DOES TRAVEL BROADEN THE MIND?

Read the story “Does Travel Broaden the Mind?”, learn the new vocabulary and study the Notes.

1. Imagine that you are the Englishman the story is about. Tell the class about your trip to France. Try to make your story emotional.

2. Does travel really broaden the mind? In what other way does it change people, if at all?

3. What do you think of the statement “When you go to a new country you must adapt to new manners and customs.” Explain why you agree or disagree with it.

4. The author of the story says, “The ideal would be if travel could succeed in making people tolerant of the habits and customs of others without abandoning their own.” Could you comment upon the statement? (Speak for 2 or 3 minutes.)

DOES TRAVEL BROADEN THE MIND?

An acquaintance of mine who lives in England and had never been outside it until last summer decided to go over to France for a trip. When he returned I asked him how he liked it. “Terrible,” was his answer. “I couldn't get a nice cup of tea anywhere. Thank goodness I’m back.” I asked him whether he hadn't had any good food while he was there. “Oh, the dinners were all right,” he said. “I found alittle place where they made quite good fish and chips. Not as good as ours, mind you, but they were passable. But the breakfasts were terrible: no bacon or kippers or haddocks. I had fried eggs and chips, but it was quite a business getting them to make them. They expected me to eat rolls. And when I asked them for marmalade, they brought strawberry jam. And do you know, they insisted that it was marmalade? The trouble is, they don’t know English.”

I thought it useless to explain that we borrowed the word “marmalade” from French, and that it means in that language, any kind of jam. So I said, “But didn’t you eat any of the famous French food?” “What? Me?” he said. “Of course not! Give me good English food every time! None of these fancy bits for me!” He had gone to France determined to live there exactly as if he was in England, and had judged it entirely from his own English viewpoint.

On the other hand, there are some travellers who adapt themselves so successfully to foreign customs and habits that they incur the severe criticism of their less adaptable fellow-countrymen.

Perhaps the ideal would be if travel could succeed inmaking people tolerant of the habits and customs of others without abandoning their own.

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