going to encounter when travelling. Most people are right-handed, so if a stranger was passing by on your right side, your right hand would be free to seize your sword if required. Similarly, the staircases in a medieval castle spiral in a clockwise direction going upwards, so the defending soldiers would be able to stab down around the twist, but those ascending the stairs and attacking would not. Indeed the ‘keep to the left’ rule goes back even further in time. Although the Romans never invaded Ireland, they did occupy England and Wales. Archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the Romans drove carts and wagons on the left and Roman soldiers always marched on the left. This goes some way to explaining why cars are driven on the left in the UK. Ireland is largely a rural country, and rural traffic is the norm. Travellers can expect gigantic, slow-moving pieces of farm machinery around every corner. The best option is to adopt the Irish ‘sure there’s plenty of time’ attitude. Also, wildlife and pets may suddenly cross the road, or cows and especially sheep may use the road as a resting place. Even in the capital city Dublin collisions with horses are not unheard of. It’s also important to remember that, as a pedestrian, the cars will come from the ‘wrong’ direction when you’re crossing the road, so you need to keep your wits about you! Find out in which other countries you drive on the left. What do most of them have in common? Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv