📘 Part 3: Adventures

This episode's vocabulary

Vicariously (adverb) - in a vicarious way (= experienced through the activities of other people, rather than by doing something yourself).

Conservatively (adverb) - in a way that is not fashionable or modern.

Adventurous (adj.) - willing to try new or difficult things.

Disposition (noun) - a natural tendency to do something, or to have or develop something.

To be prone to something/do something - likely to show a particular characteristic, usually a negative one, or to be affected by something bad, such as damage or an illness.

Helicopter parenting (noun) - a way of taking care of a child that involves a parent being very closely involved with their child's life, especially their education, and trying to control it too much.

Risk-averse (adj.) - unwilling to take risks or wanting to avoid risks as much as possible.

To dive in/dive into something (phrasal verb) - to start doing something suddenly and energetically, often without stopping to think.

To go off (phrasal verb) - to leave a place and go somewhere else.

Workload (noun) - the amount of work to be done, especially by a particular person or machine in a period of time.

Commitment (noun) - a promise or firm decision to do something.

Motion (noun) - the act or process of moving, or a particular action or movement.

Solo (adj.) - alone; without other people.

Resourcefulness (noun) - the ability to make decisions and act on your own.

To wind up (phrasal verb) - to find yourself in an unexpected and usually unpleasant situation, especially as a result of what you do.

Spectrum (noun) - a range of different positions, opinions, etc. between two extreme points.

Stability (noun) - a situation in which something is not likely to move or change.

To gallivant (verb) - to visit or go to a lot of different places, enjoying yourself and not worrying about other things you should be doing.

Bold (adj.) - not frightened of danger.

To spice upsomething (phrasal verb) - if you spice up something you add excitement or interest to it.

Monotonous (adj.) - not changing and therefore boring.

Grievously (adverb) - to a very severe or serious degree.

Questions and Answers

M: Who likes to read adventure books?

R: People who are interested in adventures, no? In more detail, probably there are two kinds of people, people who can't afford to have real adventures. And people who would rather live vicariously through fictional people.

M: What kinds of people dislike adventures?

R: Well, people who aren't interested in adventures? Sorry, I'm not taking these questions seriously. Okay. Probably people who... Maybe they're just not interested in this kind of risk-taking behaviour and they're more conservatively minded. I think that's fairly safe to say that that would be how most people who aren't adventurous would describe themselves.

M: And why do they prefer being conservatively minded and not adventurous?

R: I don't think it's an act of preference. I think that's just a natural disposition that some people have, some people are more prone to taking risks than others. There was an interesting theory a while back, that there's a bacteria that exists in some people, but not in others and it influences your life choices. So perhaps they don't have this bacteria.

M: Why are some children addicted to adventure games?

R: Well, especially nowadays, they're a decent simulation of real-life experiences. And I guess, there's lots more helicopter parenting now. So they might not actually get the chance to have real-life adventures due to this. So it's just another way for them to engage in this adventurous behaviour without the risk.

M: Why do some people prefer to read adventure books, rather than take an adventure?

R: Well, risk-averse people might be more willing to dive into a book than dive into a canyon, I suppose. And there's less time to go off on adventures now. Because people's workloads are... Well, they were increasing, I don't know what it's like now. But last I checked, that was the case. And they have more commitments. As you get older, your commitments tend to grow, you can't really go off on a random adventure, if you have a family to take care of, can you?

M: Do you think adventures are important in life?

R: Well, depends entirely on the sort of person that you want to be. I mean, if you are the kind of person that values having lots of interesting stories to tell, about strange places that you've been to and strange activities that you've done, then that is something that will be important. But if you're not, and you prefer to be at home, where it's safe and calm and comfortable, and just everything going normally, then it will not be something that's important for you.

M: What do you think are the benefits of going on an adventure?

R: Well, it's an adventure. So you have lots of unique life experiences and stories to tell the grandkids if you survive your adventure to have grandchildren.

M: Anything else?

R: No. No-no, there are other things, of course. It's something to look back on, regardless of the kind of life that you've lived. When you're older, and kind of gone through the motions of everything that you're supposed to do in life, you can look back and think, oh, wow, it was very interesting. Good. And feel the sense of satisfaction.

