Samir and Mazin compare a seaside trip with a mountain holiday. Price, weather and activities all help them decide where to spend three days.
01Read the Arabic story
الِاخْتِيَارُ بَيْنَ رِحْلَتَيْنِ لِلْعُطْلَةِ
أَرَادَ سَامِرٌ وَمَازِنٌ قَضَاءَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ خَارِجَ الْمَدِينَةِ. ذَهَبَا إِلَى مَكْتَبِ سَفَرٍ، فَعَرَضَ الْمُوَظَّفُ عَلَيْهِمَا رِحْلَتَيْنِ: وَاحِدَةً إِلَى بَلْدَةٍ عَلَى الْبَحْرِ، وَأُخْرَى إِلَى قَرْيَةٍ فِي الْجَبَلِ. كَانَ السِّعْرُ يَشْمَلُ الْحَافِلَةَ وَالْفُنْدُقَ وَالْفُطُورَ فِي الرِّحْلَتَيْنِ.
قَالَ الْمُوَظَّفُ: «رِحْلَةُ الْبَحْرِ بِثَلَاثِمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ لِلشَّخْصِ، وَرِحْلَةُ الْجَبَلِ بِأَرْبَعِمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ». قَالَ سَامِرٌ: «رِحْلَةُ الْبَحْرِ أَرْخَصُ، وَنَسْتَطِيعُ السِّبَاحَةَ». سَأَلَ مَازِنٌ عَنِ الْجَوِّ، فَنَظَرَ الْمُوَظَّفُ إِلَى نَشْرَةِ الطَّقْسِ وَقَالَ: «سَيَكُونُ حَارًّا عِنْدَ الْبَحْرِ، وَأَبْرَدَ فِي الْجَبَلِ».
خَرَجَ الصَّدِيقَانِ وَجَلَسَا فِي مَقْهًى لِيُقَارِنَا الرِّحْلَتَيْنِ. قَالَ مَازِنٌ: «أُحِبُّ الْمَشْيَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ السِّبَاحَةِ. فِي الْقَرْيَةِ طَرِيقٌ قَصِيرٌ بَيْنَ الْأَشْجَارِ». قَرَأَ سَامِرٌ الْوَرَقَةَ وَقَالَ: «وَهُنَاكَ سُوقٌ صَغِيرَةٌ أَيْضًا. السِّعْرُ أَعْلَى، وَلَكِنَّ هَذِهِ الْأَنْشِطَةَ تُعْجِبُنِي».
اِتَّفَقَا عَلَى رِحْلَةِ الْجَبَلِ، وَعَادَا إِلَى الْمَكْتَبِ لِلْحَجْزِ. سَأَلَ سَامِرٌ: «هَلْ نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى دَفْعِ ثَمَنِ الْغَدَاءِ؟» قَالَ الْمُوَظَّفُ: «نَعَمْ، الْفُطُورُ فَقَطْ مَشْمُولٌ». كَتَبَا تَكْلِفَةَ الطَّعَامِ فِي خُطَّتِهِمَا، ثُمَّ حَجَزَا مَقْعَدَيْنِ. فِي طَرِيقِ الْعَوْدَةِ، قَالَ سَامِرٌ: «سَآخُذُ حِذَاءَ الْمَشْيِ بَدَلًا مِنْ مَلَابِسِ السِّبَاحَةِ!»
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Samir and Mazin wanted to spend three days outside the city. They went to a travel office, and the employee offered them two trips: one to a seaside town and another to a village in the mountains. The price included the bus, hotel and breakfast for both trips.
The employee said, “The seaside trip is three hundred riyals per person, and the mountain trip is four hundred riyals.” Samir said, “The seaside trip is cheaper, and we can swim.” Mazin asked about the weather, so the employee looked at the forecast and said, “It will be hot by the sea and cooler in the mountains.”
The two friends went out and sat in a café to compare the trips. Mazin said, “I like walking more than swimming. There is a short path between the trees in the village.” Samir read the leaflet and said, “There is a small market too. The price is higher, but I like these activities.”
They agreed on the mountain trip and returned to the office to book. Samir asked, “Do we need to pay for lunch?” The employee said, “Yes, only breakfast is included.” They added the cost of food to their plan, then booked two seats. On the way home, Samir said, “I will take my walking shoes instead of my swimming clothes!”
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| يَشْمَلُ | includes |
| لِلشَّخْصِ | per person |
| أَرْخَصُ | cheaper |
| نَشْرَةِ الطَّقْسِ | the weather forecast |
| لِيُقَارِنَا | to compare |
| الْأَنْشِطَةَ | the activities |
| مَشْمُولٌ | included |
| حَجَزَا | they both booked |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Compare the two prices, the forecast and the activities before identifying the friends’ choice.
- Distinguish included breakfast from lunch, which the friends must pay for separately.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
أُحِبُّ الْمَشْيَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ السِّبَاحَةِ
Practise comparisons when one activity is preferred to another.
Weather in Arabic: Sunny, Rainy, Hot and Cold
سَيَكُونُ حَارًّا عِنْدَ الْبَحْرِ، وَأَبْرَدَ فِي الْجَبَلِ
Review the weather words used to compare the two destinations.
Hobbies in Arabic: 8 Ways to Talk About Your Free Time
أُحِبُّ الْمَشْيَ
Connect the friends’ free-time interests with their holiday activities.
