4c: What went wrong?

1 Warm-up

Discuss

A. Look at the picture and the subject of Jason Partridge’s blog. Why do you think his holiday went wrong? Listen, read and check your answers.

Which of the following do you think would ruin a holiday? Can you think of anything else?

Being dissatisfied with the hotel room, losing your personal belongings, being robbed, being cheated by a taxi driver, etc.

2 Read

A. Look at the picture and the subject of Jason Partridge’s blog. Why do you think his holiday went wrong? Listen, read and check your answers.

His holiday went wrong because it wasn't what he thought it would be/ because the cabins were tiny there was a two-hour delay, the food was tasteless, the service was terrible, and there was no water.

Comprehension questions:

What was the first thing Jason noticed?

That most of the people boarding the ship weren't his age.

Why didn't Jason and his family change their cabin for a better one?

Because all the cabins were full.

What happened when it was time for the ship to sail?

There was an announcement that there would be a two-hour delay.

What did the crew ask everybody to do?

To be patient, stay on board and enjoy their lunch.

Why didn't Jason's brother have a shower?

Because there was a problem with the water supply.

What is Jason's dad doing at the moment?

He is writing a letter of complaint to the travel agency.

Post-reading

What would you have done if you were in Jason's shoes?

I would probably leave, too and ask the company for my money back.

Vocabulary

Form the opposites of the words in the box and complete the table. Then listen and check your answers.

B. Read again and answer the questions.

1. When did Jason and his family first realise that their holiday was going to turn out badly?

When they arrived at the port.

2. What happened when they saw their cabin?

Jasaon's dad went to reception to try to get a better one.

3. Why didn’t Jason and his family enjoy their lunch?

Because they had to wait for an hour before they could eat and the food was tasteless.

4. Why did they call reception?

Because Jason's brother wanted to have a shower but there was no water.

5. How did they end their cruise?

The next day they got off the ship and never went back.

4 Listen

Listen to four people talking about their holiday experiences and match them with the statements.
There is one extra statement which you do not need to use.

Andrew: I got sunburnt badly.

Rob: I missed part of my holiday.

Greg: I forgot to bring something.

Mark: I almost ran out of money.

5 Speak

Talk in pairs. Tell your partner about a bad holiday experience you've had.
Use some of the ideas below.

A: I had a terrible holiday experience about two years ago.

B: Why? What happened?

A: I went to Rome with my parents and everything went wrong!

B: What do you mean?

A: Well, first of all, we stayed at a very expensive hotel, which, however, was extremely dirty and close to a very noisy area.

B: Sounds horrible.

A: It was. What's more, my brother got sick and we stayed in the hotel for about two days looking after him.

B: How long was your holiday?

A: Five days. So, when he got better, there wasn't a lot of time left.

B: What about the city? Did you like it?

A: It's a pretty city, but we got lost twice, and to top it all off, my dad lost his wallet and we didn't have enough money in the end.

B: Oh no...