📙 Part 2: Describe a tall building you like or dislike

This episode's vocabulary

Stand out (phrasal verb) – to be very noticeable. → One building that does stand out in my mind is the one on the waterfront.

Anonymous looking (adj) – having no unusual or interesting features. → It's just this sort of anonymous looking block that utterly lacks character.

Lacks character (verb phrase) – to be boring and without interesting features. → The building lacks character and has ruined the skyline.

Ruin the skyline (verb phrase) – to spoil the view of the buildings or mountains that you see against the sky. → This ugly new block has basically ruined the skyline and the views.

Your guess is as good as mine (idiom) – something you say when you do not know the answer to a question. → What's it used for? To be honest, your guess would be as good as mine.

Substantive (adj) – dealing with real, important, or serious matters. → The work going on there is certainly not anything substantive.

Smack bang in the middle (idiom) – exactly in the centre of something. → It's also smack bang in the middle of all the other cooler buildings.

A real shame (phrase) – used to say that something is disappointing. → That's a real shame because so much effort has been put into the area.

Nondescript (adj) – very ordinary, or having no interesting or unusual features. → I can't describe it further than just by saying it's this pretty nondescript office block.

Utility (noun) – the quality of being useful. → It has absolutely no utility, or at least no utility is evident.

Dull as dishwater (idiom) – extremely boring. → The design is just dull as dishwater.

Wreck (verb) – to destroy or badly damage something. → So much effort has been put into the area, only to have this thing here to wreck it all.

Eyesore (noun) – an unpleasant or ugly sight in a public place. → It's an absolute eyesore and I hope they don't approve anything else like that.

Devoid of life (phrase) – to lack or be without something that is necessary or usual (in this case, people/activity). → The building is devoid of life; there is no life inside.

Put up (phrasal verb) – to build something. → The one that does stand out is the one they put up on the waterfront.

Questions and Answers

Maria: Describe a tall building you like or dislike. You should say what it's used for, where it is, what it looks like, and explain why you like or dislike it. Rory, hello.

Rory: Hello.

Maria: Give us your story.

Rory: Well, normally I don't take notice of buildings, really, but one that does stand out in my mind right now is the one they put up on the waterfront of my hometown. I don't actually know what it's called, it's just this sort of anonymous looking block that utterly lacks character and has basically ruined the skyline and the views there. Speaking about what it's used for specifically, to be honest, your guess would be as good as mine. I don't ever see many people there and it seems like there's just a cluster of charity offices at the base of the thing, and not much going on at the higher levels of the place. I think they must run their operations out of there or something, but it's certainly not anything substantive, or at least not whenever I've been there. If we consider exactly where it is, well, not only is it on the waterfront surrounded by all these other much cooler buildings, or at least cooler looking, it's also smack bang in the middle of them to the extent that it blocks out the views entirely from some, well, at least from some angles. And that's a real shame because so much effort has been put into it with the area, only to have this thing here to wreck it all. So, that's not great. And when I think about what it looks like, I can't describe it further than just by saying it's this pretty nondescript office block. I've no idea who approved it, but they must have been bribed or something because it has absolutely no utility, or at least no utility is evident. And the design is just dull as dishwater. As far as why I dislike it so much is concerned, other than wrecking the waterfront, it's just a huge visual reminder of how our town council is run by people who don't really think about how the area looks or should be managed. It's an absolute eyesore and I hope they don't approve anything else like that anytime soon.

Maria: Yay! Thank you, Rory, for your story.