M: Is it better to go on an adventure alone or with a group?

R: Well, I mean, if you're flying solo, then there's more, or there are more opportunities for self-development and chance to develop your resourcefulness as an individual. Although if you're a part of a group, then you could build connections with new people and strengthen existing bonds. So again, it really depends on what you want to achieve and the kind of person that you are.

M: Are there any risks associated with going on an adventure?

R: Well, lots of risks. It might, you know, adventures are sold as being interesting, but they might actually turn out to be quite boring. And of course, you could wind up with life-threatening injuries, if they end up being extremely interesting. Or you could also wind up dead, which is also not a good thing. So yeah, there's lots of risks that... But those are the three big ones. And they're sort of at the extreme ends of the spectrum. Boredom or death or injury.

M: Do you think that people should take more risks in their lives and go on adventurous trips?

R: Well, society depends on a certain level of stability in order to function. So if we all went gallivanting off into the sunset civilization would probably collapse. However, people could still be bolder, even just to spice things up a little bit. No one likes it when things are monotonous all the time, do they?

M: Do you think that experiencing adventures broadens people's horizons?

R: If they don't wind up dead or grievously injured then yes. You have the chance to meet interesting people and have experiences that lot's of other people would never have. And of course, you network with people along the way, so that also presents opportunities that you would not normally have. So I think so, yes.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your adventurous answers!

Discussion

M: Dear listener, you can listen to Rory's answers again and notice how Rory reacts to the questions. Sometimes he makes these sounds like... Something like this, which is very funny. Could you just listen? Just not for words. But for Rory's sounds before he starts answering the question. Okay?

R: It's my thinking sounds. There are fillers.

M: Yeah, it's like, depending on the question. If the question is difficult, he goes like oh, well... So notice how Rory reacts to the question. And sometimes, he just says, he gives us a joke and then he says, oh, let me take it seriously or I should take this question seriously. And then he continues in a more serious manner. People read adventure books. So adventure books, for example, like what? Indiana Jones?

R: Oh, God, Enid Blyton used to write these books. And it wasn't just the Famous Five or The Secret Seven. But there were other books as well that she wrote and they were all about people going off on adventures. Indiana Jones, I don't think they're books, I think they're just movies, aren't they?

M: Ooh, I don't know. Okay, adventure movies. Right? Because the questions could be about adventure movies as well. So Indiana Jones, there you go. Mummies, yeah? Egypt. So then you can say like in more detail, when you keep explaining things. In more detail, like children, teenagers might enjoy adventure books, people who can't afford to have real adventures, enjoy reading about them. And Rory, you mentioned this word to live vi...

R: Vicariously.

M: Vicariously.

R: Yes.

M: What's this?

R: It's difficult to explain.

M: Aha, I'm Googling it. Vica... How do you pronounce it even?

R: It means that you... It means that you do it through another human being. But the whole thing is live vicariously through someone else, which means that you're experiencing someone else's life in your imagination. So if you say you're gonna go out drinking and having a nice time, and I'm not wanting to do that, but I can watch you have a good time. And it's okay for me, then I'm living vicariously through you.

M: Some parents live vicariously through their children. So my parents wanted me to speak English. And they never spoke English, so they live vicariously through me?

R: Is that a fact?

M: Yeah, I think my father wanted me to speak English.

R: Oh, wow. So what you're saying is if it wasn't for your father's laziness, then we wouldn't be doing this podcast basically?

M: Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. But because my father never went to university. He just finished, I think nine years at school. That's it.

R: That's quite a lot though. What did he do?

M: He's a musician.

R: What kind of musician?

M: He plays Russian instruments. And also he can play the bagpipe, which is Scottish.

R: That's amazing. I did not know this. We're learning a lot now.

M: Yeah. So people like to vicariously experience some kind of danger. So through other people, through reading books, we can experience these adventures vicariously. Oh, dear listener, how are you doing? Are you okay with this vicariously thing?

R: I'm sure I've said this before and it was fine.

M: Yeah, because it's a difficult word, come on.

R: It's not.

M: People dislike adventures because they are not interested in them. They're not interested in risk-taking behaviour, or they're not interested in taking risks. Such people are conservative, or they out conservatively minded. So they're kind of traditional people, conservative people, and due to or because of their natural disposition. So natural disposition is like people's character, it's the way they are. Yeah?

