📌 A1EN

🚌 Riding the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: Buying Your Ticket

A ready-to-use A1 English lesson — reading, questions and answer key, built by teachers on TeachIn.

This lesson has 3 sections in total — including the full answer key.

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📖 Reading

🚌 A Fun Day in London 🎡 Hi! My name is Marta. Today, I am in London, and I am very excited. I have got a city map and a little notebook. I want to see many things today! First, I go to a small bus stop near my hotel. A man is there with a red jacket. He is the ticket agent for the Hip Hop bus. 'Hello!' he says. 'Do you want a ticket?' I say, 'Yes, please. One ticket for the red line.' The red line goes to the London Eye. The yellow line goes to the museums. I choose the red line because I want to see the big wheel! 🎟️ The bus stops next to the London Eye. It is huge! I buy a ticket at a small window. The woman says, 'That's twelve pounds, please.' I pay, and I get on the London Eye. From the top, I can see the whole city. It is beautiful! 🎡 After the London Eye, I walk to the train station. I want to go to Greenwich tomorrow. I ask, 'One ticket to Greenwich, please.' The man at the counter gives me a ticket and says, 'Platform four, at ten o'clock.' 🚆 In the evening, I go to London Bridge. There are many food trucks there. I am hungry! I go to a truck with pizza and say, 'One slice of pizza, please, and a bottle of water.' The man smiles and says, 'That's six pounds.' I sit near the river and eat my pizza. What a wonderful day! 🍕🌉

🗣️ Speaking — discussion

Context

London has sightseeing buses like 'Hip Hop' with different color lines: 🟡 Yellow, 🔴 Red, 🔵 Blue.
Each line goes to different places, like Big Ben, the Tower of London, or Camden Town.
Tourists must talk to a ticket agent to buy a ticket before getting on the bus.
The agent asks questions like: 'Which line do you want?', 'One day or two days?', 'Adult or child ticket?'
Learning simple travel English helps tourists buy the correct ticket quickly and confidently.

Themes

Colors and Choices — Bus lines are named by color, so understanding color words is important for choosing the right ticket.
Asking for Help — Tourists often need to ask simple questions to get information from staff.
Numbers and Prices — Understanding prices and giving the correct money is a key travel skill.
Polite Requests — Using polite phrases like 'Can I have...' or 'I would like...' makes communication smoother.

Personal Response

Do you like buses or trains more? Why?
Have you ever taken a sightseeing bus before?

Themes & Ideas

Which color bus do you want to take: Yellow or Red?
What places do you want to see in London?

Critical Thinking

Why do you think the bus lines have different colors?
What information does the ticket agent need from you?

Cultural & Social Topics

Do sightseeing buses exist in your country?
Is it common to ask for help in English in your city?

🎭 Classroom activity

Role-play: The teacher is the ticket agent and the student is the tourist. Practice this dialogue: 'Hello! I would like a ticket, please.' 'Which line: Yellow 🟡 or Red 🔴?' 'Red, please.' 'One day or two days?' 'One day.' 'That's £35, please.' Then switch roles.

✏️ Questions

🚌 At the bus counter, you say: 'Excuse me, I ___ (want) a ticket for the red bus, please.'
🎡 Look at the map: there ___ two ways to buy a ticket for the London Eye — online or at the counter.
🚉 At the train station, the ticket agent ___ (ask), 'Where are you going today?'
🍔 At the food truck near London Bridge, you can say: 'I ___ got a burger and a coffee, please.' (to make an order using 'have got')
🚏 Right now, the tourists ___ (wait) in line for the yellow Hip Hop bus.
🗺️ Excuse me, ___ you tell me which bus goes to the London Eye? (ability/polite request with 'can')
Where does the red bus line go?
- a) To the museums
- b) To the London Eye
- c) To the train station
- d) To London Bridge
How much is the London Eye ticket?
- a) Six pounds
- b) Ten pounds
- c) Twelve pounds
- d) Four pounds
What time does Marta's train leave?
- a) At four o'clock
- b) At six o'clock
- c) At twelve o'clock
- d) At ten o'clock
What does Marta buy at the food truck?
- a) A slice of pizza and a bottle of water
- b) A sandwich and a coffee
- c) A burger and juice
- d) A salad and tea
Why does Marta choose the red bus line?
- a) Because it is cheaper
- b) Because she wants to see the big wheel
- c) Because it goes to the train station
- d) Because her hotel is on that line
What does the word 'huge' mean in the text?
- a) Very small
- b) Very old
- c) Very colourful
- d) Very big