English Refresher · CEFR B2 · Unit 2

Travel & Culture

Tell travel stories with the present perfect and past simple. Practice, check your answers, and study the flashcards.

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Speaking

Tell a Travel Story

What to do: Work in pairs. Talk about your travels. There is no score — just speak and listen.

Audio 1Listen to an example

Listen to someone describe their favorite trip, then describe yours.

Talk about it

What's the best trip you've ever taken? Where did you go and what did you do?
Have you ever experienced culture shock? What surprised you?
Where have you always wanted to go, and why haven't you been yet?

Featured Reading

Loving Places to Death

Read the full interactive article on overtourism and do the comprehension quiz.

Read it →

Reading

The Age of Overtourism

What to do: Read this short extract from the unit article. Then answer the questions and tap Check Answers. (Read the full article using the link above!)

Travel has never been easier. In 2025, around 1.5 billion people took an international trip. For most of us this is wonderful, but in a few famous cities, locals have started to push back. The problem has a name: overtourism.

Barcelona welcomes about 55 million visitors a year in a city of just 1.6 million residents. To manage the crowds, the city doubled its tax on holiday rentals, and Venice now charges day-trippers a fee to enter on the busiest days.

1. About how many people took an international trip in 2025?

2. What is the name for the problem of too many tourists?

3. What did Barcelona do to its tax on holiday rentals?

removed it completely doubled it gave it to tourists

Listening

Back from a Trip

What to do: Listen two times. Then complete the sentences and answer the questions.

Audio 2Anna and Ben talk about travel

Anna: Have you ever been to Portugal?

Ben: Yes! I went there last summer. I visited Lisbon and Porto.

Anna: Lucky you. Did you like it?

Ben: I loved it. I've never eaten such good seafood. We found a little place off the beaten path.

Anna: Sounds amazing. I've always wanted to go.

Ben: You should! Have you booked anything for this year?

Anna: Not yet. I went to Italy in spring, but I haven't planned my summer getaway.

Ben: Well, if you go to Portugal, soak up the atmosphere in the old town. It's incredible.

1. Ben went to Portugal last ______.

2. Ben says he has never ______ such good seafood. (past participle of "eat")

3. Anna went to ______ in spring.

4. Has Anna planned her summer getaway?

Yes, she has booked it already No, not yet Yes, she is going to Portugal

5. What does Ben recommend Anna do in Portugal?

only visit the big landmarks avoid the seafood soak up the atmosphere in the old town

Grammar

Perfect or Past?

What to do: Use the verb in brackets in the present perfect (experience, no time) or past simple (finished time). Watch the time words!

1. I ______ Paris three times. (visit)

2. Last year, we ______ to Greece. (go)

3. Have you ever ______ sushi? (try)

4. She ______ to Asia yet. (not / be)

5. They ______ yesterday morning. (arrive)

Word Order

Build the Sentence

What to do: Tap the words in the correct order. Tap a word in your answer to put it back. Then tap Check Answers.

Writing

A Travel Blog Post

What to do: Write a short travel blog or postcard (about 80–100 words) about a real or dream trip. Mix the present perfect (experience) and past simple (details). There is no automatic score — use the checklist.

Example: "I've always wanted to visit Italy, and last spring I finally went. I spent a week in Rome and soaked up the atmosphere in the old squares. I'd never tasted such amazing food — the local cuisine was the highlight. We got off the beaten path and found a tiny family restaurant. I've travelled a lot, but this trip was unforgettable. If you go, hit the road early to beat the crowds!"

0 words

Did you include…

two or more present perfects (I've been…, I've never…)
several past simples with time words (last year, in 2023…)
at least three travel words (itinerary, landmark, local cuisine…)
a clear description of the place
a recommendation for the reader

Vocabulary

Flashcards

What to do: Tap a card to reveal the meaning and an example. These are the key words for this unit and the reading.

an itinerarynountap to reveal

a detailed plan of a trip"Our itinerary included three cities."

a landmarknountap to reveal

a famous building or place"The tower is a famous landmark."

to go sightseeingphrasetap to reveal

to visit interesting places as a tourist"We went sightseeing all day."

off the beaten pathidiomtap to reveal

away from popular tourist places"We found a village off the beaten path."

to hit the roadidiomtap to reveal

to start a journey"Let's hit the road early tomorrow."

culture shocknountap to reveal

the surprise of a very different culture"I felt culture shock at first."

local cuisinenountap to reveal

the traditional food of a place"I love trying the local cuisine."

a getawaynountap to reveal

a short holiday"We booked a weekend getaway."

to soak up the atmospherephrasetap to reveal

to relax and enjoy the feeling of a place"We soaked up the atmosphere in the square."

a tourist trapnountap to reveal

a place that overcharges tourists"That restaurant is a tourist trap."

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Score

Your Result

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