R: Yeah, it's just... Well, there's lots of reasons people are the way they are. Usually, it's a lot more complicated than that's just the way they are.

M: Some people are prone to taking risks. So they're likely to take risks. Some people just prefer not to take risks at all, right? And prone to something is a nice one. It means like, I'm more likely to take risks, or...

R: Something is more likely to happen.

M: Yeah. And it's C-2 word to be prone to something.

R: To be prone?

M: Yeah, to be prone. So in this context, like, for example, I've always been prone to headaches. So I am likely to have headaches, kind of this is like my habit, or something that I usually have. And usually, it's something negative, because I'm prone to accident. You know, like people who usually kind of find themselves in dangerous situations, or they always break things or have an accident. So they are prone to accidents. They usually happen to them. Or they damage something. Maybe illness, I'm prone to headaches. And also Rory told us about this bacteria, which exists. That could increase the likelihood, the possibility, the probability of taking risks, of experiencing risky adventures. Yeah, an interesting idea, dear listener. Like something like, you know, academic, and the examiner just would look at you like, what? Really? Oh, you've done some research about this topic. So yeah.

R: Well, I had not really done research, it was just something that I heard in the passing. And the same way, you could really just say, like, I heard from somebody that bacteria make you more prone to risk-taking and leave it at that. Or certain kinds of bacteria.

M: Bacteria make you more prone to taking risks. Okay?

R: Some, some, not all.

M: Some, yeah. So some bacteria make you more prone, so more kind of exposed to taking risks. Interesting. Some children could be addicted to adventure games. So adventure movies, books, games, and they may not get the chance to have adventures in real life due to helicopter parenting. Rory, what's helicopter parenting?

R: That's just when your parents are hovering over you like a helicopter and preventing anything bad from happening, you never learn anything, and you turn out to be a bit of a dull person.

M: Children could engage in adventurous behaviour, or may not be able to engage in adventurous behaviour or in adventures. We can take an adventure, go on adventures, experience adventures.

R: Go off on an adventure.

M: Go off on a random adventure. So some people enjoy going off on a random adventure. For example, like, I get up tomorrow and decide, oh, I'm gonna go to Zimbabwe, to Africa on a safari trip, hey-hey, by bicycle. Some people might be more willing. So some people want to do this more. So some people might be more willing to dive into a book. So to read a book, to dive into a book, like we dive into a pool, swimming pool, dive into a book, rather than a canyon. Canyon like in nature, a canyon. In the States, there are canyon.

R: I don't know why I picked a canyon. I just... Like dive into a book, dive into a canyon. But you can do both. Dive into a book, you read a book, dive into a canyon, you dive into a canyon.

M: From a helicopter, for example. You just jump right there.

R: Yeah, why not?

M: And these days, people have increasing workload. So they work longer hours, they have a lot of things to do, and they have more commitments. So they have a lot of activities, a lot of duties, responsibilities. And they don't have time to go off on a random adventure. It's worth going on an adventure because people enjoy having unique life experiences. So they can have stories to tell their grandkids. So their grandchildren. And this is something that people look back on when they are older. So the phrasal verb is to look back on something. So when you're 90 years old, you look back on all these adventures you've had and you feel the sense of satisfaction. Yeah? And then you die peacefully.

R: Like honestly, I was really stretching myself there because I have absolutely no idea. And you asked me like, are there any other reasons? And I was thinking, are there any other reasons?

M: Yeah.

R: There are. That's one of them.

M: The examiner will do it. Will ask more questions, follow up questions, when the examiner wants more information from you or more explanation.

R: That's a mean follow-up question though. Like, are there any more reasons? You just sit there and go no, no, there aren't. Move on, get over it.

M: We can experience adventures alone or with a group. Rory paraphrased doing it alone like flying solo. When you fly solo, you are alone, you do it by yourself, you do it on your own. And this contributes to self-development, and also develops your resourcefulness. Rory, could you explain resourcefulness.

R: That's just your ability to use resources effectively. So a resourceful person, if they are dropped in the middle of nowhere with only a water bottle will find a way to turn the water bottle into something that will keep them alive. Whereas most people would just drink the water in the water bottle and that's all.

