Perspectives UpperIntermediate AMERICAN English

Track 1
Perspectives 3 Workbook
Copyright 2018.
National Geographic Learning.
All rights reserved.

Track 2
1. When I was younger I'd hitchhike all the time.
2. She'd taken a year abroad in Japan before she decided to live there.
3. We'd already seen the Eiffel Tower, but decided to return.
4. They used to take road trips and they'd sleep in the car sometimes.
5. He'd visited us before and I didn't have the best memories.
6. Would you say that you'd adjusted after a couple of days?
7. My host family was great. They'd have a big dinner every night.
8. I'd often take a long walk by the river in the evening.

Track 3
The Taj Mahal in India is one of the world's most famous landmarks. It is the tomb, or
burial place, of the emperor Shah Jahan's favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She passed away giving
birth to their fourteenth child. The beautiful white marble attracts millions of visitors every
year.
But this white monument, the symbol of India's rich cultural history, has given up some
of its shine over the past few decades. As the population of the surrounding city of Agra grew
rapidly and air pollution grew worse, the white marble of the Taj Mahal began to darken. It
took on a brownish yellow look. No one knew exactly what the cause of the discoloration was
though. Was it manufacturing? Transportation? Construction? Or some other activity in the
rapidly growing industrial city?
Now, a study carried out by scientists from India and the United States has found two
causes. The first is dust, probably stirred up by the traffic on dirt roads. And the second is soot,
a powder, like ash, that is produced when something burns. Soot comes from burning trash,
agricultural waste, fossil fuels like oil, and the animal waste and wood that the local people use
in fires for cooking and heat.
The national and local government took the report very seriously, and responded
quickly. "Our paper came out, and within two weeks it was being discussed in the Indian
Parliament," said environmental engineer Mike Bergin. Authorities in the nearby city of Agra
also decided to deal with the problem. They adopted plans to improve air quality, which include
giving people propane to cook with and switching several thousand trucks from diesel fuel to
cleaner natural gas. It is clear that the people of India recognize just how special the Taj Mahal
is and have every intention of looking after their national treasure.

Track 4
Living the Dream
Have you ever visited a hotel or B&B so peaceful that you thought about never leaving?
You are not alone. Most people have a fantasy of escaping their daily life for a new and exciting
Perspectives UpperIntermediate AMERICAN English

adventure, but a few people actually do it. So what does it take to start a small hotel or a B&B?
What separates success stories from failures?
First, you have to choose a location that will attract plenty of guests. Additionally, those
guests need to be willing to pay enough money for their rooms to cover the hotel’s costs. Some
new hotel owners underprice their rooms, or they open their hotel in a place so far off the
beaten path that tourists won’t spend enough on lodging to keep the hotel open. Often a
hotel’s success comes down to being in the right location.
Will you have a luxury resort charging high prices or a relaxing hostel where travelers
can meet and make friends? For example, travelers paying expensive room rates will expect the
highest quality service, while those looking for an informal experience will be more satisfied by
a friendly atmosphere than by expensive sheets. Give your customers what they want, and they
will come back again and again.
Will you have a restaurant? Will you offer excursions like snorkeling trips or guided
tours? If so, these services will cost money, and you need to make sure you charge enough to
cover the expense. On the other hand, special services can be a major attraction for tourists.
When Gabrielle and Matthew Holder left the UK for the Philippines to open their own resort,
they chose a site where the diving is fantastic. Tourists travel from around the world to dive in
this part of the Philippines, and they are attracted to a resort that offers organized diving tours.
Finally, consider the community you are opening your hotel in. Jonathan Baldrey spent
three years renovating his hotel in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to reflect the
neighborhood’s fascinating history. Now it appeals to travelers who want to get a sense of the
Dominican Republic’s culture when they visit.
Whether your dream is to own a luxury hotel or to open a peaceful B&B where you can
meet and entertain guests from all over the world, the recipe for success is the same. Do your
research, pick the perfect location, work out pricing and costs, and offer the right services and
atmosphere for your customers. Do these things, and you too could be living your dream!

