• a small train, a big adventure!

Listen as often as is necessary,
then do exercises below –
use paper and pencil,
write down your answers

Exercise 1 – pre-listening

Before listening to the text rmatch these key words and phrases from the text to their definitions:

Words and Phrases:

1. Flat platform
2. Railway tracks
3. Motor
4. Ride
5. Countryside
6. Expensive

Definitions:

• A. A small engine that provides power
• B. A journey or trip for pleasure
• C. A level, even surface with no raised parts
• D. The metal bars that a train runs on
• E. Land outside of towns and cities, with fields and farms
• F. Costing a lot of money

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Answer key:
1-C, 2-D, 3-A, 4-B, 5-E, 6-F

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Exercise 2 – multiple choice questions

1. Where is the Bamboo Train located?
   A) Cambodia B) Thailand C) Vietnam
2. What is the train platform made of?
   A) Wood B) Bamboo C) Plastic
3. How many wheels does the small train have?
   A) Six B) Two C) Four
4. Where do people sit during the ride?
   A) The bamboo floor B) Plastic chairs C) Soft leather seats
5. What drives the train?
   A) Animals B) A little motor C) People pushing
6. Where does the train move?
   A) On water B) On old railway tracks C) On a road
7. What can you see on the way?
   A) Green fields and small villages B) Snow and mountains C) Tall skyscrapers
8. How does Wolf describe the ride?
   A) Boring B) Scary C) Really funny
9. What happens when two trains meet on the same track?
   A) One train leaves the tracks B) They turn around C) They crash into each other
10. How long does the ride take?
    A) 5 minutes B) 45 minutes to one hour C) 3 hours
11. Is the ride expensive?
    A) Yes, very expensive B) It is free C) No, it is not expensive
12. What does Wolf think about going there?
    A) It is worth going there B) It is a waste of time C) It is too dangerous
13. What do you feel in your face during the ride?
    A) Heavy rain B) The wind C) Dust only
14. What happens after the other train passes?
    A) People leave the train behind B) People take the train apart C) People put the train back on the tracks
15. What type of text is this?
    A) A scientific report B) A letter to a friend C) A newspaper article

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Exercise 3 – true or false:

1. The Bamboo Train is a small train located in Cambodia.
2. Wolf’s letter mentions that the train has comfortable seats with soft cushions for passengers.
3. The train platform is made entirely of bamboo and has four small wheels.
4. The Bamboo Train is driven by a powerful steam engine like a traditional locomotive.
5. Passengers sit directly on the bamboo floor during the journey.
6. The train travels on old railway tracks through green fields and small villages.
7. When two trains meet on the same track, both trains must turn around and go backward.
8. Passengers can feel the wind in their face because the train moves quite fast.
9. A typical ride on the Bamboo Train takes about two to three hours.
10. Wolf notes that the ride is relatively inexpensive.
11. Wolf thinks that visiting the Bamboo Train is a waste of time and money.
12. This text is a personal letter written by someone named Wolf to his friend Peter.

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Exercise 4- gap fill exercise

The Bamboo Train is a small train in Cambodia. It does not look like a normal train. It is a flat platform made of (1) _________. It has four small wheels and a little (2) _________. There are no seats, so people sit on the bamboo (3) _________.

The train moves on old railway (4) _________. It goes through green fields, small villages and beautiful (5) _________. You can see local people, houses and (6) _________ fields on the way.

The ride is really (7) _________! The train is quite fast, and you can feel the (8) _________ in your face.

Sometimes two trains meet on the same track. What happens then? One train must (9) _________ the tracks! People take the train apart and put it back again after the other train (10) _________.

The ride takes about 45 minutes to one hour. It is not (11) _________, either. In my opinion, it is (12) _________ going there.

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Exercise 5: put the events in order

A) People take the train apart and put it back on the tracks.
B) You sit on the bamboo floor because there are no seats.
C) The train starts moving on old railway tracks through green fields.
D) You feel the wind in your face as the fast train goes by.
E) Two trains meet on the same track.
F) You arrive at the end and think the trip was worth it.
G) You start the journey on a flat platform made of bamboo with a little motor.

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Answer keys

Exercise 2:
1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-A, 5-B, 6-B, 7-A, 8-C,
9-A, 10-B, 11-C, 12-A, 13-B, 14-C, 15-B

_____________________________

Exercise 3:
1-True, 2-False, 3-True, 4-False, 5-True, 6-True,
7-False, 8-True, 9-False, 10-True, 11-False, 12-True

_____________________________

Exercise 4:
1-bamboo, 2-motor, 3-floor, 4-tracks, 5-countryside, 6-rice,
7-funny, 8-wind, 9-leave, 10-passes, 11-expensive, 12-worth
_____________________________

Exercise 5:
1-G, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D, 5-E, 6-A, 7-F

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Hi Peter,

You want to know about the Bamboo Train in Battambang. I went there recently, and I want to tell you about it.

The Bamboo Train is a small train in Cambodia. It does not look like a normal train. It is a flat platform made of bamboo. It has four small wheels and a little motor. There are no seats, so people sit on the bamboo floor.

The train moves on old railway tracks. It goes through green fields, small villages and beautiful countryside. You can see local people, houses and rice fields on the way.

The ride is really funny! The train is quite fast, and you can feel the wind in your face. Sometimes two trains meet on the same track. What happens then? One train must leave the tracks! People take it off, move it to the side and put it back again after the other train passes. It is great fun to watch!

The ride takes about 45 minutes to one hour. It is not expensive, either.

In my opinion, it is worth going there. It is a different way to see the Cambodian countryside, and it is a lot of fun.

Best wishes,

Wolf

Word / Phrase	Definition
recently	A short time ago (like last week or yesterday).
a wheel	A round part under a car, bike, or train that helps it roll.
a railway track	The long metal lines that trains run on.
a ride (on a train)	A trip or journey from one place to another on a train.
to take about 45 minutes	To need almost one hour of time to finish.
to be expensive	Costing a lot of money; not cheap.
either	Used at the end of a negative sentence to mean „also“ (e.g., not expensive, either).
an opinion	What you think or feel about something, rather than a fact.

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Please use the box below
to write your feedback.
Only I can read it.
It is not public.

Please tell me:

• Are the texts and exercises OK?
• Are the topics OK?
• Is the level OK?
• Is it too easy or too difficult?
• Is it too short, too long?
• Do you want texts about other topics?

Thank you! I appreciate your feedback.

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Remember how babies
learn a language:

Babies learn a language by listening.
They use their ears to hear sounds.
Their brain remembers these sounds.
Babies connect sounds with people and things.
They listen to their parents.
Then they copy the sounds they hear. They imitate words.
Slowly, babies learn to speak.

So,
LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN………………

SMFrockZ@gmx.at