READ AND TALK - Man takes mystery woman around the world

Man finds travel companion with same name as ex-girlfriend

 

Canadian seeks world travel partner 

 

A Canadian man has found a woman with the same name as his ex-girlfriend to travel with after booking a three-week holiday before they split up.

Jordan Axani, 28, broke up with Elizabeth Gallagher in May but couldn't get a refund for the trip.

After putting out a request on Reddit for a travelling companion with the same name and a Canadian passport, he received thousands of responses.

One was from student Elizabeth Quinn Gallagher from Nova Scotia.

Jordan picked the 23-year-old, a homeless shelter volunteer who has a boyfriend, after talking with her on the phone. He said he was impressed with her social conscience.

A friend of Elizabeth Gallagher's tweeted a photo of her passport to Jordan Axani in November

"It's totally platonic," Jordan Axani said from New York, where the trip starts on Sunday.

"Do I think we'll become friends? Sure."

The pair will also be visiting Milan, Prague, Paris, Bangkok and New Delhi until 8 January.

Other responses to his Reddit post were more odd.

Jordan, who's from Toronto, said he heard from hundreds of people, male and female, who offered to legally change their names.

"I thought it was worth a shot," he said. "Why not throw something like this out there into the universe? And sure it's a little weird.

"I'll be the first person to say that but on the back side we had an incredible response which I never would have anticipated of people that haven't had the chance to go on trips like this.

"My original post remains true to this day. All I wanted was someone to take the ticket and just go and enjoy themselves.

"Whether we travel together, or spend any time together, is totally irrelevant to me."

Jordan has now set up a charity called A Ticket Forward, which aims to fund trips for underprivileged people.

He said the original Elizabeth Gallagher had been in touch but didn't want to say what she had said to him.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/30530070

Excercise A

1.      What request did Jordon put on Reddit?

2.      Why did Jordon make this request?

3.      How did Jordon get to know about Elizabeth?

4.      What impressed Jordon about Elizabeth?

5.      Is Jordon in love with Elizabeth?

6.      When do they return to Canada?

7.      How did Jordon feel when putting the request on Reddit?

8.      What is ’A Ticket Forward’?

9.      What did the original Elizabeth say about the post on Reddit?

Excercise B

1.      Sum up the story with your own words.

2.      What would you have done if your name was Elizabeth Gallagher?

3.      Why do you think some people would say yes to the offer?

4.      Why do you think some people would say no to the offer?

5.      Have you ever been on a trip round the world?

6.      Which countries have you visited?

7.      Would you take along someone with you that do not know?