GO EAST THIS EASTER:
THREE GREAT PLACES TO VISIT!
ANSWERS PAGE ON
42(^1) Pre-reading
How many countries or cities can you
name in Eastern Europe in just two
minutes? Have a competition with a
partner or the class.
(^2) Reading I
Think of three questions each to
ask about the cities of Budapest,
Bucharest and Soia. Then, read
the article to see if you can ind any
answers to these questions.
(^3) Reading II
Read the article again. Then, write
the name of a city next to each of
the following statements.
- It’s the capital of
Romania. - It’s famous for its cafés.
- Parts of the city walls
date back to the 7th
century BC. - It’s about 300 kilometres
from Bucharest. - They’ve got some
amazing Turkish baths. - There’s a lot of
Communist-era
architecture in the city.
(^4) Language focus
Modal verbs
Look at the extract from the
article on this page, “...but
you should also ind time
for the Boyana Church...”
The writer has used a modal verb
(“should”). Read through the
article again and ind as many
examples of modal verbs as you
can. What function are they
performing?
(^5) Discussion
- What’s your favourite city
in your country? Why? - What are some of the
best cities you’ve ever
visited? - Which city would you like
to visit? Why?
I
t’ll be Easter soon, and time to think of how
to spend a few days’ holiday. It’s probably
too cold for the beach and too warm to ski,
so what about a city break? And what about a
city break in Eastern Europe? There are plenty of
exciting destinations with low prices. Let’s look at
three of the best.Budapest is the capital of Hungary. It’s actually
made up of the twin cities of Buda and Pest,
which are separated by the mighty River Danube.
The city is famous for its cafés. There are several
good ones to choose from, but you must try
either Gerbeaud, or the famous New York Café
(on the ground loor of the Boscolo Budapest
Hotel). Order a “somlói galuska”, a very rich
chocolate dessert. Finally, you can’t leave the
city without visiting one of its amazing Turkish
baths. Some of them date back to the 16th
century when the city was ruled by the Turks. The
Gellert Hotel has a wonderful complex open to
non-residents, and the Széchenyi Baths are the
largest in Europe. The baths in the Városliget (the
City Park), which you can enter from Hősök Tere
(Heroes Square), are a UNESCO World Heritage
site and another place you absolutely must see.A fourteen hour train ride east will take youthrough Transylvania to
Bucharest, capital of Romania.
Once there, you should visit
Manuc’s Inn, which is a 19th
century caravanserai (an inn
built around a large courtyard,
which is big enough for caravans).
It’s located in the Lipscani district
(the heart of the city), and it’s
a journey back in time to when
Bucharest was an important trading
centre. It’s also a great place to have lunch
and a drink. Communist-era architecture is
everywhere, of course, and the Casa Presai
Libere (The House of the Free Press) is a good
example of this. The city also has many ine
restaurants serving local cuisine, which is an
interesting mix of traditional European and
Middle Eastern food. Before leaving, try a glass
of “ţuică”, the local plum brandy. But only have
one – it’s strong stuf!From Bucharest it’s only 300 kilometres to
Soia, the Bulgarian capital. The city sits below
the massive Vitosha Mountain. Soia is an
ancient place, and parts of the city walls date
back to the 7th century BC and can still be
seen. It’s also a holy city, and two of its major
tourist attractions are churches. The Alexander
Nevsky Cathedral is well worth a visit, but you
should also ind time for the Boyana Church,
a small medieval Bulgarian Orthodox chapel.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has
incredible wall paintings dating back to 1259.
You should also take a trip out of the city to
explore the Vitosha National Park, a wonderful
place for hiking or skiing in winter.So, we hope we’ve given you a few ideas of
places to spend your Easter. Wherever you go,
have fun and send us a postcard! BucharestSoia14 / http://www.learnhotenglish.com / For lots of free content visit our blog: http://www.learnhotenglish.com/blogBudapest