Advice on City Activities for Family Visitors
ANNOUNCER: Part 1. You will hear a man asking a friend for advice on things to do in the city with a family of visitors. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6. Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.
MAN: Sandra, I seem to remember you had some family visitors staying with you recently.
SANDRA: Yeah, that's right. My brother and his family were here a couple of months ago.
MAN: Ok, good. Well, I wanted to ask your advice. I've got my cousin and her family visiting next month, and as I don't have kids, I've no idea where to take them.
SANDRA: Right, what about accommodation? Are they going to stay with you in your flat?
MAN: No, thankfully there wouldn't be room. My cousin wants me to recommend a hotel. Do you know anywhere?
SANDRA: Yes, I do actually. I always recommend people stay at the Kings Hotel.
MAN: Where's that near?
SANDRA: It's about 5 minutes' walk from Murray Station, so it's nice and central. It's actually on George Street.
MAN: Oh yes, I know it. I think they're on quite a tight budget, so how much roughly is it to stay there?
SANDRA: If you book a family room, it's about £125 per night. My brother paid for two double rooms in the end, and I think that was around £95 for each room.
MAN: Oh, that's not so bad.
SANDRA: So how old are your cousin's kids?
MAN: 12 and 9. So I want to organize some trips while they're here.
MAN: I was thinking of doing a bus tour of the city centre, as none of them have been here before.
SANDRA: Those bus tours are quite expensive. I think it's better to do a walking tour.
SANDRA: It gives you a much better feel for the city. There's one that starts from Carlton Square. It takes a couple of hours and doesn't cost that much.
MAN: Sounds good. I'll look that up, thanks.
SANDRA: If the weather's nice, one thing you could do is visit the old fort. You could get there by boat. The whole trip takes half a day.
MAN: That's a really good idea. I'd like to do that myself.
MAN: And if the weather's bad, I was thinking they could go to the science museum. Maybe they could do that when I'm at work.
SANDRA: Yeah, don't forget it's closed on Mondays.
MAN: They're here from Saturday for four nights, so Tuesday would be best.
SANDRA: And it won't be so crowded then. Saturdays are terrible.
SANDRA: I took my kids to the exhibition on old computers there, and it was far too crowded.
MAN: That's a shame. My cousin's kids would have enjoyed that.
SANDRA: There's another one starting soon on space, which looks really good.
MAN: Ok, well I'll mention that to my cousin.
ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.
SANDRA: Have you thought about where to take them to eat?
MAN: Well, I really like the food stalls at Clacton Market. My cousin's vegetarian, and I know it's one of the best places for that kind of food.
SANDRA: Definitely. And there'll be loads of choice for the kids too.
SANDRA: You need to get there quite early though. At the weekend most stalls stop serving lunch at 2:30.
MAN: Good point. It's all going to need careful planning.
MAN: My cousin said she'd love to take the kids to a theatre show, but tickets are so expensive.
SANDRA: I know, but you can get good deals if you book online at bargaintickets.com for the following day.
SANDRA: Some seats have up to a 75% discount.
MAN: Really? Hmm, I must try that.
SANDRA: There are also lots of things you can do for free.
MAN: Like what?
SANDRA: Check if the Roots Music Festival is happening in Blakewell Gardens that weekend.
MAN: R-O-O-T-S?
SANDRA: Yes. It's always very family-friendly, and there's no entry charge.
MAN: That sounds perfect.
SANDRA: And if you're in Blakewell Gardens, climb Telegraph Hill. You'll get an amazing view of the port.
MAN: Oh yeah, I've heard the view is amazing.
SANDRA: Yes, it's definitely worth the effort.
MAN: Well, that's given me loads of ideas. Thanks so much.
ANNOUNCER: That is the end of part 1. You now have one minute to check your answers to part 1.
