Cross-country Road Trips – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 photographs 10 motorhome 11 dusty road 12 bank

13 piano 14 water supply 15 thick fog

16 wild horses 17 loneliness 18 documentary

Mark: Hi everyone. I’m Mark, and I’m a travel photographer. Today I want to tell you about a recent trip I took driving through former boomtowns—places that were once absolutely thriving during the gold mining era, but are now completely abandoned.

I usually get my ideas for trips from reading history books, which I love. But for this particular journey, the spark actually came from some old photographs that my grandfather left me. They showed these incredible, bustling towns in their prime, and I just knew I had to see what was left of them today.

When it came to transport, I initially considered taking my motorbike for the sense of freedom it gives you on the open road. However, after looking at the distances, I actually opted for a motorhome instead. It meant I could sleep right there in the ghost towns, which was a huge advantage for early morning photography.

Getting to these places wasn’t easy. We turned off the smooth, paved highway that most tourists use, and spent hours navigating a really dusty road. It was incredibly bumpy and seemed to go on forever into the desert, but it really added to the sense of adventure.

When I finally arrived in the first boomtown, the silence was striking. I had expected the old saloon to be the most prominent building left standing, as you often see in western films. But it was actually the bank that stood out. It was made of solid brick and was remarkably well-preserved compared to the collapsing wooden shacks around it.

I spent days exploring the ruins. Inside one of the crumbling houses, I was hoping to find some small historical artefacts, maybe some old coins or tools. But instead, I stumbled upon a heavy wooden piano sitting right there in the corner of the living room. It was completely out of tune and covered in dirt, but it made me wonder about the people who used to play it.

It’s fascinating to think about why these towns died. You might assume the settlements were abandoned simply because the gold ran out. While that certainly played a part in the economic decline, it was actually the failure of the local water supply that forced everyone to pack up and leave so suddenly. They just couldn’t survive without it.

The weather also played a huge role in my experience. I had been hoping for bright sunshine to get some crisp, clear shots of the buildings. But on my second day, a thick fog rolled in out of nowhere, giving the whole place a really spooky, mysterious atmosphere. It was perfect for my camera, to be honest.

Nature is definitely taking the area back. I kept my eyes peeled for bears, which locals told me are quite common in the region now. I didn’t see any, but I did manage to spot a herd of wild horses roaming right down the middle of the main street. It was a beautiful, surreal sight.

Wandering around those empty streets on my own, I didn’t feel fear, which is what my friends had predicted. Instead, a deep sense of loneliness crept over me as I thought about the thousands of people, the families, and the hopes that used to fill these spaces. It was quite a profound experience.

I’ve been asked what I plan to do with all the material I gathered. Initially, my goal was just to put together a magazine article about the experience. However, I managed to capture so much great video footage alongside my photos that I’m currently producing a short documentary about the boomtowns. It should be finished by next spring, so keep an eye out for it!

9 postcards 10 historian 11 greenery 12 bank

13 bicycle 14 hats 15 market

16 bakery 17 scrapbook 18 exhibition

David: Hi everyone, my name is David, and I’d like to tell you about a fascinating hobby I’ve recently taken up. I’ve always been quite keen on local history, and I regularly browse the antique stores in our town. Last month, I wandered into a dusty old bookshop on the high street. I was actually hoping to get my hands on a vintage map of the area to hang on my wall. However, while browsing, I stumbled upon a box of old postcards, and that completely changed my focus. They were all from the 1950s, showing our town as it used to be.

I started chatting with the shop owner, a lovely gentleman named Mr. Higgins. Because he possessed such a vast collection of items, I naturally assumed he was just a passionate collector. But it turns out he’s actually a retired historian, so he could tell me the backstory behind almost every image I picked up. He really brought the bygone era to life for me.

Looking through the 1950s pictures, I expected the lack of heavy traffic to be the most surprising thing, as there were so few cars back then. Instead, what really caught my eye was the sheer amount of greenery in the town centre. Today, it’s entirely paved over with concrete and pedestrian zones, but back then, there were trees and grass everywhere.

There’s one highly recognisable building on the high street that hasn’t been torn down. In the old photos, it looks remarkably like a cinema with its grand entrance, and many people today assume it was a theatre back in the day. Actually, it functioned as a bank during the fifties, before being converted into the restaurant it is today.

Getting around the town was quite a different experience, too. You’d think that people mostly relied on public buses to commute, but the postcards clearly show that a bicycle was the absolute most common way to get around. The streets were absolutely full of people pedalling to work or the shops.

I was also incredibly fascinated by the fashion of the era. The men generally looked very smart in their tailored suits, but it was the women’s hats that really stood out to me as being incredibly elegant. They came in all sorts of shapes and sizes and seemed to be an essential part of any outfit.

When it came to socialising, I had always imagined that there were lots of street parties or dances where people caught up. However, according to the images and Mr. Higgins’ stories, the weekly market was the main event bringing everyone together. It was the absolute heart of the community where everyone exchanged news and gossip.

As for my collection, my absolute favourite postcard isn’t of a grand monument or a sweeping landscape. I initially thought my favourite was a lovely shot of the old railway station, but my top choice is definitely a picture of a busy bakery, with a long queue of people waiting outside. It just captures ordinary life so beautifully.

I’m not just going to keep these hidden away in a drawer gathering dust. I considered setting up a website to upload the digital scans, but instead I’ve decided to put them all into a scrapbook to share with my family. It feels much more authentic and personal to turn the physical pages.

Looking ahead, I don’t want to just keep collecting pieces of paper for my own amusement. I was thinking of organising a guided walking tour of the town, but what I really hope to do is set up an exhibition in the local library so that the whole community can step back in time and see our town’s forgotten history.