M: If you're travelling with a group. This could build your connections, strengthen existing bonds. Well, maybe like it's more fun when you are around different people. Risks which are associated with adventures are, of course, death, murder, kidnapping.

R: Are you reading from the list on the internet? Did you type in risks that are associated with adventures and that's the list that came up.

M: It's usually when IELTS students write essays about something like crime, dangerous, like death, murder.

R: Why do they always go to the extreme?

M: I don't know. Life-threatening injuries.

R: That just means injuries that might kill you.

M: Injuries which threaten your life. For example, when you go on a trip by a motorbike, you can fall off this motorbike and injure yourself in a serious way. Or adventures could be boring. So Rory used this extreme end of the spectrum. Oh, Rory, you go ahead and explain this.

R: A spectrum is like a scale with two ends. And there's one end of the spectrum where it's like something could be boring. And on the other end of the spectrum, you could die. But between these two things are all the other things that could happen. You could waste money, or you could have an accident that's just very inconvenient. But the spectrum has like got two extreme ends basically.

M: Yeah. Or for example, on... On the one end or at the one end of the spectrum?

R: I think it can be on one end of the spectrum or at one end. I would say at.

M: At. At one end of the spectrum we have happiness. At the other end of the spectrum we have like depression, misery.

R: Suicidal thoughts.

M: Suicidal thoughts, yeah, when people want to kill themselves. So you can say that adventures might turn into boring things. Or a person can wind up dead. Can end up dead. And we have lots of stories when people, I don't know, jumped from helicopters, or when people go and do underwater diving, and they just get stuck. Or they go into space. Well, you know the thing, yeah? So boredom or death are the risks according to our educated native speaker.

R: Allegedly.

M: Adventurous trips. So we go off on adventures, we take adventurous trips, and Rory used a very interesting verb. Gallivanting. Oh, how do you say this? What's the verb?

R: Gallivanting.

M: What's the infinitive?

R: To gallivant.

M: You see?

R: But that just means to go around from like, well, to go around different places. Usually looking for something fun to do. Go on an adventure.

M: Yeah. To visit or go to a lot of different places, enjoying yourself and without worrying about other things. So for example, gallivant around...

R: The countryside.

M: Yeah, or I don't go gallivanting around like this every night. But you said like, if people went gallivanting off into the sunset, civilization would collapse. So the second conditional.

R: Well, if everybody did it, then it would.

M: Yeah. So if everybody went to different places, civilization would collapse. But gallivanting off into the sunset, is it like an idiom? Into the sunset, do we need this into the sunset?

R: Well, no, you could just say if everyone went off gallivanting then it would be fine, but... But I can't remember, I've heard this expression before, gallivanting off into the sunset.

M: We can actually say ride, drive, walk off into the sunset and this is an idiom.

R: But gallivant sounds better.

M: Yeah. So the idiom is to walk off into the sunset. To kind of to begin a new happy life at the end of a story.

R: Oh, but you don't want to say walk, you want to say gallivant. Yes.

M: Yeah. So for example, at the end of the film, George and Georgina rode off into the sunset, so they lived happily ever after. Could you give us an example with just like with walk off into the sunset? And after that, I never saw her again. She just walked off into the sunset.

M: Yeah. Is it something positive or negative?

R: Well, it can be, it depends if you like the person or not, I suppose. Usually, it would be... I'm not saying it like it's a negative thing, but it could be positive if I didn't like her.

M: Yeah, so like a new happy life, so something new, maybe happy. And here Rory used this not ride or walk. He uses gallivant off into the sunset. So like do crazy stuff. And some people should spice things up. When you spice things up, you add adventures to your life. So people could be a bit bolder. Bold people, like they're brave, they do stuff, they're not frightened of danger. And when things are monotonous all the time, it's nice to spice things up. And we can say that adventures, broaden our horizons. So they widen our horizons, they widen our knowledge of the world, they help us network with different people and drink the life juices. Yeah. Okay, dear listener, how are you doing? Even if you're not an adventurous person, you can say that you are. Take care, spice things up. And we'll get back to it in our next episode. Okay? Bye! Love you, hug you!

R: Bye!

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