Listening 【Fiona's Business Trip】
Fiona is a marketing manager at The Lau Group in Hong Kong.
She is in charge of marketing projects.
Next week, Fiona will go on a business trip.
She has an important meeting with a client in Beijing.
First, Fiona needs to buy a ticket.
She could take a train to Beijing.
But she could also take a flight.
Taking the train is cheaper than flying.
But flying is much faster.
It only takes about 3 hours to fly from Hong Kong to Beijing.
If she takes the train, it will take more than 24 hours.
Since Fiona wants a short trip, she will take a plane.
Fiona will also book a hotel room.
She can choose between two different hotels, Hotel Cloud and Hotel Milton.
Hotel Cloud is the newest hotel in the city.
It has a big swimming pool.
And its rooms are large and comfortable.
Hotel Milton is older than Hotel Cloud.
Its rooms are smaller, and it doesn't have a swimming pool.
However, Hotel Milton is in the center of the city.
It is closer to many restaurants and shops.
It is also not far from the client.
Fiona wants to stay in a good location.
So she thinks Hotel Milton is a good choice.
She will book a room there.
Fiona will also think about what kind of ticket to buy.
She could travel in business class.
She could also travel in economy class.
In business class, the seats are usually bigger.
There are also more in-flight services , like free WiFi and champagne.
Some airlines even offer faster check-ins for business class passengers.
But a business class ticket is more expensive.
So many people cannot afford it.
Economy class is cheaper than business class.
But economy class seats are smaller and less comfortable.
There are fewer services during the flight.
The seats are also closer to each other.
So economy class is not as nice.
Fiona will choose business class because she will be more comfortable.
She thinks being comfortable is more important than saving money.
She hopes she can sleep on the plane.
Vocabulary 【Travel Items】
boarding pass
You need a boarding pass to get on a plane.
On your boarding pass, you can find your seat, flight number, and gate number.
The airport employee printed her boarding pass at the check-in counter.
train ticket
You need a train ticket to get on a train.
If you lose your train ticket, you can't board the train.
He is showing his train ticket to the train conductor.
room key
A room key can be a key or a key card.
You need a room key to enter your hotel room.
You can get your room key at hotel reception.
She lost her room key, so she asked reception for another one.
passport
You need a passport to travel to other countries.
To get your boarding pass, you may need to show your passport when you check in.
Vocabulary 【At the Airport】
luggage
Here is some luggage.
You may need to check in your luggage before a flight.
After a flight, you can pick up your luggage at the baggage claim.
baggage claim
A baggage claim is where you pick up your bags after a flight.
If you can't find your luggage at the baggage claim, it may be lost.
boarding gate
A boarding gate is where passengers board their flights.
If you are not at the boarding gate when it closes, you will miss your flight.
security checkpoint
Before you go to the boarding gate, you must go through security.
When you go through security, airport employees will check your bags.
Dangerous items are not allowed through security.
check-in counter
When passengers arrive at the airport, they first need to go to the check-in counter.
At the check-in counter, passengers can get their boarding pass and choose their seat.
It is also where they can check in their luggage.
Dialogue 【Checking in】
Good evening, how can I help you?
Hi! I want to check in to my room.
I have a reservation under the name Alice White.
No problem!
May I see your passport and credit card?
Here you go.
You booked a single room, is that correct?
Yes, that's correct.
I have a reservation for two nights.
Perfect.
This is your receipt.
And this is the key to your room.
Thank you.
Also, could you give me a wake-up call at 7:00 tomorrow?
I'm going to attend a conference and I don't want to be late!
Sure, no problem.
We will call you tomorrow morning at 7:00.
Enjoy your stay!
Dialogue 【Missing a Flight】
NorthEast Airlines at Boston airport.
My name is Sally.
How can I help you?
Hi! I am in a taxi on my way to the airport.
But the traffic is very bad.
I'm going to miss my flight.
May I have your name and flight number, sir?
My name is Eric Stone.
My flight number is NE 123.
I'm going to Chicago.
Hmm. Your flight will leave at 11:30.
That's in 30 minutes.
And the boarding gate is closing now.
Oh, why me?
I have a very important meeting in Chicago tomorrow!
Could I change my flight please?
When is your meeting, sir?
It's tomorrow morning at 9:00.
I can put you on another flight to Chicago.
It will leave at 3:00.
Would that be okay?
That would be perfect!
How much will this cost?
It won't cost anything.
It's free!
That's great.
Thank you!
No problem, sir.
May I please have your passport number?
Sure. My passport number is YY684620.
OK. I just changed your reservation.
Is there anything else I can do?
No, that's all.
Thank you so much again!
No problem!
Have a safe flight!