Track 5
1. They’d walk and use horses and carriages to get around.
2. She’d send me a letter or come to see me if she wanted to talk.
3. I’d left my homework at home.
4. When we were in high school, we’d eat lunch in the school cafeteria.
5. After he’d gone home, some of the guests commented on how friendly he was.
6. When I had an early class, I’d usually eat my breakfast on the train.

Track 6
Joe Gebbia: How Airbnb Designs for Trust
It's the day after graduating from design school and I’m having a yard sale. And this guy
pulls up in this red Mazda and he starts looking through my stuff. And he buys a piece of art
that I made. And it turns out he’s alone in town for the night, driving cross-country on a road
trip before he goes into the Peace Corps.

Track 7
Perspectives UpperIntermediate AMERICAN English

If sightseeing’s their thing, then the best places to go are Lombard Street and the Golden Gate
Bridge.

If they want to experience a genuine local night out, I’d suggest trying Union Square.

If they’re only staying here for a little while, they should probably see Alcatraz Island.

If you ask me, the one place they really have to go to is the beach.

If they’d rather try something different, Chinatown might be worth a shot.

I wouldn’t bother going to the wax museum personally. They’d be better off going to the
aquarium or zoo.

Track 8
Welcome to another edition of travel world, and today we’re in the stunning city of
Barcelona. Barcelona truly is one of the world’s best-loved destinations.
If you’re only staying here for a little short while, you should probably hop on the Bus
Turistic and see all the most famous attractions from an open-top double-decker bus. And if
you ask me, the one place you really have to go to is the Sagrada Familia. The nature-inspired
cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi is still being built more than 135 years later.
If you’d rather try something outside, Park Guell will definitely be worth a visit. This
sculpted garden is a favorite with locals and tourists alike. If sport’s your thing, then the best
place to go is the Olympic stadium. Home to the 1992 Games, this beautiful stadium also has
great views over the city.
Barcelona is famous for its cuisine, but if you want to buy some fresh food, I wouldn’t
bother going to the supermarkets, personally. You’d be best better off going to La Boqueria,
one of the last covered markets in Europe, and sampling the wonderful range of food and drink
on offer.
If you want to experience a genuine local night out, I’d suggest starting with some
traditional tapas in a restaurant in the Raval district. Then, head down La Rambla to the Plaça
Reial to enjoy some amazing tapas in one of the many small and friendly cafes, before finding a
club to dance the night away.

Track 9
A: I can’t decide where to go for my gap year! I want it to be somewhere hot, but also
somewhere cultural.
B: Well, one place there’s always sun and history is India. It’s got so many different cultures and
temples, and the sea, mountains and the Ganges.
A: Hmm, I know, it’s just it’s so big! And my sister went there a few years ago and she got quite
sick and had to come home early.
B: Well, what do you want to do on your trip?
A: I think I’d like to see lots of different places, but then experience the culture in one place for
longer, maybe a month or two.
Perspectives UpperIntermediate AMERICAN English

B: Well, if you want to experience genuine local culture, I’d suggest trying Vietnam. It’s a very
welcoming place and there are lots of things you can do there.
A: Hmm, that sounds like a good idea.
B: Then if sightseeing’s your thing too, then the best place to go’s Europe. It’s not always hot,
but there are so many great countries to visit and places to see. If you’re only staying in each
country for a short while, you should probably just visit the capital and one other place famous
for its amazing scenery.
A: I like the sound of that. I can keep to the south if I get too cold then.
B: But, if you’d rather try something different, volunteering might be worth a shot.
A: Oh, yeah? Like what?
B: Well, you sign up with an organization like the Red Cross or WaterAid, and you go and help a
remote community somewhere in Africa, Asia, or South America where they need help with
basic infrastructure and education. You work closely with a group of people and get to know
them and the villagers really well.
A: Oh, I hadn’t thought about that, really. I might find out more about it.

Track 10
The student is concerned about making the right choice in where to spend her gap year.
She’s only had some basic ideas and the school counselor tries to suggest a variety of places to
go and ways to spend the year. He covers various options from sightseeing and culture to
volunteering. The student takes the advice away to think about, but in my opinion volunteering
would be the best way to spend the time. There are always opportunities to visit countries as a
tourist, but if you ask me, the one thing that you can only really do when you’re young is
volunteering, before you have a job and lots of responsibilities. She’s only going to be young for
a little while, so she should take that opportunity.