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Jeff
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Todd
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Wild Vacation
Jeff talks about an adventure he has planned.
Todd: So Jeff, you're going back to Canada. What are you gonna do, just sit on the couch and watch TV?
Jeff: No, I'm going to go on a trip with my father.
Todd: Really, just your dad?
Jeff: Just me and my dad. We are going to go back to the island, the small island in Eastern Canada, that I was born on, and that my dad lived on for about 12 years.
Todd: Cool.
Jeff: We haven't been back there together since.
Todd: So how long's it been?
Jeff: 28 years.
Todd: Woah.
Jeff: So, and the island is, it's a very interesting island. It's very rugged and rough, and the people that live there are very hard-nosed, inhospitable, and most of it is very inhospitable. It's very rough and rocky and lots of animals there and a very beautiful place, so it's a very unique and sort of exotic island.
Todd: What's this place called?
Jeff: It's called Newfoundland.
Todd: Newfoundland.
Jeff: Newfoundland. Yes,and it's a pretty notorious island around the world, and my dad had four of his five kids there, and I was born there, and so it's a special place for him, and it's a curious, it's a curious place for me. I'm very curious about it because I haven't been back there since I was a child, since I was five, so it's going to be an interesting trip, I think.
Todd: What type of things do you plan to do with your father?
Jeff: Well, we're going to take a ferry. It takes 24 hours to get there by ferry, so we will take a ferry there, and then we're going to drive on 4x4's, little four-wheeled vehicles, like a motorcyle from one side of the island all the way through the interior through the woods, to the other coast, and it's over a thousand kilometers, and it's pretty rough and slow and we're just going to go through the woods, straight across the island, through the woods.
Todd: In this truck?
Jeff: In these, we each have a little 4x4, each have a little four-wheeled vehicle and at night we'll camp in a tent and we'll have campfires and ...
Todd: Oh, you mean the offroad vehicles like the little buggy thing.
Jeff: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And my dad will have a gun so we'll probably shoot some animals and cook them up in the fire and we'll go fishing and so, yes, it'll just be very clean and very wholesome and very nice, quiet, two weeks.
Todd: Are you a little worried about bears?
Jeff: Ah, there're lots of bears around, but they don't usually, they won't hurt you if you make enough noise, they'll, there scared of you. There're more scared of you than you are scared of them, generally.
Todd: But don't they want to eat your food and stuff?
Jeff: Yeah, maybe, but you take certain precautions and you don't leave things lying around your camp or you hang them from a tree, and usually the bears will leave you alone if you don't, if you don't entice them with food by leaving things around the camp.
Todd: Oh, be careful. Sounds fun, though.
Jeff: Thank you. If you have time you can come along.
rugged
It's very rugged and rough.
If a place is rugged, it might have a lot of rocks, bumps, holes, logs, and bushes that make traversing it hard to do. Notice the following:
- The road to the cabin is a little rugged, so drive carefully.
- The hike up the mountain was rugged and difficult.
hard-nosed
The people that live there are very hard-nosed.
A 'hard-nosed' person is tough-minded and practical. They do not care about people's feelings. Notice the following:
- He is very hard-nosed at his job. He listens to no one.
- You need to be hard-nosed to survive in the desert.
inhospitable
Most of the land is very inhospitable.
If a person or place is 'inhospitable,' then it is not welcoming or friendly. Notice the following:
- The receptionist at the hotel was very inhospitable.
- That land was inhospitable. It was hard to live there.
rough and rocky
It's very rough and rocky.
Land is "rough and rocky" when there are many rocks or natural structures that make passing it difficult. Notice the following:
- The path was
rough and rocky.
- My legs hurt from the rough and rocky climb today.
notorious
It's a pretty notorious island.
Something is "notorious" when people associate it with something negative. Notice the following:
- He was a notorious problem child in the classroom.
- That part of town is notorious for crime.
a curious place
It's a curious place for me.
A 'curious place' is a place that is interesting, unusual, or makes you want to learn more about it. Notice the following:
- It was a curious place with many old buildings.
- The island looked like a curious place to visit.
take a ferry
We will take a ferry there.
To 'take a ferry' means to travel by a boat that carries people and vehicles across water. Notice the following:
- We took a ferry to the island.
- You need to take a ferry to reach the village.
four-wheeled vehicle
We're going to drive on 4x4s, little four-wheeled vehicles.
A 'four-wheeled vehicle' is any vehicle that has four wheels, such as a car, ATV, or small off-road vehicle. Notice the following:
- The park rents four-wheeled vehicles to tourists.
- He drove a four-wheeled vehicle through the fields.
through the woods
We're just going to go through the woods.
The phrase 'through the woods' means traveling from one side of a forest to the other. Notice the following:
- We walked through the woods to reach the lake.
- There is a hiking trail through the woods.
around
There're lots of bears around.
Here, 'around' means in the nearby area. Notice the following:
- There aren't many restaurants around here.
- Be careful. There are bees around.
scared
They're scared of you.
If you are 'scared,' you feel afraid of something. Notice the following:
- My little sister is scared of spiders.
- Don't be scared. Everything will be okay.
generally
They're more scared of you than you are scared of them, generally.
'Generally' means usually or in most situations. Notice the following:
- People are generally friendly in this town.
- Winter is generally colder than autumn.
take precautions
You take certain precautions.
To 'take precautions' means to do things that help prevent danger or problems. Notice the following:
- Always take precautions when hiking in the mountains.
- We took precautions before the storm arrived.
leave things lying around
You don't leave things lying around your camp.
If you 'leave things lying around,' you leave them on the ground or in places where they are not put away. Notice the following:
- Don't leave your clothes lying around the room.
- She always leaves books lying around the house.
hang
You hang them from a tree.
To 'hang' something means to attach it so it is supported from above. Notice the following:
- Hang your jacket by the door.
- They hung a lantern from a tree branch.
leave you alone
The bears will leave you alone.
If someone or something 'leaves you alone,' they do not bother or disturb you. Notice the following:
- Please leave me alone while I'm studying.
- If you stay calm, the dog will leave you alone.
entice
Don't entice them with food.
To 'entice' means to attract or tempt someone or something with something appealing. Notice the following:
- The advertisement enticed many customers.
- Don't entice wild animals by feeding them.
come along
If you have time, you can come along.
The phrasal verb 'come along' means to go somewhere with another person. Notice the following:
- We're going to the beach. Why don't you come along?
- She invited me to come along on the trip.
Vocabulary Quiz
rocky • notorious
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