📙 Part 2: Describe a popular place for sports (e.g. a stadium) that you’ve been to

This Episode's Vocabulary

Au fait with (adj.) – having a good or detailed knowledge of something. → I'm not exactly au fait with all the various places people go to do sports.

Stand out (phrasal verb) – to be very noticeable or memorable. → One place that does stand out in my mind is my local gym.

Well-frequented (adj.) – visited by many people. → It still seems pretty well-frequented, at least from what I can see.

Operate (verb) – to use or control a machine. → You can always see people on both floors operating the various machines.

Regular gym-goers (noun phrase) – people who go to the gym often. → I usually just do the same things as most of the more regular gym-goers.

Lat pulldown machine (noun) – a piece of exercise equipment used to strengthen the latissimus dorsi muscle in the back. → We use various machines, like the lat pulldown machine.

Free weights (noun) – weights, such as dumbbells or barbells, that are not attached to a machine. → We also use free weights like barbells and dumbbells.

Barbell (noun) – a long metal bar to which weights are attached at each end. → I tend to use the heavier free weights at the gym, like barbells.

Dumbbell (noun) – a short bar with a weight at each end, used for exercise or muscle-building. → We also use free weights like barbells and dumbbells.

Treadmill (noun) – an exercise machine that allows you to walk or run in place. → I've never used the treadmills there since I don't like running.

Hang out with (phrasal verb) – to spend a lot of time in a place or with someone. → I'd have fewer opportunities to hang out with my pals.

Pals (noun) – friends. → I'd have fewer opportunities to hang out with my pals.

Cut up about it (phrasal verb) – to be very upset or distressed about something. → I don't think I'd be too cut up about it if the gym wasn't there.

Ungodly hour (noun phrase) – a very early or inconvenient time. → Rory goes there at an ungodly hour, 7:00 a.m. in the morning.

Knackered (adj.) – extremely tired. → When I come away from the gym, I feel knackered.

Questions and Answers

Maria: Describe a popular place for sports. For example, a stadium that you've been to. You should say where it is, when you went there, what you did there, and explain how you felt about this place.

Rory: I don't play or do a lot of sport, so I'm not exactly au fait with all the various places people go to and do things like that. But one place that does stand out in my mind is my local gym. It's just a short walk from my house, maybe fifteen minutes along the road near the center of the city.

I go there with my friend Shawn every Thursday morning, even though it's early when we go, seven o'clock in the morning, it still seems pretty well frequented, at least from what I can see. You can always see people on both floors operating the various machines. I suppose the closest sport it's related to is probably weightlifting and you can definitely see people who clearly do that as a hobby.

It's not really a hobby for me. I just like the company. But I usually just do the same things as most of the more regular gym goers. We use the various machines, like the lat pulldown machine, which is a bar suspended overhead on a cable that you have to pull down, while it's attached to various weights. We also use free weights like barbells and dumbbells, though I have a set at home, so I just tend to use the heavier ones at the gym that I don't have regular access to.

I've never used the treadmills there since I don't like running, but it's certainly an option if I get bored in the future, and lots of people who are obviously not bored by it seem to be using them quite frequently.

When it comes to my personal feelings about the place, I suppose it's nice to have the option of going there, but I'm more in it for the socializing than anything else. If it wasn't there, I suppose I'd have fewer opportunities to hang out with my pals, but I don't think I'd be too cut up about it. We see each other at other times. Maybe if I start going with more people or more often, I'll feel differently about it.