Study the text about a ferry crossing and do the exercises below.

Marcin Legeżyński Across an Open Sea

There are many different ways you can choose to travel to the United Kingdom. If you feel like getting there on wheels, sea crossingcrossingcrossing will surely meet your expectations!

It doesn't take too long to get acrossget acrossget across the English Channel, or La Manche, as it is called by the non‑English speaking part of the world. No matter whether you pick French, Belgian, Dutch or German harboursharbours [harbour]harbours as your departure point, it may take you something between 90 minutes and 8 hours to reach one of the English ports. Most connections are served by car ferriescar ferries [car ferry]car ferries but foot passengersfoot passengers [foot passenger]foot passengers are also allowed on board. Hundreds of vesselsvessels [vessel]vessels cross the English Channelcross the channelcross the English Channel every day, some of which are equipped with all sorts of facilitiesfacilities [facility]facilities. You can enjoy duty–free shops, currency exchange, restaurants, bars and even cinema rooms on most of the ferriesferries [ferry]ferries.

At a ferry terminalferry terminalferry terminal, you may expect quite long queues. However, they move at a surprising pace and you will get to the check–in kiosk in no time. After showing your passport or an ID card and sorting out your ticketsort out your ticket [sort out one’s ticket]sorting out your ticket, you will be ready to embark. On some ferries, driving up the rampsramps [ramp]ramps to get to your designated space on one of many car deckscar decks [car deck]car decks can be quite a challenge. Inexperienced drivers might struggle with ramps that are slipperyslipperyslippery and steepsteepsteep at times.

While the vessel is at sea, no one is allowed to enter car decks, so remember to take everything you need with you and lock your car. If you are travelling by coach, the driver will take care of this. You may use a lift to get to the passenger deckdeckdeck or take the stairs. From that point, you will have a lot of time to enjoy your journey. You may go to a restaurant or sit back in a passenger lounge and contemplate the seacontemplate the seacontemplate the sea. Waters are usually calmcalmcalm, but they can also get roughroughrough very quickly. It is pretty common to get seasickseasickseasick even on a short voyage. If this happens to you, you may feel more comfortable in a separate cabincabincabin, which is widely available at a small charge. On longer cruisescruises [cruise]cruises, sea lines sometimes require all passengers to book a cabinbook a cabinbook a cabin.

The arrival to your destination will be announcedwill be announced [announce]will be announced in advance, giving you enough time to get ready to return to your vehicle before disembarkingdisembarking [disembark]disembarking.

Unfortunately, problems such as failing or sinking ships may also appear on sea journeys. But stay positive! Safety arrangements are very good and all passengers receive clear instructionsreceive clear instructions [receive a clear instruction]receive clear instructions on how to behave in case of emergency. Numerous lifejacketslifejackets [lifejacket]lifejackets and lifebeltslifebelts [lifebelt]lifebelts are stored on the ship, and bigger ferries have their own lifeboatslifeboats [lifeboat]lifeboats. If you hear an alarm signal through the speakers, don’t panic. Follow the staff instructions and move calmly along gangwaysgangways [gangway]gangways to the nearest emergency exit. After all, the distance to land is never too far on the Channel and, even in an unlikely event of an evacuation, help will arrive shortly.

1 Źródło: Marcin Legeżyński, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.