Reading

A little travel advice

Before you start reading, study the following vocabulary:

Advice
Experience
Pick up
Rumors
Schedule
Ruin
Attempt
Coup
 

I have traveled quite a lot in my life. In fact, I have been to almost forty countries on five continents. Since January 2000, for example, I've visited Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Russia, and Iceland. And that's only in my spare time. For the last ten years, I have worked as an international hotel and restaurant critic. In that time, I have had some very interesting experiences, and have learned a lot about the potential pitfalls of travel. Here are a few bits of travel advice that I have picked up along the way, and that I hope can help you too.
First, it is important to have researched your destination thoroughly before you go. This means that you should forget about most of the rumors you have ever heard about the place, and do some reading on your own. After you have read all the guide books you can get your hands on, and have made some notes, plan your daily schedule. This helps you make sure that you haven't overlooked anything that you want to see on your holiday.
Second, it is also important to have planned properly for unexpected situations and emergencies. This means that you should check the weather in the country you have selected, and also the political situation – nothing can ruin a holiday faster than a revolution or attempted military coup! Seriously, this means that before you depart, you should have made copies of your passport and other travel documents, and have them secured separately from the originals.
Lastly, I have always found that it is a great help to have already studied the local language a bit before you arrive. Even the few words and phrases that you have learned in advance can really help you get along in a foreign country.
So, I hope that you have enjoyed these little tips and hints for travelers, and that they have helped you in some way. Good luck and happy travels!

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Questions

Select the best explanation for the following phrases from the reading...
  1. "Potential pitfalls" means 
  2. "Can really help you get along" means 
  3. "Tips and hints" means 
  4. "That you haven't overlooked anything" means 
  5. "In my spare time" means 
Are the following statements about the reading true?

1.   The writer has been to more than forty countries in his life.

2.   You shouldn't believe everything you hear about a country.

3.   Always keep copies of your passport with the original document.

4.   A daily schedule is important because it helps you to save money on your holiday.

5.   The writer visited six countries in January 2000.